The Indelibles (Wattys2015)

Chapter Ten: Oh Them Constables

PHOENIX

It's like nothing is real. I wake from tent with Faye beside me. I immediately stumble out of the tent trying to get away from him. When I come out, I'm faced with Athan. When I turn to run, Faye is back beside me. I'm closed in by the two. I can't speak. In moments, I feel my body being jolted into a tree.

Now I know I'm dreaming. I just can't wake up. My mother would tell me about things like this. When you know you're dreaming, but can't seem to wake up. I can't scream to myself to wake up before they come kill me. Instead, I sit there frozen with wide eyes. Unable to defend myself.

Wait! This isn't real! Neither of them can actually touch me! But why can't I control this? If I wanted to, why can't I jump from this tree and kill both of them? Because I'm not calm enough. I begin to breathe. This is nothing like a panic attack. I feel my heart rate calming down and slowing back to normal. Then I open my eyes. This time, inside the tent is no one. It's just me and lucid dreams. I use the back of my hand to wipe off the sweat above my brows. I can tell its morning. I see the sun through the brown makeshift ceiling. Then I smell an awful stench. When I look around the tent for the source, I realize it is me. Then I remember the antics from the night before.

Last night, I found a couple trees that have thankfully grown close together. I had set up camp behind them to block the wind. Rain lightly got to me from there. The raindrops looked pretty in the slight moonlight. So I began to rub my index finger across the top. Bad choice. Apparently, the water had built up on the tent. So when I touched it, it flooded straight into my tent and specifically, on me.

"Great, now I smell like mildew," I whisper to myself.

Now that I think about it, I haven't showered a day since I've been out here. And, I rarely pee. Only in the morning and barely at night. I'm always on guard and never drink liquids. I'm probably very unhealthy right now.

But that is the least of my worries. Now, I need to stop smelling and feeling grimy. I pull myself out the tent and stretch my body. I put the pop up tent away and I look through the bag for some kind of map. I only looked through the main compartment last time. Today, when I look through the small parts I find a map and the area the flashlight came from.

My body ready for a journey, backpack on, map in hand, I begin walking southeast, where the nearest pond of water is. As I walk I throw berries in my mouth, making a game to entertain myself as I quietly sneak through the evergreen plants. I was thankful that Faye's map specifically showed where the Evergreen forest is. The source of water isn't here. In fact, I'm going back to the place the wolves had come to attack Faye and I.

Faye...without him, I barely say a word out loud. He was fun to be around when he was nice. Those six days we spent together were amazing. And now I have nothing. As I stare down at the water I realize how much I miss him and those memories. I set a in mind timer for ten minutes. I can't be here for long. It's way out of route to home.

I strip out of my suit with ease and wash the suit in the cool water. In hope it will make the stench go away. I have no soap, so I doubt it will. The thing gets uncomfortable after a while, so it's relaxing for the cold water to run over the material marks the leather outfit left on my body. When I finish rubbing my body with water, I take off the bandages on my arm and neck. The one on my arm is healing badly. I haven't been taking care of it. Who can blame me though? It's like I never have time. I run the cold water over the cuts and place clean fresh bandages over it. I push on my under garments and sit on the rock for a while. Staring at nothing really. Now that I think about it though, last time I was here it was absolutely beautiful. A mini winter wonderland.

When my ten minute timer is over, I put my suit back on and walk away from the sight. I'll miss this place. Not because of the wolves, because of how Faye hugged me that day. The thought was so distant that I had forgotten about it.