Trespassing | ongoing

Chapter 12. Preparing for War

[a/n]: for some reason i over-used some words in this chapter a lot; my bad. I'LL EDIT LATER!
ps- not very exciting chapter? but also not your average chapter... if that makes sense?the ending, in my opinion, is the best part of the chapter IDK MAYBE THATS JUST ME.
PS; The ending may seem like the ending of the book, but it isn't, the story is still continuing. It does sound a little lame tho, so i might change that later on. :)

Chapter 12. Preparing for War

After helping Everett with his laundry, we head back to the cabin quickly, no longer wanting to spend time in the frosty weather. Lucky for my friend, the river spot we had picked wasn't too shabby. No bugs (probably due to the freezing water), no drifting debris, and no slimy moss patches floating past. His clothes were clean enough, though they did have the small stench of the murky river.

Today is November 30th. One more day until the beginning of December.

I have been out in the forest for exactly four weeks; almost an entire month.

My conscious keeps pestering my daily thoughts, keeps reminding me of my family. My thoughts have been swarming around in different directions ever since last night; where were my parents, and why were there no cops looking for me? This brings me back to Everett. It has been three days since we last searched for my parents, a part of me wondering if he has given up on finding them. Unintentionally, a sigh escapes my lips at my distraught thoughts, alerting Everett.

"What's up?" he inquires, throwing his damp clothes over the small patio railing surrounding the cabin to dry them out.

I'm hesitant to respond. "Why... haven't we been looking for my parents?"

"Oh... yeah, you're right... sorry, we can go look for them later today."

I nod, though a part of me feeling that I, myself, had forgotten why I was out here. "Thank you."

He claps his hands as he stands up straight. "Right, we need to board up the house."

"What are you talking about?" I ask, perplexed.

"Well, while you were unconscious, I found out whoever lived in the hatch was watching us. That being said, he'll probably be back for revenge for taking his home away from him, which by the way, we also have those two fellows who roamed past us last night."

"All right, so how do you plan on keeping them away?"

"We go Home Alone on these guys."

-

Traps. Are. Every where.

We have spent four hours setting up, hiding, and building various traps for our pursuers. My fingers have become nimble, my back sore, and my body physically and mentally restless, yearning for just an ounce of sleep. With a tired yawn, I struggle to yank the rugged rope behind the tree and tie several knots, fingertips burning and tarnishing. Once finished with the rope, I move over to the taut rope that looms inches above ground and throw some leaves over it to disguise our devious actions.

"How're you doing over there?" Everett calls over from the other half of the forest where he is setting up some other contraptions.

"Just about done!" I holler back, my words falling into a low murmur of tiredness.

Once testing that the rope is secure, I roll to the side and lean my back against the tree. Another yawn escapes my lips as my eyelids droop. The serenity of the atmosphere and brisk November air puts my mind at ease; the smell of dead leaves and pine trees meet my nostrils, making my eyes close slowly at the sweetness of the evening. It's relaxing, but I know I can't stay for too long.