The Mountain

Chapter 9

I watch the sunset the rest of the way before deciding to head back. While I watch, I write in my journal. All of my thoughts, discoveries, ideas, and clues are scribbled onto the yellowed pages. I write about my flashbacks, along with James'. I spill my entire mind out into the book to keep them from battling me internally. Maybe if I can see everything, it'll help me sort them out. Once I'm finished, I feel a weight lifted off my shoulders. It's refreshing, being able to get everything out of my head.

The darkened sky forces me out of my spot and back to camp. I find Johnathan outside alone and sit down next to him. He looks up at me and nods in greeting.

"So..." I say looking for something to make conversation. "We were both chosen as the guides to help them across the bridge."

He narrows his eyes at the fire before nodding. "I feel like our job was scarier than theirs."

My eyebrows go up in shock. "They were the ones walking across blindfolded."

"Yeah, but they listened to our directions. We were the ones who had to give them and decide which way would be safer," he says.

"And we are the ones who would be burdened with the fault of their deaths. If they fell, it would've been our fault," I finish his thought.

He looks up and meets my eyes. A hint of a smile flashes across his lips. I feel an understanding pass between us and smile in return. We fall silent again until Eloise comes back out from the small cave. She gestures for me to go inside and I stand to take her place.

"Good luck," she says.

I nod and nervousness roots itself in my stomach. I duck inside the opening and sit down across from James who stares at the blank wall. His gaze shifts to me and he frowns.

"What?" I ask annoyed. If he had a problem he should've come straight to me with it, not use Eloise as his messenger.

"You almost got yourself killed back there!" He answers.

"Yeah, and? If I died you would've joined Eloise and Johnathan anyway and survived. The only reason you were worried is because of the possibility that you could've died after!" I snap.

"No it's not," he mutters softly. "It's what I told Eloise, but it's not the only reason."

"What do you mean?" I ask.

"I lied to her, alright? I care about you as a friend and I had just met her. I didn't want to spill my feelings to a stranger," he explains. He looks at the ground.

"I understand," I tell him.

"You're still angry," he points out.

I sigh. "Because I had to find out through Eloise that you were mad at me! You should've told me straight away. We are partners, and we shouldn't have this sort of thing keeping us apart. No more secrets alright?"

He nods. "Fine."

I stand up. "Look, I'm sorry I almost got myself killed. But it was the only way to stop that thing. Trust that I know what I'm doing and we can get through this together. You coming outside?"

He shakes his head. "I'm tired so I'll just go to bed."

I smile and leave feeling refreshed. Knowing that he isn't pissed off is good. Eloise smiles when I appear. "I'm guessing it went well?"

"I mean I didn't punch him in the face so I guess so," I answer.

She laughs and she fills the silence with a story of one of her recent dreams. I listen to what she says, but my eyes fall to Johnathan. My own flashback comes back to me and reestablishes that the boy I saw was definitely him. He has a stronger body compared to the scrawny one from before, but his blonde hair and fierce eyes are a perfect match. I look back at the fire to avoid any any awkward eye contact, but I can see him glance at me more than once in my peripheral. Eloise goes on, oblivious.

. . .

"Well, it's been moving meeting you guys, but I think it's time we split up," James says the next morning. I'm helping Johnathan prepare the bird I shot for breakfast and Eloise has gone off in search of berries.

Johnathan and I both look up at him in surprise. "What are you talking about?" I ask. "We were talking last night, we're going to stay together for another day or so."

He shakes his head. "I think it's better if we split up. I mean, the people who made this game probably didn't want us in groups or they would put us in them, right?"

"It'll be safer together. Like the other day, we wouldn't have survived that thing without each other," Johnathan points out.

James shrugs. "That was luck. We ran into each other. But now it's time to go separate ways."

I stand up. "Excuse us, Johnathan." I grab James' arm and march him back into the cave. I catch Johnathan's smirk just before we disappear. "What the hell is this?"

James looks at me in shock. "What do you mean? I'm doing what I think is right. I don't trust these guys, ok? I think we should get moving, too. This is a race."

"You don't trust them?" I raise my eyebrows. "You told Eloise that you were angry, sounds like you trusted her more than me in that sense. Besides, we are just gonna stay together as we travel one more day. Tomorrow we will split up, you're right about separating after a while, but I feel like we need to get to know each other." I don't tell him about my flashback and my reasoning behind needing to stay with Johnathan just a little longer.

He sighs. "One more day. Tomorrow we split up."

I nod. "Deal. I'll try to collect as much info from them as I can today. You stay out of it. They can tell somethings going on with you."

"Deal."