The Graveyard Kingdom [*ON HIATUS UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE*]

Chapter 41: The Break

"Are we there yet?" Aiden asked. "Are we there yet? Are we there yet—"
"Take a good fucking look around!" Tyler snapped, fed up with his antics. "Does it look like we're there yet?!"

Aiden shrugged. "I'm horrible at directions. I don't know how far we are."
"We're about ten miles out." Logan sighed, expaserated. They hadn't made much ground at all, having to go on foot to Ben's kingdom. Ben's kingdom, Logan sighed. What was its name again? It always felt weird to dub it as that in his head. But he supposed he didn't really have another way to dub it, he was blanking on the name.
"So we're not even past the border yet?" Ashlyn asked, groaning. They had to cross the border. Not only for their journey, but because the regular woods would be safer than the ones in the kingdom. They had learned quickly that the phantoms couldn't cross the border for some reason, a feat Maverick was trying to work around.

Thankfully, he hadn't figured it out yet. But the clock was ticking. Taylor helped support Ben as he walked, being used as a human cane of sorts. Thankfully, the break was clean. So while he would be in pain for a while, it would heal just fine.

An hour later, Aiden collapsed on his knees, letting out a pitiful whine that made Ashlyn want to slap him silly. Aiden curled in on himself like a toddler.
"Can we PLEASE do SOMETHING? Like chat or SOMETHING? It's been thirty minutes of goddamn silence! I'm going crazy!"
"You're already crazy." Tyler quipped. Aiden glared at him.

Taylor sighed. "Well, we have been walking for half a day now. Maybe it wouldn't hurt to take a break? Ben needs to rest his leg too, remember?"
Ben nodded, desperate to get some weight off his ankle. It hurt like hell, but of course he wouldn't say that. Not like he could anyways.

Ashlyn looked around, cracking as she gave into their tired looks and worn bodies. It had been a long day for all of them.
"Fine. But no longer then ten minutes. Until we cross the border, we can't stay in one place too long."

The others nodded. Ben sat on the grass, keeping his ankle elevated on a rock. Tyler, much like Aiden earlier, collapsed on the ground, letting out a long dramatic sigh. Aiden flicked him.
"Hypocrite."
"Drama Queen."

"Can both of you shut up? God.." Logan muttered. Ashlyn chuckled. Leave it to Logan to be the one to tell them to shut up first. Even he was tried of their bullshit.
Tyler and Aiden didn't argue, too exhausted too.

Ashlyn laid down, deep in thought. But as she laid, she curled up a bit. The soft grass, the wind blowing in her face, cooling her body...

It all felt so nice.

So luring.

The group rolled into a pile, fast asleep after the long day.

(A/N: I'm srsly considering putting this on hiatus I AM AT A WRITERS BLOCK RN 😭 ALSO I KNOW TODAY WAS BANNER SIBLINGS BUT I MISSED YESTERDAY DUE TO THE HURRICANE AND MY INTERNET WENT OUT SO YOUR GETTING GRAVEYARD KINGDOM)