Operation Shutdown

...Chapter 9...

CHAPTER 9

Emma eyelashes were shielding her eyes from the sun. She groggily rubbed them and shifted to stand up. Rosie was curled up still sleeping. It looked to be mid afternoon, but Emma couldn't know for sure. Holden was using his pack as a pillow. The packs. Emma glanced around until she recognized the path they had came down in the dawn. Emma carefully walked past Rosie and Holden not to disturb their sleep. She turned back toward them and crouched to the dirt. I'll be right back. She didn't want Holden or Rosie to wake up while she was gone, but just incase, she fingered the message in the dirt. She made sure it was legible, and turned off in the direction they had started only a few hours early.

The area was much more clear now that she wasn't half awake or panicked. Branches stuck out everywhere and Emma was amazed at how they easily avoided them earlier. She wondered how long these forests stretched out here. Aproba had maybe three small "forests" that you could see the end while standing at the beginning. And there were always a pair of eyes watching you, whether you knew about them or not.

Emma shuddered. This was different. She was free, and she wasn't going back. The sight of a scorched tree brought her out of her thoughts. The air still lingered with the smell of smoke. She picked up her pace, wondering if anything from her or Rosie's pack had survived the fire. She walked down more rows of scorched trees than she remembered. It must have spread. Thinking back, it had felt like a shorter walk.

"At least it has stopped," she said to herself. She saw a circle of trees a few meters away and knew she was close. As she walked farther, there were burnt branches along the ground. Emma dropped to a blackened bag. It was Rosie's. Emma gently tugged at where the zipper should be and the bag crumbled off a little. She tugged all the way around the side and pulled the two strips of fabric away from each other. The water from her bottle had evaporated from the heat of the fire and all the blankets were black and charred. The brush Wesley had given Rosie was near the bottom and seemed to have held up the most.

Emma got up and brushed her hands against a her pants. She searched the ground for her bag. The slight color caught her eye. It hasn't completely blackened. She trotted over to it and unzipped it, which still seemed intact. Burnt. She shifted through more stuff. Burnt.

Then she thought to the bottom of the bag. In Rosie's, it had the least burnt item. She threw all the burnt objects out to look at what had been pushed down. Her eyes widened a little. The Harry Potter book. Emma had almost forgotten she had tucked it in her bag before leaving Wesley and Clara's. She carefully pulled the book out and examined its condition. It smelt of smoke, but it was legible and intact. A smile played at Emma's lip. Our first sight of rebellion. Is this a sign?

Emma carried it with her to the things she had managed to pull out of the bags and started back for where she hoped Rosie and Holden were still sleeping.

. . . . . . . .

Rosie stirred. She woke up hot and sweating. She ran her hands through her hair. She looked across to Holden deep in sleep. It was relaxed and extremely peaceful looking. Rosie let out a light sigh. She rolled into a sitting position and looked to where Emma had fallen asleep. The only evidence that she had been there was flattened grass from where she had slept. Did Emma leave me? Does she really hate Holden that much that she would leave me? Emma wouldn't. No. I'm her bestfriend. Right? She turned back to Holden to see his eyes open and studying her. He was still on his side with his right arm propping up his head.

"Where is she?" He asked. His voice held something with a mix of calm authority and commanding.

"I don't know," Rosemary answered quietly. Holden looked slightly unsettled. He lifted himself to his feet.

"If she left, she couldn't have gotten far. We'll find her."

"What do you mean? If Emma doesn't want to be found, she won't be. And this isn't Aproba anymore, we aren't going to force her to come with us," Rosie felt sure of it. Holden had a look of realization while studying her and seemed to soften. She was proud of herself to have Holden taking her seriously even through everything that had happened. She knew it wouldn't last long.

Holden walked to the incline they had come, which was close to where Emma had been sleeping. He crouched down and Rosie walked over beside him. "She's coming back," Holden looked a smidge relieved, but his earlier reaction still haunted Rosie. Holden stood up straight, seeming much calmer. Rosie wasn't really paying attention to him. Well, his words at least. Her eyes were level to his broad shoulders. She looked up at him and their eyes met, both shining. Rosie began to realize how close they were standing to each other, but she didn't move.

"Still staring dreamily into each other's eyes?" Emma asked in a hiking figure. Rosie and Holden broke eye contact fast to rush over to Emma.

"Where'd you go?" Holden pressed immediately.

"I searched the bags we left from earlier. I found a few items still of use," Emma slid the bag off her shoulder and into Holden's arms. She carried a small bag of her own. Rosie recognized the bag part as the picnic blanket from Holden's bag. Holden's mouth opened slightly. He must have noticed it too. Emma glanced at Holden and laughed.

"I wanted my own pack. I didn't think you'd mind, knowing I'd bother you if I needed anything from yours." Holden's mouth closed, as he nodded trying to act like he knew all along.

"Yeah, I probably would have done the same. Smart move," he said nonchalantly as he slid on his pack. "We have to get moving. It's already turning into afternoon and I do want to reach camp by the end of tomorrow."

"Agreed," Rosie chimed in, eager to get to an actual place to stay out. The three of them turned and started walked toward to base of the mountain.