The Skylar Experiment : Dead Ending (second draft)

73. Under the stars

RILEY

ON OUR WAY BACK from the restaurant, Luc and I stopped at the cabin to ditch unnecessary luggage and change into outdoors clothes. The generous portions of food we ingested sat happily in our stomachs. Dancing together had been my favorite part of the day, so far. It was cheesy as hell, but his closeness and the gentle sway of the music was the most soothing thing I've relished in a while.

I stepped onto the porch and spotted Luc already waiting by the Rover, his body slanted over the driver's door. The evening sun rays bounced over his tan skin. That electric smile of his reflected them like a mirror.

''Ready?''

I joined him and we drove onto the road winding around the forest, approaching the mountains where the trees ran scarce. Forty minutes into the drive, Luc cut the motor in a snowy roadside ditch.

''We go on foot from here?'' I asked, and he confirmed.

He opened the glove compartment and retrieved a flashlight and a headlamp. ''The sun hasn't set yet, so you can run without them. But we should still bring them for the night.''

I grabbed the items from him, stretching the headlamp band over my stocking cap. We opened the doors and strode outside to the trunk of the car, where we each grabbed a giant backpack. I stuffed the flashlight inside the bag.

We strayed from the road as the landscape cleared away, woods replaced by broad, white dunes. My boots didn't sink or plough through inches of snow as it did in earlier times. This snow was denser, crunchier, and I think more humid.

Luc halted dozens of feet from the treeline.

''We could start our race here.''

My eyes skimmed over the endless field. A gust of wind struck my cheeks, and I could almost taste sprinting into the air at full speed, weightless like a bird. The coat and backpack felt cumbersome, yet we had no choice but to drag them.

The mountains peaked several miles away with their snow-capped summits.

''Okay, where are we going to settle?''

Luc pointed a finger at the distance. ''I'll keep my eyes peeled for the top of a valley. This is our direction. You will see me stop at the right spot, since you'll be lagging.'' He gave me a smug look.

He'll eat my dust.

''Fine.'' I placed myself in line. ''Can I have a countdown to... you know, gather myself?''

He bent his knees with his gaze still trained on me and started counting. I imitated him and closed my lids. As of yet, I hadn't figured out how to snap into action as fast as the others.

''Two...''

I focused on the chilliness of the air penetrating my lungs and the few noises around—wind brushing against snow and creaking branches. There was a switch within me. I just had to find it.

''Four...''

I saw myself incredibly high above the ground, barreling straight for the waterfall. My hands had been thick with static and swiping through the tracks. 

''Six...''

A warm spark ignited in my sternum, then in my spine. Its echoes crawled into my limbs and down to my toes. I opened my eyes, still consciously breathing.

''Eight... nine, and...''

My skin was thrumming, every nerve charged like it was going to combust. But the sensation was hooking.