The Life of Jezebel Firetongue

20

We packed up the car the next day and drove all day in near silence, occasionally stabbing at conversation, then failing miserably and trailing off into the quiet again.

It began to get dark, and I looked around for a remote area nobody would notice. I started feeling discouraged when I noticed a nearly-hidden sign off the side of the road.

"Groom Lake," I murmured.

"I don't see a lake..." Jake mumbled.

I scanned the area to our left and saw a large hole in the ground. "It's dry," I replied, nodding towards the hole. Jake stared at it uneasily.

"Is that a fence?"

"I know where we're sleeping tonight!" I sang. Jake gave me a funny look, like I knew he would, and I sighed and shook my head. "A fence means more protection. Nobody would look for us there. Think with your head!"

"Got it," Jake muttered.

I drove the car a few miles away and parked it beside the road, hiding it in a hillside. Then we trekked back to the fence, staring in at the dormant lake.

"So how are we getting in?" Jake asked.

I glanced up at the barbed-wire top with a smile. "We climb."

"What? Do you want to get cut up? Or die?"

With a gleeful cackle, I threw myself onto it and began to climb up using wire hand and foot holds. "Oh, this brings back memories!"

"Clearly unhappy ones!" he called.

I chuckled again and stood up on the edge of the fence, gripping a smooth piece of metal below the barbs. Swinging a leg over, I threw myself on the other side and landed swiftly on my feet. "Come on, Jake!" I replied. "We're wasting daylight!"

He grumbled under his breath, then shakily began climbing the fence. Jake reached the top and stopped, staring uneasily at the barbs.

"How'd you do this?" he asked.

"Grab the smooth bar, below the barbs."

"Ouch!"

"Shut up, before somebody hears you!" I climbed up to him and grabbed his hand, guiding it to the clean bar. "Better?"

"Yeah," he breathed.

Noticing the direction of his stare, I looked down at his hands and realized they were bleeding. I hopped down once more and waved at him. "Hurry down-we need to treat that."

He hopped over the fence and met me on the ground, holding his bleeding hand gingerly. "So you were saying?"

I nodded and reached into my backpack for a clean towel. Ripping it in two, I pressed one half to his hand, wrapping it gently. He watched me as I did it, an unfamiliar expression crossing his face. When I finished, I looked up and got caught in his green eyes. They were bright, dazzling even...

I whipped away, setting off towards the lake. Hormones, I told myself. Just keep them in check.

"Wait up!" Jake called, scampering behind.

We walked to the lake and lowered ourselves in. I pulled out my blanket, rubbing one side into the dirt. Jake watched this curiously.

"Camouflage," I explained. "You should do it too."

"Nah, I'm fine," he replied.

"Suit yourself," I replied. As I turned to look at him, I caught sight of a few wooden boards in the distance. "Hey, can you grab those boards?"