Trapped | The Trapped Trilogy Book 1

Eight (Part 3)

Eight (Part 3)

"My name is Ken," He says after a long silence. "Ken Barkley."

"I know," I nod, and try to listen for game over Ken's loud footsteps. I'm still a bit rusty, but I think I could catch something if I tried. I mean, I was a cooker before I was saved from the Dome."

I snort, and strain my ears again to listen.

"That doesn't mean you'd be able to hunt, Ken."

"Well, you don't know that... But I guess it was good that that was my job or whatever, because Hemmings was one too when he was in the Dome. He just kind of switched places with me without any trouble, really. We just had to swap out his picture, really. No one really knew who I was..."

I hear rustling.

"I don't know why everyone calls him Hemmings though," He keeps talking. "I think maybe it's his last-"

"Shh!" I hiss rather rudely.

I think of apologizing, but change my mind and don't.

Three large brown birds strut out into a clearing before us. I load my bow and raise it, aligning it perfectly. It flies, but I've lost my touch. Instead, I shoot the base of a tree, and they start to run.

I groan and let another arrow soar. I hit one of the large birds and it falls over onto its side, clucking, as I run over to it.

Ken had roasted the bird over a fire, and, when it had been cooked long enough, he smothered the pit.

We sit in the darkness eating, Ken and Hemmings both talking softly and laughing on the opposite side of the fire pit, almost out of my hearing range.

I'd like to say I didn't want to know what they were talking about.

But I did...

How did I get stuck with these two? And, and even bigger question, why do I trust them so much already?

I don't, I think to myself, trying to make it true. But I really do feel like I can trust them.

'...you have to be careful. Especially with who you are. There are people out there that are just waiting for you to slip up again, and they are just waiting to kill you. Then there are people like me who want to help you...'

I shake Doug's voice and the thoughts away, and take the last bite of my food. It's weird how my hunger is catching up with me, now that all of the adrenaline is gone from my system.

Ken sits down next to me.

"Uh, here," He says, handing me the other half of his piece. When I refuse, he tells me he's not that hungry.

I take it slowly and watch his face. If we were back in the Dome, would we...

But we're not.

"Why are you being so nice to me?"

He looks almost shocked as he looks down at his outstretched feet and shrugs, looking back up at me shyly.

"I... uh... I dunno... I guess I'm just... curious?"

"About what?" I ask, and the smell of the meat is wafted to me.

He shifts uncomfortably and leans against the tree behind us for support.

"I dunno... you?"

"Me?"

"Yeah," He clears his throat. "Since, you know, we were, um... supposed to be..."

I smile a little at his awkwardness, then I stop myself. I can't get attached to either one of them in any way. I have to get home, and these two aren't going to help me with that. At least not until they get me where they need me to go.

I bite into the food and finish it before either of us speaks again. It's my turn to go first as I swallow my last bite.

"Why are you two doing this for me?"

He shrugs shyly. "I was kinda dragged into it."

"What do you mean?"

"Well..." He says quietly. "Okay. So, Hemmings and I were supposed to be on watch for uh, for you."

"Why?"

"Because Lease calculated that you would try to escape. So we were kind of assigned to watch over you," He takes a deep breath and then continues on with his story. "So when we saw you sneaking out, I started to go and tell Lease, but Hemmings stopped me. That's when you went back to get your bow. We climbed into the trees and you came popping out again. I told him that it wasn't a good idea, but he was curious and wanted to see what you would do, and how you would approach being in the woods at night, so we pretty much followed you."

Curious? Hemmings was curious about me?

I look over at him, chewing on the bird-meat on the other side of the fire pit. Suddenly, he's that boy that was at the ceremony with me. Tall... hand-

I blink, and push the thoughts away.

"I'm gonna go to sleep," I say to Ken, implying that I want him to leave.

He stares at me for a moment, and then, embarrassed, he realizes I want him to go away, and stands up, nodding and wishing me a goodnight.

I roll onto my side, away from the smothered fire, away from the boys whose hands I've placed my life in for the time being, away from the faces that make this dream reality, away from the terrors and horrors of the outside world.

My body is tired, but my brain is buzzing with thoughts and questions.

What if I never get to go home? What if the person that wants me just wants to kill me? What if-what if...

I try to shut my brain off, to quiet my thoughts...

And that's when the boys start talking to each other.

"Could you tell me about her?" I hear Ken talking to Hemmings.

"Why?" Hemmings says a little louder, sounding almost defensive and as if he doesn't want to answer the question.

"Cuz..." Ken trails off. He clears his throat. "She's kind of my match."

"Well you weren't there," Hemmings snaps, and I hear something hit the leaves near him. Probably a bird bone. "You don't even live in the Domes anymore. And it wasn't even you, dude. You weren't there. You didn't see her."

"What is that supposed to mean?" Ken says, with a little acid in his tone. "It was my name, my data-"

"My face."

"Whoa, you're not saying that you like-"

"Don't be retarded, Ken," Hemmings says quieter, and I hear the rustling of leaves. "This is strictly business."

I shift a little and they fall silent.

Business? Is that all I am? A business transaction?

Why does that hurt a little?

I grit my teeth and close my eyes, trying to get some sleep before the sun comes up again and hoping this is all a dream.