And Then It Happened

Chapter 10

"SALLY?"

Ben was calling her name, determined to find her. He stood at the edge of the clearing, looking into the dark green, menacing jungle, and took a step, then another.

He walked on calling Sally's name. He didn't walk far when he saw her, lying face down, under a low tree branch. Though he wasn't far, it took Ben nearly half an hour to drag Sally back to the clearing. He laid Sally next to the fire and sat next to her. Determined not to loose her again.

It was a few hours later that Sally woke up.

Ben rushed to help her sit up,

"hey, are you ok?"

Sally looked like a deer in the headlights. Her eyes were wide and she grabbed at Ben like a drowning person. She looked up into Bens light hazel eyes. not jake's blue ones. She tried to stand but fell over.

She tried again and started stumbling around. Tripping over her own feet. She looked crazed, like a drug addict in need of a fix. Ben was terrified. Then she started screaming. A long drawn out wail that carried grief and confusion with such intensity it was almost tangible.

Sally collapsed on the ground in a heap of sobs and Ben hurried to comfort her. Sally allowed Ben to lead her back into the circle of warmth emitted from the fire. She just sat there staring into the flames, completely unresponsive. Ben was terrified. He feared that maybe her brain had been affected in the ordeal.

"Sally?" Ben whispered.

"Sally? Come on!" He started shaking her

"Snap out of it!! Your scaring me. SALLY!" But she either did not hear him or could not understand because she just sat there, hugging her knees to her chest, rocking back and forth, staring into the fire...