Running Hopeful (NewtxReader)

Chapter 8 Attack Eyebrows

There was only one shovel, which eyebrows and I had to take turns using, while the other used a pointed stick to break up the ground.

We were to form three or four troughs, which we would separate with thin wood walls for privacy in case multiple people needed to take a crap and the same time and didn't want to watch each other while they were doing it.

The structure made sense. But the ground was hard here, and my hands were quickly scraped up with tiny rocks and shale. The blisters that were already starting to form would be miserable.

We didn't talk as we carved out the soil, which I preferred. He hadn't said a nice word to me since we got here and so far was coming off as quite the unlikeable fellow.

So I just dug at the soil relentlessly until my hands started burning from the blisters that were being formed.

"Switch." Eyebrows grunted when his shoulders could not lift the shovel anymore. I stood taking the shovel from him, hissing as it rubbed my blisters the wrong way. "What?" He asked, looking suddenly ready for a fight.

"Nothing." I spat back, swallowing my pain as I dug into the ground. "My hands don't have calluses yet. Hurts like Hell."

Eyebrows, who had already started scraping at the dirt with the smaller tool, grabbed my arm, pulling it away from the shovel so he could inspect my palm.

The blisters had rubbed raw at this point and small beads of blood were beginning to well up.

Eyebrows sighed through his nose. "You're technique is off." I scowled, about to reply when he tossed me the canteen and stood up. "Rinse it with water, I'll go grab some bandages." He strode off, back through the trees to were we could hear the others working. From the sound of it, they were laughing and carrying on as usual.

I suddenly found myself alone for the first time since I had split from the others in the maze. It was good at first, peaceful. But as I grew stiller, the forest grew restless. I could hear every rustle in the bushes, every snap of a twig. It felt as though eyes were watching me from all sides.

The smell of blood on my hands, the same stench that filled the maze as I saw Dread's body splattered across the stone floor. I could hear my breath, echoing strangely off the walls that weren't really there. I dropped the canteen, wrapping my arms around myself and sinking to the ground. My knees dug into the upturned dirt from the latrines we were digging.

I was still in the forest. The only blood to be seen was that from my well worked hands. I was safe. Everything was fine. In the distance I could hear a roar of laughter as the boys joked amongst each other.

Hands shaking, I struggled to open the canteen and pour water over my blisters. They stung but it was alright. The pain kept me present. I could deal with that.

Eyebrows loudly crunched back through the woods, clean bandages in hand. I think I hid my shaking well enough. If he noticed he didn't mention it.

"Here," he took the canteen from me and started wrapping white bandages around my hands.

"Thanks." I mumbled before blowing air through my teeth to try and mask the pain.

Eyebrows finished tying off the bandage and looked me in the eye. We sat there, crouching in the dirt, staring into the mirrors of our souls. I saw myself reflected off of his eyes. Light brown skin, thick tangled black hair with unruly sweat drenched bangs. Skinny and lanky, emphasized by the gray long sleeved shirt that clung to still trembling shoulders. I looked pathetic, crouched there in the dirt, the remnants of tear stains drying down my cheeks.

"I don't see it." Eyebrows snorted, standing and wrapping the remaining bandages around his own hands, which were also forming blisters.

"See what?" I immediately got defensive.

"I don't see how you could possibly be dangerous." He picked up the shovel and started digging again. I stared for a moment before picking up the smaller tool and started again as well. The bandages helped a lot.

Although his last comment baffled me, maybe Eyebrows wasn't so bad after all.