Hunt of the Night

c h a p t e r f i f t e e n ( w y a t t )

Previously...

For a second this alarmed me, but I brushed it off. Maybe someone in another group had ventured towards the cave as well.

"Are you coming or not?" Kyle's voice brought me out of my thoughts.

I glanced once more at the prints before turning to them, "Yeah, let's go."

Currently...

  10:00 pm on Friday  

"Can you believe it is already ten?" I sighed, locking my phone before returning it to my pocket. We have wasted so much time. I hope we aren't too far behind everyone else.

"It is still early. Maybe we still stand a chance," Kyle spoke optimistically. I rolled my eyes, glancing over at Rosie. She hadn't spoken since we left the cave. She just followed behind Kyle and I, not saying a word. She held her bag against her chest as if someone was going to take it from her.

"Maybe if you wouldn't argue with me over every single hint than we would be further ahead? You think?"

"Well, don't be so dumb and I wouldn't have to argue."

I sighed, biting my lip to keep quiet. This kid was going to drive me nuts. I have never met someone who argued so much. If I said that it was dark out, he would argue that it was sunny. Sometimes I think he did it on purpose, just to try to get under my skin, but it was beginning to irritate me. I ran my fingers through my hair, taking a moment to look around.

"So, we need to be looking above us right? Well, why don't you climb a tree and see if you see anything?" I looked at the redhead, whose eyes widened in anticipation. I wasn't really being serious, but he seemed to go along with it without question.

"Okay," He shrugged, quickly climbing a tree by our group.

Rosie finally spoke as Kyle ascended the large tree, "Oh, thank goodness. Some peace and quiet." She let out a breath, but when she caught me giving her a strange look, she smiled sheepishly. The little girl had spunk, I'd give her that.

I chuckled, "Enjoy it while it lasts." I looked up at Kyle as he heaved himself up another branch.

"Okay, guys, I think I see something!" Kyle shouted above the trees, some birds flying from the tree tops from the loudness of his voice.

"Like what?" I questioned, eyeing the boy as he shimmied out on the branch a little bit. How he was able to see anything in the dark was beyond me. I would suggest that he use my flashlight, but he had already broken it.

"A house or something. It's a square? Made of wood? Who...KNOWS!" The last word came out a scream as the branch split in half, sending the boy tumbling to the earth in a heap. Kyle groaned, laying on the ground, but it was Rosie who jumped into action first.

Rosie knelt down beside the boy, gingerly looking him over, "Kyle! Are you okay? Does anything hurt? Broken?"

"No, I think I am okay," Kyle slowly pulled his body up from the ground.

"That head must be made of rock because you left a nice dent in the dirt," I pointed out, trying to contain my laughter. Rosie sent me a glare, but didn't say anything to me;  seems she was a very caring person.

"Shut up," Kyle spoke through gritted teeth, brushing the dirt off of him.

"That wooden box you saw, by chance was that a tree house?" I raised an eyebrow at him, ignoring his anger.

His face raised a little as he seemed to have an epiphany, but then it washed away, "Yeah, that's what they're called," He mumbled, slinging his bag over his shoulders. He didn't say anything else, he just lead the way. I held my arm out to Rosie, but she ignored it with a sigh, falling in step behind Kyle. I could tell I had struck a nerve, but decided not to push my luck and followed behind my teammates.

Once I had finally caught up, Kyle was already climbing up the rope ladder and Rosie was standing by the tree trunk, reading on her iPad. How this girl thought she could handle an all night scavenger hunt was beyond me.

Kyle poked his head out from the opening on the floor of the tree house. He seemed very upset, "There's no food left."

"Who cares? What's the next clue?" I spoke, irritated.

"Northeast from where you are now, you'll find some clear water somehow."

I looked up at the stars that hung above the trees. I could hear Kyle making his way down the ladder, but the unmistakable glow from Rosie's iPad disappeared as the battery died.

"No! I was at the good part!" Rosie whined, stuffing the electronic in her bag.

Kyle stared at the girl, "Sucks to suck," he snickered at her misfortune.

Rosie sent him a glare, crossing her arms, visibly upset. I turned to the two, "Let's go."

Kyle looked at me, "How do you know where to go?"

Rosie's eyes landed on me as well, the moon reflecting in her glasses, "Do you still have that compass?"

"No, genius. The North star," I pointed up to the sky, watching as their faces filled with awe. Amateurs. I was stuck with a bunch of amateurs. When neither of them spoke up, I decided it was best for me to lead the way. "Plus, I have a compass."

We followed in silence, but Rosie was the first to speak up, "Wyatt, don't you have a flash light?"

I groaned at the thought of my flashlight, "No, the redheaded step child over there broke it."

"I did not!"

Kyle really had that red headed temper on him. It wasn't just a myth after all.

I shook my head, not in the mood to argue. Jamey was going to beat me. Me. I couldn't stand it. I was so angry. How did I get so lucky to get paired with the book nerd and the slow kid? Someone was against me, I just had to make the best of this piss poor situation. Jamey probably didn't have group members who questioned her every move. It wasn't fair. This was my chance.

I couldn't lose.

I could not.

Simple as that. 

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