Waking Shadows

Chapter 14 Painfully Sober The morning after the night before

Chapter 14

Painfully Sober

The morning after the night before

I stirred, feeling the brightness of the morning sun on my face, from a gap in the zipped doorway to the tent.

“Ah, tell me I didn’t do anything embarrassing last night,” I moaned. My head throbbed, causing nausea to attack me with every throb I suffered. I realised Lyndon’s arms were gripped around me tightly. I fidgeted to move myself away. It had been a long time since we had been anything like that and I damned sleep for making us unaware of our inappropriate closeness.

“Anna, you are awake?” he mumbled, or that was how it sounded to me.

“Yeah, just about. What happened last night?”

“You do not remember?”

“No,” I whispered, trying to cease the pain. “I so wish I was at home with Drake right now.”

“You are not giving up on us now, are you?” he replied oddly.

“What do you mean?”

“Us . . . our trip,” he continued.

“No.” I threw at him in irritation at his insecurity with me.

“You should take some pills if your head hurts. We’ve got a long day ahead of us.” His tone sounded harsh with every word he spoke. They hit me sourly.

“Hey, rise and shine sleepy head,” Lyric shouted as he hovered by the opening of the tent.

“Quiet Lyric, Anna is in pain.”

“Lyndon . . . I didn’t expect . . .” Then he went quiet, before continuing. “Well nobody held the cup to her mouth and forced her to drink. We were celebrating—unlike you. It’s good to know one of my sibling’s knows how to relax and enjoy themselves.”

“Yes, not by my encouragement,” Lyndon scoffed and frowned with troublesome heaviness weighing him down. I just about saw it with how much the hangover would allow me to open my eyes, and right at that moment, I couldn’t deal with anymore issues relating to Lyndon. My head was all I could just about cope with. Lyric moved himself away from the tent and then I heard him say something to Fee, but I couldn’t catch what, and frankly, I didn’t care.

“So, you really do not remember a thing about last night?” Lyndon asked again, his gaze lingered on me, dark and steely. He looked away eventually as I shook my head in denial.

   He rested back onto the pillow and sighed. “I guess it is best that way.”

“Best that way? . . . What’s best that way?” I questioned him without any real concern at what he was saying.

“It does not matter, Rosanna. Now, where do you keep those painkillers?”

“They’re in my backpack. The side pocket.”

   He passed the pills to me with a bottle of water and I gulped them down quickly, hoping they would work miraculously. Lyndon left the tent, leaving me to fall back into sleep.

   When I awoke again and finally arose out of my sleeping bag, all four of them were sitting, waiting for me. Their tents were nowhere to be seen. In my own disappointment at holding them up, I was ready immediately. Lyndon and Lyric packed the tent away in heavy silence. I guessed I wasn’t the only one with a sore head. Tyler looked the worst for wears and I felt compassion for him. Lyric didn’t look very happy and kept himself close to Fee without saying much to anyone else. We walked slowly, making our way to a car hiring facility that Lyndon had located. The walk there was about all I could manage. I would have accepted Lyndon’s help, if he’d offered, or just an arm to steady myself, but in a shift of stride, he was far ahead with Lyric. Tyler dragged behind them both, and Fee eventually slowed to be my companion. I wondered how she had so much energy.