Just a Movie

Feelings

Roy glares at Tenner, his body tense, and he reaches for his gun.  I immediately grab his arm, and he turns, looking at me sharply.  

"You can't do that," I whisper. 

"Why?" he hisses. 

"Because," I reason, "you're outnumbered.  And what good are you to anyone if you're dead?"

"At least they'd go down with me."

He almost jumps up, ready to kill them off one by one before they get the chance to do the same, but I pull him back down, holding him in place. 

"You can't die!" I tell him.  "I won't let you."

Something changes in his expression, softer, an almost knowing look, as if our enemies aren't the priority on his mind anymore.  He sighs heavily, looking over the hill, gritting his teeth. 

"The best thing we can do is warn the others so we can be ready," I say. 

He nods, putting his pistol back in its holster. 

"Fine," he huffs.  "I suppose I can wait to give them what they deserve."

He offers a small smile, and I smile back.  He glances down at his arm, where my hand managed to remain, and I flinch.  

"Sorry," I stutter, and he shakes his head. 

"You don't have to be."

I try to keep myself from gaping at him.  What surprises me isn't what he said, but the way he said it.  It wasn't flirty or sensual.  It was...genuine.  With a final glance, he backs away from the campsite, and I follow.  

"How long before we reach Chris?" I inquire as we journey back. 

"Well, without the horses, about 2 or 3 days," he estimates, shrugging.  

As I walk on, I notice he isn't beside me, and I turn.  He stands still, looking far off into the distance, and his breathing quickens. 

"What's wrong?" I ask, approaching him. 

There's silence, the wind tousling his hair as it whistles by. 

"This is gonna take longer than I thought," he muses. 

I look to the west, and a dirt storm rages towards us, lighting clashing in the sky.  It covers the entire horizon, blocking anyone's view from seeing beyond it.  I remember now.  This happened in the movie, only, the group wasn't split up.  At least this time, it's a minor change, not a major one.  Still, this isn't good walking weather conditions. 

"We can't outrun that!" I tell him. 

"We don't have to," he replies, "There's a cave nearby.  We just have to get to it."  He grabs my hand.  "Come on!"

I run as fast as I can, doing my best to keep up with Roy.  He's so quick, I wonder how I'm managing to stay with him without tripping on something.  The wind blows harder as the storm edges closer, pushing us where it pleases, as if we're its toys.  Sand kicks up in the air, twirling and dancing, until we're swallowed by the tempest.  I try to open my eyes, but dirt and wind slams them shut.  The only thing I can hear is the wind's screams, and it's getting more difficult to breathe.  He tightens his grip, holding onto me tightly, and I do the same, not wanting to let go.   

"Almost there!" he yells, his voice nearly outed by the wind. 

We trample on, doing our best to stay on our feet, until finally, I can barely make out an object not too far off.  I force myself to keep going, to go faster, but just as we near it, I'm shoved to the ground.  Stupid storm.  I try to get up, only managing to get on my knees before I fall again.  Roy grabs me, pulling me to my feet, and together, we burst into the cave, out of breath and covered in dirt.  I open my eyes, taking deep breaths, and I dust myself off as he shakes the sand out of his hair.  We look at each other, grinning, until we both erupt in laughter.  Why?  I've no idea.  Everything soon quiets down, except, of course, for the wind outside, and we both smile.