Epiphany

Chapter 58~Domineer

Decisions. They were extremely difficult to make. It was even more difficult when there were two sides. One side pleaded for you to take the first option because it was more logical, while the other pleaded for you to take the second because it was more valuable to you.

Then you end up taking the first one because this side had more influence on you, which you regret either immediately or later.

My fingers lightly massaged my forearm, which had been firmly grasped.

“I’m sorry,” he said, glancing at my arm.

I nodded again, hating myself for nodding at him and jumping to his side.

A part of me was relieved that they were there to prevent me from running straight into the predator’s claw.

“Where’s Andre?” the girl repeated, tugging on my shirt and staring at me with an unreadable expression.

“He’s… he’s alright.”

“Which way?”

Now that he was asking for directions, I had no idea where Hakeem was, but I knew where Julia was, so I pointed in the direction I had just come from, also hoping to run into Andre.

“Come on, Yesenia.” The guy held the little girl’s hand and we all started walking in a group, like a pack of wolves—giselle.

Yesenia and the guy I couldn’t place a name with were on my right, a little behind me, and the other guy who only observed us and the girl who was the first one I met were on my left, leaving the other girl straight behind me.

Me leading them caused my brain to question whether or not I was on the right track. Maybe I took a wrong turn without realizing it, even though I knew it wasn’t likely. But I just couldn’t help but cast a glance here and there.

A wrong turn and five people, including a child, would be killed.

It would be my fault. Mine alone.

“Are you sure you know where we’re going?” he wondered out loud after a while.

“Yes…”

Why was he asking me this though? Did he have the suspicion that we were walking on the wrong path? Could I have been going in the wrong direction all along?

“Don’t tell me that was hesitation,” the girl on my left remarked. “Are you sure you know where you’re going?”

Don't ask me again, goddammit.

“I know where we’re heading to,” I tried to sound confident in my words so she wouldn’t ask again.

“You sure about that?”

The urge to slap her and tell her to shut up swelled all of a sudden.

“Solange, stop it,” the guy beside her mumbled. “You’re going to make her doubt herself.”

Thank you.

She sighed, crossing her arms over her chest.

The further we walked, the more I began to panic. I didn’t see anything in the trees or a blood trail on the ground to reassure me that we were on the right track.

Did I actually lead them in the wron—

And there I saw it.

I dashed over to the tree, which I now recognized as the one where Andre was resting behind.

He wasn’t there, but the marks that indicated he was remained. It was mainly blood that stained the dirt and leaves.

“What’s that?” Solange asked, the sound of their feet crunching the leaves nearing by.