Trespassing | ongoing

Chapter 19. The Other One

[a/n]: lol this whole chapter is a mess but i depserately needed to update so

Chapter 19. The Other One

Our feet patter against the damp dirt with small thuds and crunching of twigs here and there. Our breaths are quick, heavy, labored. The hollers of Charles bellow throughout the night, booming into our ears with a mighty force, striking fear and anxiety into us. The drugs noticeably begin to wear off of Everett as he pants harder, beginning to slow his pace down and have a decipherable limp. Eventually we have to take a rest, hiding behind a large tree for a quick breather.

"You doing okay?" I whisper.

"No," he admits, "but I have to be."

I nod.

"How much farther?" I inquire.

"Just a little more. The mountain is around this bend."

"Good, we're almost there. Can you make it?" I quiz.

He stands up straighter and nods briskly. "I'm good, I'm good. Let's go."

We turn away from the large tree and continue on with our journey to the mountain that started it all. The murky air fills my lungs as we run towards our destination. The damp leaves stick to the muddy ground, melted snow at every corner we turn. Cold gusts of winds bombard us occasionally as we continue on through the forest. If it weren't for my jacket, I'm sure I'd have hypothermia by now.

Noting this, I glance over to the shirtless Everett.

We never did find him a shirt before leaving, did we?

His lips are a pale blue, every exhale is a puff of white smoke.

"Everett, wait, wait a minute." I interrupt our expedition.

"We can't stop--"

"You could get hypothermia!" I whisper in a stern tone.

He slows down to a jog until his feet plant themselves into the ground. He turns around, glancing behind us to see if Charles is lurking about. When concluding that we are safe, he nods to me in agreement that he needs a shirt.

"Here," I shiver, taking off my jacket and handing it to him.

It's a small fit, but it's better than nothing. I'm left in a T-shirt, the goosebumps immediately rising on my skin. It's better if I catch hypothermia than Everett, seeing as how he actually knows how to survive out here on his own, and is looking out for a criminal who I suppose still needs his help.

"Thanks," he nods in gratitude and I nod back at him.

With that, we continue on.

-

Everett folds his hands together, kneels down, and gives me a confirming nod. I place my hands on his shoulder and step upon his hands as if they were a stool. My arm stretches out above me, my fingers trying to grasp the dangling rope left upon Charles' old lookout house by the mountain. The rope is hooked on top of the roof, as if someone dropped it on top of the lookout post when they were climbing the mountain. Luckily we saw the material from a distance, sparking a strategic plan in us both.

My fingers finally grip onto the rope and I tug it down from the roof. The sudden tug backwards makes me stumble out of Everett's hands and fall flat on my back to the hard ground. The sharp intake of breath indicates the wincing of Everett and I groan shortly.

"Sorry," he smiles sheepishly and helps me to my feet.

We tie both ends of the rope around our waists to connect ourselves to each other in case one of us ends up slipping. Granted, we could have a better safe plan, but at this point this is all we have to work with. We begin our strenuous climb up the mountain and take off quickly at first, but once reaching the higher vantage point of the mountain we slow down, due to the visible mistakes in the steps we have to take to continue our climb.