EVERGREEN, elijah hewson

an asthmatic's worse nightmare

CHAPTER THREE
'an asthmatic's worse nightmare '

CARMID HILL WAS THE SCARIEST THING ON EARTH.

Eden couldn't believe it was marked as just a 'hill' because from here it looked like Mount Everest — or at least how she imagined Mount Everest. With caravans and tents littering the top, it looked as if snow had been sprinkled over across it. Sheep were grazing along the grassy slope which led down to a very deep valley. A shimmering river caught her eye with trees curled over the sides.

The rumble of her belly was the first thing that she noticed as she stared towards their final destination. She couldn't wait to eat marshmallows, maybe make some s'mores and to let herself relax. Her feet were covered from heel to toes with dozens of blisters. With every aching step she could feel her socks chafe against them. It was disgusting.

Elijah appeared out of nowhere with his map in hand. He seemed to be admiring the view as well. His wind-tousled hair matched their wild environment. He could easily have blended in with the cows they'd recently passed.  He rubbed his red collarbone, which had been weighed down by his backpack, revealing a star tattoo just beneath it. Eden had always wanted a tattoo. He had taken the cowboy hat back from Robert and it was tilted upwards to reveal a cheerful face. After a slice of his index finger against the map, he proudly murmured, "Only one mile left—"

"If you say that again I'll gas your tent tonight." Eden warned him, exasperated. She'd heard Robert and Elijah say the exact same sentence with every mile they'd finished. She was tired of it. They were acting as if walking one mile was the easiest thing on Earth. It was not.

"Gas my tent with what?" Elijah looked at her with interest, intrigued by her threat. He was stood somewhat close, eyes flitting away from the view to the shorter girl.

"With Min-Hee's Lynx."

He watched how her hair curled at the edges almost like a flame. Her cheeks were tinged red, sunburnt, despite the layers of suncream she'd lathered all over herself. Freckles were splattered across the length her arms, pale skin barely even tanned by the harsh sun above them. He found himself noticing that there were many more freckles on her shoulders that her forearms, similarly to his arms. Ginger hairs shone in the sunlight, all along her arms and legs. He didn't know why he was so focused upon them or why he was focused on her. She wanted to send him into an asthmatic's worst nightmare. 

She wouldn't look at him. She knew he was looking at her. His gaze burned holes in the back of her head as she threatened, "I'll do it while you're sleeping."

"Don't you remember I have asthma. I'd probably die."

"Then shut up about how long we have left."

"What's this about my Lynx?" Min-Hee audibly wondered, now sat down on a tree stump. She waved her hand around as she spoke. "Eden, love, can you please not kill our map reader? We'd be ruined."

"You're better than him. He's a weak link."

"I'm right here, you know?" Elijah scoffed. He took his gaze from Eden's freckles to stare at her curled lip.

She gave him a small smile. She didn't know why her mouth rose up or why her teeth really wanted to be revealed. It was some kind of subconscious response to the on Elijah's face. She'd started calling it that look. He looked like a child after realising there was no ketchup left in McDonald's. He muttered a few words to himself at the sight of Robert and Belle arriving after a very long detour.