An Uneasy Alliance

Chapter 6: Follow the Yellow Road (Just Don't Step In It)

Chapter 6: Follow the Yellow Road (Just Don't Step In It)

Caleb's Point Of View

          Caleb couldn't sleep; it was far too early. The sun had only just set and a warm orange color was still lingering over the horizon. He lifted his head to look at Autumn.  She was sound asleep. The moon seemed to illuminate her in a silver light, giving her a metallic glow. He still couldn't understand why Chloe was so mean to her. She was really nice, and she gave them food, and she was pretty, and she smelled good--like a pine tree. As Caleb started to lay his head back down, he felt something hit his neck. After a minute it stopped stinging.  He reached down to find a little rock with a pretty sharp edge. 

"Ow," he mumbled, shooting an angry glare in his sister's direction, though it'd gotten darker so he wasn't completely certain he'd looked in the right place. Sure enough, she came out of the darkness so that he could see her. She was all smiles, unlike a few hours ago, but it wasn't a happy smile, more of a mischievous one. Caleb gulped and prepared for whatever she was going to say.

"You ready to blow this joint?" she asked.  "We should go down to the river next, maybe we can catch some fish.  Or we could go back into the forest, see if that bear hasn't already been eaten up."

"But we can't just leave Autumn, she gave us our first good meal in years," Caleb said, waving his hands all around.  "I know we acted all normal n' stuff when we killed that bear, but we never come close ta anythin' like that b'fore!"

"Well, she did give us a good meal, that's true," Chloe said like she'd given in, but her smile said something different.  "But we're not here to make friends. Get anything you need.  I'll get the girl's sack and we leave in five minutes." Caleb stared at her dumbfounded.

"We can't take 'er stuff! That's horrible!"

"We can and we will.  Now, go before she wakes up."  Chloe gave her brother a light push and started to gather her things. Quickly, Caleb stuffed his blanket in his bag, and grabbed Autumn's bag. He took out a few handfuls of nuts and put them on a leaf for her.  Again, he glanced to see that his sister was busy; she was. Caleb felt the ground until he found a small, sharp stick, about the length of his hand. He pushed it into the ground by Autumn's sleeping body and started to write.  The message read:

GON TO THE RIVR. COM GET YER STUF CUZ WE STOL IT. SORY.

-CALEB

He was fairly proud of his message. His sister was a better reader and writer than he was, but neither of them had had any real education.  At least he hoped it was good enough for Autumn to understand. He didn't want to be a thief, and he couldn't let himself get away with it.

"Any time now, slowpoke," Chloe whispered, nearing her brother. Caleb quickly hid the stick behind his back, grabbed Autumn's bag, and followed his sister back into the forest. Instead of mimicking her quiet tip-toed footsteps though, he slammed his feet into the ground as he walked, shaking the leaves on the trees and creating a potentially lethal earthquake for any small bugs around. Autumn still slept. 

           Walking through the forest, there were many twists and turns; Caleb was worried that Autumn wouldn't be able to even find her way once she woke up. Thinking back to a story he heard, one about a boy and a girl lost in a forest who left bread crumbs, he decided to leave a trail. Caleb, of course, was short of bread crumbs, and went along occasionally proclaiming that he needed to use the restroom. 

          The restroom was not a room, but usually behind a tree or bush, but the concept was the same. He would pull down his pants and pee in the shape of an X, marking the way as a dog marks its territory. It wasn't the most ideal way, but he hoped it would be sufficient, and only perceived as slightly disgusting. The sun started to rise, and after hours of walking, faked injuries, and lots and lots of bathroom breaks, Caleb still saw no evidence of a follower.