SHARING EMMA [18+]

38. Sensation of Something

|RYKER|

"Damn it! What in the world?"

I muttered through gritted teeth, irritation boiling beneath my breath. I stared at the glaring headlights, their beams illuminating the enormous obstacle sprawled before us.

We were only halfway down the rugged path toward the tribal village when Daniel, the head of security, suddenly hit the brakes. A tree had toppled onto the road, creating a massive blockade.

"I told you to wait till the storm calmed down," Daniel said with a shake of his head, his sigh carrying a sense of exasperation. "This is exactly what I was trying to avoid. The storms on this island are wild cards—unpredictable and seriously hazardous."

"And I told you we couldn't waste time waiting," I retorted, my fist involuntarily clenching. "I have to find my dad and get him back."

"But Tomas is with him. I'm pretty certain they could've made it back safely," Daniel responded, his voice attempting to reason. "The man knows his way around. He's been on this island way longer than any of us."

That was a fact, but with Emma's worry reaching such heights, I couldn't afford to wait and add more stress. Emma needed rest—the more her anxiety and restlessness escalated, the worse the poison's effects could become.

I rubbed my temples, trying to suppress my impatience. "Look, I get it. Tomas is experienced here, and my dad can handle himself. But you don't understand the urgency. Emma's in a bad shape, and we can't afford to just hang around. We need to get my dad back pronto."

Daniel sighed again, his tone more understanding this time. "I get it. But moving this fallen tree isn't something we can do alone. With this weather, it might be hours before help arrives. Maybe we should consider heading back—"

"No!" That wasn't an option. "Are you crazy? We can't go back!"

"Well, then it seems we're stuck here. The phone lines are out too, and it looks like our only choice is to find a way around this tree."

"Fine!" I unclipped my seatbelt and bolted out of the car, the relentless rain drenching me almost instantly. "Then maybe that's exactly what we need to do."

Daniel wasted no time in joining me outside. "Hey, I was just kidding!"

"Doesn't fucking matter," I shook my head and approached the fallen tree, searching for any possible way around it.

Even if I held onto the belief that my dad and Tomas would manage to return unscathed, the tree would still be an obstacle. This was the sole route to the village, unless we opted to circle the island, which would take hours. And by then, it might be too late. Though what exactly I was most afraid of happening, I couldn't quite pin down. It was just a feeling, as if something bad was about to happen.

Daniel caught up, his breath coming in hurried pants as he reached my side. "We're not going to budge this tree with just our hands. It's massive."

I clenched my jaw. "Then we improvise. Find anything we can use to clear this damn path."

Daniel nodded, hurrying back to the car in search of a potentially useful tool. Meanwhile, I began to explore the surroundings. Dense forest flanked both sides of the road, and the tree's position left no room for even the slightest detour. I absentmindedly kicked at pebbles on the ground, my gaze scanning through the rain.

Then, an idea struck me. I jogged back to where Daniel was leaning on the car, rummaging through his belongings.

"How about we cut through the forest? It might lead us to a shorter route," I suggested.