Cloudy Sky: The Unlucky Thirteen

10 - One By One

Aquaria

Yes, I did break Rule 3 of the Deadpool Code. Which was a big mistake on my part, but then again, you can't control these things.

So yes, I do have Darktale problems. I've known Scorpio Darktale for around six years; too much.

You need to know a few things about your enemy, but I know too much. I can read him, and I'd be an idiot to say he can't read me.

And now I'm stuck up a tree with him for what will probably be the whole night. Karma, isn't it. Yes, we set up a watch system, so Taurus and I are supposed to take this watch while Leo and Scorpio sleep. It'd be helpful, since I can just pretend that's his corpse sprawled out.

Doesn't work, since it's incredibly hard to sleep after you nearly get killed, so they're both up.

I shift, edging farther up a tree branch. My skin is practically buzzing, either with nerves or with proximity to him.

Taurus peers down below. "It's way too dark to see anything, but I think that's a small creek thing."

He leans a little bit more forward and overbalances, grasping for something. I grab his arm and pull him back. He glances at me. "What did you just do?"

"What did I do?" I ask, squinting at him.

"Your skin is electric!" Taurus says. He pokes my shoulder, but nothing happens. "It was, at least. How'd it stop?"

I dig around in my thoughts. "Try it again?" I suggest. I construct a mind image of when Sagittaria accidentally locked me in my room and Carina broke me out. If the trigger's what I'm dreading ...

I feel a light buzz on my skin as Taurus hesitantly touches my arm again and shudders. "Yeah, it is — but not as bad as before."

"Well, I don't know why," I say coldly, in that tone I use when closing a discussion. Well. Crap.

Leo's propped against a branch, philosophizing. "This must be how Pisces feels every night."

I glare at him. "If you and him will shut up and sleep —"

"Planning on killing us, honey?" Scorpio interrupts with a lazy grin, draped over a branch; it looks like he's on the verge of falling.

I press my lips together and try to ignore him. Pushing him off the tree will reveal our position. Should've brought masking tape.

Taurus slumps against Leo, asleep. Leo tries to push Taurus off him, but he's not easy to push.

Dawn is breaking over the horizon and I seize the excuse to escape him.

I vault off the tree, landing easily six feet down. It's been a while.

Four years, to be exact. Four years since Scorpio, Carina, and I nearly died every night doing things that normal twelve-year-olds couldn't do without seriously injuring ourselves. I don't know how we didn't die, but that was the best time of my life.