Bookie Paige [COMPLETED] [UNEDITED]

Chapter 5

So I'm not the best at calming people down.

Zip was still sobbing, muttering words about the deer and the trap. But, surprisingly, she didn't blame me. Though I couldn't have stopped her if my life depended on it. Well, if my life was on the line, I would simply clamp her mouth shut, and live, but you get the point.

Zip refused to be touched by anyone but me, and even I couldn't hold onto her for long. Eventually, we stopped chasing her, and she curled up and cried herself to sleep.

"Poor Zip," I heard Ivy mutter.

"Yeah, I'm surprised she got so worked up about it. I mean, it was only a deer."

I scooted over to sit by them. "I shouldn't have told her it wouldn't live."

"It was my fault," Rain pointed out, frowning. I shook my head and looked to where Owl was sleeping. A small pile of critters bundled up near and on him. Shadow was presumably sleeping next to Owl, though he wasn't visible in the darkness of the cave.

I shook my head again. "No, it was my fault. I set the snare for small animals, but didn't think that a deer's foot would get caught."

Ivy was going to object, but realized I was right and said nothing. Rain did though. "It was no one's fault. Life is life."

Ivy and I nodded, and we all laid down on the stone, closing our eyes and sleeping.

When I woke up, there was a small pile of black berries sitting a little ways from a fire, where a few small animals were roasting. Owl, who always refused to eat any meat- unless in dire situations- was snacking on the berries. Actually, downing them all in a matter of minutes. I stood up and patiently waited for Rain to stop turning the meat, while Ivy stood at the entrance of the cave, making thick vines creep up the opening. I stood and walked to her, looking at her. Of course, because of logic, I knew why she was doing this, but-

"Like a door," Ivy interrupted my thoughts. "I figured we might as well be camouflaged while we stay. I mean, if we stay." She shot a look at me.

"We'll probably be living here for the next month or two. My visions don't reach that far, but I can see that we'll be here for the next twenty-four hours, at least." She smiled and me and finished the vines.

"They're going to stand out, so I'll put a few smallish, tightly packed trees in front of them so it looks natural. The vines are just . . . Extra protection."

I nodded, having already known this. Being the smartest person ever and seeing the future? Works efficiently for a logical person like myself.

"Breakfast is served," Rain said in a satisfied voice. I sauntered over and sat, grabbing a squirrel and eating it like a chicken wing. Zip came over, completely done with her breakdown, and sat next to me, eating her own rabbit. She smiled at me, and I grinned back. Then, when she was focused on her meal, I shot the rest of the gang looks that said, "Talk about it and you die." They all understood, and we had a quiet, peaceful meal. Sun peered through the holes in the vines, creating a section of stone dotted with rays of light. It was toasty in the cave, and the fire crackled and popped loudly in the silence.

I finished and threw the bones into the fire, keeping the longest one. I grabbed a sharp stone and started carving the bone into a knife. Weapons are helpful.

"Well," Owl said, breaking the silence. "I'm going to fill our bottles with water." He grabbed them and tried to pry the vines open. "Er, Ivy?"

Ivy waved her hand and a small section opened up, allowing Owl to slip through. She closed it again, and continued her meal. Everyone had very blank expressions, actually.

I cleared my throat. "Guys, we need something to do. Something other than sit in a cave and eat food. Let's have fun."

Their faces perked up and they slowly gathered around me. I smiled at each of them and said, "Any suggestions?"

Hands shot up. No they didn't start screaming. I've taught them well. I pointed to Shadow. "Well, we could play hide and seek, what with this huge forest."

I nodded and pointed to Ivy. "Well," she began. "First, Shadow always wins hide and seek. And I think we should play Ghost in the Graveyard."

"How do you play that?" I asked politely.

"Well, there's one ghost, and everyone else has to stay still. You can move if the ghost isn't looking, but if the ghost sees you move, your out."

I nodded slowly and pointed to Zip. "Tag."

Everyone sent complaints that she always won, and so we ruled that one out. "Rain?"

"Um, how about Infect?"

Everyone exchanged glances, and Owl was outside, so Infect it was.

Rain was It first, so we all ran. Having agreed on boundaries before, I went to a fallen tree and hid under it. How to play Infect: One "It" goes around and tags people. If you're tagged, you hold hands with It and become one, bigger It. This keeps going, and the last person wins and is It next time.

I closed my eyes and saw Zip running in circles around Rain, who was desperately trying to reach for her. A moment later, I heard Zip frantic squeals of joy, and an agitated Rain huff and stomp away to find someone else. I closed my eyes again and saw Rain stomp past Shadow and ended up somehow getting Zip. Then Zip tagged Shadow. And then Shadow managed to slip his fingers into Ivy's bamboo shelter, and tag her. Then they would all call for me, and I would win. Ha!

I opened my eyes and within the next few minutes, heard Zip whine about Rain cheating, then Shadow complain that he didn't count as a shadow, then Ivy groan. Then they stomped around, calling my name.

"I'm here!" I laughed joyously.

"Bookie, there you are!" Zip squeaked, letting the chain end by slipping her hands out of Rain and Shadow's grasps.

"Yep. But, where's Owl? The nearest stream is inside the game boundaries."

Ivy opened her mouth, then closed it, frowning. "I don't know, but let's look for him," Shadow said eagerly. This was probably like hide and seek for him. Correction, logic said that was what it was for him. With five Seekers, and one Hider.

"HELP!!!"

Everyone's eyes went wide, and they filed into line behind me. Except for Zip, who was darting around, looking for Owl. I stopped, making the others bump into me, and closed my eyes. We would run straight, then turn right, and not find him, then turn left, and he would be there, writhing on the ground. Being attacked by . . . Bears?! Three full grown ones!

"This way!" I screamed, going the way the vision predicted. There was Owl, and the bears, clawing him. "OWL!" I ran forward, mercilessly pounding on the biggest bear's back. He clawed at me, and, with my amazing brain, I was able to dance around all of the blows, and distract the bear.

Zip was darting around the smallest bear with Shadow. They were both hitting it when the could, Shadow becoming a shadow when the bear swatted at him, then solidifying to hit it again. Ivy had the second biggest bear's legs wrapped in thick vines, and Rain was pelting it with hail the size of golf balls. Ivy kept making the vines tug the bear away from Owl, who had deep gashes down his arms, legs, and face.

But he wasn't waking up.

Wasn't moving.

Wasn't breathing.