Fallacy

5

I told her once I wasn't good at anything.

She told me survival is a talent.

― Susanna Kaysen

We walked until our feet were aching. What once Jett had perceived to be a small island clearly had deceived him, and after countless hours on foot I stopped in exasperation.

"That's it. Enough." I breathed tiredly slumping down to the ground. My feet throbbed, clearly not used to the laborious treatment, and where my shirt clung to my lower back I felt the searing pain of my burn resurfacing. I didn't have the heart to look at it though, just the thought of that branding mark was enough to make me want to hurl, so sensibly I left it alone. My head dipped between my legs as the last of my strength drained out of my body. "I can't walk another step." I confessed, struggling to find the willpower to look up at the others. Luvena huffed as she descended to the ground as well, submitting to the defeat that had already overcome my entire being.

"It's about time one of us came to our senses, I'm beat." She sighed, but I seriously doubted she felt as fatigued as I was; from a glance she certainly didn't appear to be. About a meter ahead Jett stood with his fists clenched by his sides in what looked like a stance full of frustration

"We need to keep going. I want to put as much distance between us and that dock as possible." His insufferable nagging had the same effect as the sound of insects buzzing in my ears, overpoweringly irritating. I felt myself heaving as I exhaled my annoyance. Even if the boy hadn't said it out loud the lines of his body would have spoken his insolence just as clearly. Taught muscles stretched across a rigid frame which refused to relax.

"Why? We don't even know where we're going." My voice was mellow despite my attempt to be slightly bitter. Luvena didn't bother to say anything and in the silence I found that I was eagerly awaiting Jett's admission of defeat. I wanted him to feel helpless, tired, something – anything other than the gut wrenching determination which fuelled his eagerness. Somewhere inside my mind I could feel myself begging and pleading for it all to end, so that all I had to worry about was recuperating my strength.

It never came.

"I know exactly where we're going. Away. So if you two would kindly stop pouting on the floor like children, I would love to keep heading in that direction." Jett seemed genuinely frustrated with us. All I could do on the other hand was wonder where he found the energy for such perseverance. I ran hand through my golden-brown hair, following it down to the bottom of my chest where it ended. I had to think, come up with some logical and reasonable answer for not moving. It was all I could do to stop myself from retaliating to his attitude. Beside me the air around Luvena had grown tense, undoubtedly due to her need to find a comeback. I didn't blame her of course. I just hoped I would find something to say before her own temperament sparked an argument.

The growl of a mountain lion erupting from my stomach spurred on a sudden string of ideas in my head, desperate thoughts that were just logical enough that I knew they would be convincing.

"We have to stop." I assured him. "It's already been hours and soon enough the sun will go down. Now that wouldn't be a problem if we had somewhere to sleep and some food to eat, but we don't. So unless you want to freeze, or starve, we stay here and set up camp." I spoke with certainty if not overconfidence. I was right and he knew it. All the reassurance one might have needed in such an instance was held in Luvena's eyes as she stared Jett down across the distance, clearly agreeing with me. Whether it was for her own sake or mine I could hardly care less, I just knew this was an argument I wasn't willing to lose. Jett had gone from standing stiff to letting his muscles fall slack, one of his hands gingerly rubbed his forehead and a groan escaped his lips.