A Dreadful Weight (First Draft) - Outer Realms Book 2

Chapter 4

Dominic was unbuckling himself before Mikayla had stopped the car in front of Sarah's house and was climbing out before she had turned off the engine. He pulled off his jacket and shirt and tossed them into the car then pulled out a backpack, slinging it over one shoulder.

"Just in case," he said.

"Is there anything I should look out for?" Mikayla asked as she got out of the car.

"Not sure, "Dominic said and he paced up and down the middle of the empty road, going further with each pass before turning around, "I don't even know what shape the boy's in or how far he went before bailing out of the Uber. All I can hope for is that he was scared. Don't give me that look. It'll make him easier to smell. Why else would he run if he wasn't scared?"

"You didn't smell him go back home, did you? After Sarah was killed, I mean."

"No but he would have smelled the blood without going inside. I can smell it from here."

Mikayla crossed the road and began searching the roadside for signs of a child on the run, whatever they might be. She walked along the side of the road, houses on one side and the greenery of the national park on the other, when she spotted a vibrant patch of colours that stood out amongst the pale, dry leaves of the underbrush. She approached it and saw it was a small green shirt with a bright orange and blue dragon across the front. She took a picture with her phone before pulling it free of the bush and called out for Dominic.

Dominic jogged up to her and took the shirt, waving it in front of his face. "It's the boy's. His scent's up and down this road. It's hard to pick out a single trail to follow."

Mikayla pointed at a break in the vegetation that meandered around trees and between bushes but could not truly be considered a track. "Think he went this way?"

"He has," Dominic said, sniffing at the shirt then putting it in his bag, "A lot. A trail of clothes would make it a good bet though."

"How many other kids are going to have a reason to take their clothes off in the bush in this temperature?"

"It is a bit cold. Do you mind if we start moving?"

"So we just follow the clothes?" Mikayla asked as they began walking through the trees.

Dominic stuck his hands in his armpits and took the lead. "For now. When I was young and wanted to run, I headed toward humans. Wanted to feel normal. This kid goes the opposite way. Different body has different instincts. Thoughts filtered through a different brain. Still a kid though. Probably not experienced in either body. Might have good instincts or natural talent. See how it goes."

"And if he is naturally talented?"

"I'll be patient. There's only a hundred and fifty square kay to search here. I suggest going as far as we can. Only a kilometer and a half to the coast from here. Can rethink things if we get that far. He's more familiar with the area than we are. Good chance he'll find somewhere he thinks is safe. Somewhere he's been before. As long as people are crashing around he'll stay holed up. I doubt anyone will see him unless he wants to be seen, even if they knew what to look for."

Dry detritus crunched between Mikayla's shoes and the hard earth while Dominic walked silent as a ghost. "Any tips on keeping quiet so I don't scare the kid off?"

Dominic shrugged. "Don't bother. You can't make your heart or breathing any quieter or hide your scent. If you try to sneak you'll just make him suspicious and he'll run. Better he thinks he's hidden. We can get close enough to talk him out."

"Should probably stop talking about him as well then."

"You think we can keep your friend distracted? She seems... determined."