Between Worlds

Chapter 19

Ryan amused himself by wielding the clunky flashlight provided by the campsite's reception despite having a light of his own that was both smaller and brighter tucked away in his bag. He didn't want to be too conspicuous, and sometimes his tech attracted questions when he flashed it around too much.

He hoped those guys he talked to really were going to get someone to make him some proper food for when they were done with this job. He was okay for money right now, but there wasn't much pre-prepared food that you could just buy that wouldn't be absolute trash. His dad had always stressed the importance of proper nutrition, but he'd been struggling to put much of that knowledge into practice since he'd been on his own.

As he walked, Ryan shone the flashlight into the undergrowth, checking for any ground leading off the track that looked a bit too trodden. Realistically, though, he didn't expect to be the one to solve this mystery. Not if that man back there really was a vampire like he suspected. Even Ryan didn't fancy his chances of escaping from one of them, and escaping was kind of his thing. That also called into question how smart it was to accept a ride from those guys, but Ryan didn't get the feeling Luther was on the more aggressive end of the vampire spectrum. Some of them could be socially functional, and it turned out Ryan was willing to gamble his life for a bit of food and an easy ride.

A sudden flicker of light ahead captured Ryan's attention, halting him in his tracks. He quickly dimmed his flashlight, opting for stealth as he observed the light weaving through the trees down a nearby slope.

Ryan shoved the flashlight into his backpack and retrieved his own device. He always felt a little silly using such advanced, versatile technology in the same way someone might use the flashlight feature on their phone. He adjusted the light to a soft glow, just enough to navigate the dim path ahead as he moved toward where the light had been.

It took a bit of looking around to find the sloping path of trodden down foliage that led off the track, and by then the light had disappeared. Hopefully whoever or whatever had caused it was still down there.

As he descended the slope, Ryan increased the brightness of his light, fully aware that his presence was now unmistakable to anyone below. The path levelled out beside a murmuring stream, a serene spot hidden from the casual glance.

He scanned the area, his light sweeping through the darkness, but no one was in sight. Ryan wasn't known for his tracking skills, yet when his light illuminated a stack of broad leaves arranged near the stream, resembling a makeshift bed, he knew he was onto something.

When he had spoken to the receptionist, she'd seemed pretty unsure this was anything up his alley at all, but Ryan was increasingly convinced that it was. The situation had that edge of desperation and confusion to it that seemed to go along with new arrivals.

Not far from the makeshift bed, there were some signs of the stolen food. Some orange peel, a banana skin, and a sheet of greaseproof paper. That pointed towards someone who wasn't a local as well. People from other worlds didn't always immediately recognise packaged, processed foods as things they could eat. Which was fair enough. They probably shouldn't be eaten.

Ryan stood up and turned to cast his light across the stream, searching the opposite bank. He'd taken one step away when he heard movement behind him and felt something grab hold of his ankle.

Ryan dropped ankle deep into nothingness, taking the hand that was gripping his ankle with him, before he thought better of it and sprung back up. He spun around and held his light up.

The sight that greeted him was unexpected: a swath of bare skin as the figure crouched behind a fallen log shielded their eyes from his light. It hadn't been an attack. Ryan had a sharp enough eye for danger to realise that immediately. He lowered the light and his accoster lowered their arm, blinking big, blue eyes up at Ryan.