A Home for Misfit Monsters

Chapter 10 - The Devil Is Real

Ezra stole a few glances at Rhia, staring out the car window as they drove away from the lake and into the hills of Dundee. She hadn't spoken much to him after their drunken encounter last night, and he was sure her mind was full of the questions he failed to answer in her dreams.

"Are you feeling okay?" he asked. "You've hardly touched your coffee."

"Hm?" she said, looking down at the Dunkin' Donuts cup in the holster. "Oh, yeah. I'm fine." She sighed, picking up her cup and taking a drink. "Are you sure you still want me to be here after what I did last night and what I said?"

"Yeah, of course I do. We were both drunk and you don't have to be embarrassed by anything that happened," he said, looking over at her. "It was nice what you said about me."

A small smile tugged at her lips, and that slight change in her demeanor filled him with relief. "No, it was weird."

"Maybe, but I like weird." He shrugged. "And more importantly, do you still want to be on this trip with me?"

"Yeah, I do, but I'm not going to drink that much for the rest of the week," she said, digging into her purse and pulling out a slim silver case. "I'm going to stick to weed."

"Yeah, I think I'll do the same," he said as he turned off the main road to a smaller dirt path leading deeper into the forest. "I think there's a little cannabis patch where we're going, so you might be able to pick some fresh herb."

"Really? Where is this place anyway, and shouldn't we stop for some supplies if we're going to be in the sticks?"

"Nah, I brought enough food and supplies for us. I've got that rabbit stew you wanted, and I thought you might want to do a little hunting again." He teased and was rewarded with a delightful laugh.

"Stop," she said, chuckling as she rolled down the window and lit her joint. "I'm not a hunter. That shit was a fluke."

"If you say so, but I just thought I'd throw it out there if you wanted to try again."

"Nah, I'm good," she said, shaking her head. "I'll just stick to doing it on the off chance I go sleepwalking again."

"Fair enough. I'm not much of a hunter either," he said, as the dirt road came to an end at a clearing in the forest that led to a small trail. "And this is the part of the journey we've got to do by foot."

"How far is the cabin from here?" Rhia said, looking at the sky as the sun was starting its early descent. "Will we make it before it gets dark?"

"Yeah," Ezra said, pulling out the map Carter gave him and giving it a quick glance. "It's only about a mile to the cabin. We've got plenty of daylight left."

"Alright," Rhia said, getting out of the car and snubbing out her joint on a nearby tree stump. "I hope you're good with maps and won't get us lost."

"I won't," he said, opening the trunk and passing her a thick black phone from his bag. "But you can hold on to the satellite phone just in case we do."

"Thanks," she said, tucking the phone in her purse before she grabbed her hiking bag and shrugged it over her shoulders. "You realize you're giving me our only line of communication out here, right?"

"Yep," he said, closing the trunk and slipping his bag over his shoulders. "I trust you and figured that would make you feel safe."

She nodded, smiling. "I feel safe with you. I wouldn't be out here if I didn't, but thank you."

"You're welcome," he said, locking the car. "You ready?"

"Lead the way," she said, gesturing to the trail.