Washed Up ≫ A.I

Chapter [15]

[Charlotte Kendall]

The rain was only tapping the leaves of the trees but all the leftover buckets of water from above were what was falling down on us. Ashton was rushing me from behind, bumping his palms and fists gently into my lower back to keep the pace. I was directly behind Denise and Benson, practically on their heels but that didn't mean we couldn't get lost from the group again.

In several instances Ashton had turned me around a corner that wasn't even there, I was pushed into a tree by the blind man directing me from behind. He apologized immediately of course with his golden hair wet and marked down the sides of his face. I told him that I was capable of running close behind the others by myself but the poor boy was trying so hard to be protective of me this time around.

We were running in the absolute darkness, only smelling the hot and sticky air for directions. Benson knew it would take hours to run the circles of the jungle before even coming a mile from the black smoke. From the beach, the smoke was too far to reach in just a day alone. However, luckily for us, the fire was still burning somewhere because the smell of rosy wood and palm was still absolutely fresh in the sky.

Denise was starting to struggle a little in front of me. Perhaps Ashton should switch and shove her around to keep up with Benson.

Since the rain started falling, the clothes on our backs were starting to sag to our skin. I had goosebumps all over my arms and legs but it wasn't because of the cold. The rain was hot and sticky like a tropical rainfall but once the water itself touched your skin, the hairs raised with spooky anticipation.

Denise suddenly tripped going upwards in the mud and her backside skidded into my shins. I fell forward, reaching out to the left of Denise's legs and dropping my hands into the mud. The gooey texture sunk in between my nails and all the way up my wrists. It was so smokey at this point that in order to see clearly you had to be on your stomachs.

"Come on! I see something just over this hill!" Benson roared over the sound of the pouring rain.

Ashton's hands scooted across my hips in a polite manner before bending over to help pick up Denise with his right hand. I looked up towards the rain, squinting as the droplets poked me in the eyes before seeing Ashton's figure beside me. He was hovering in the air, digging around to get us up and over the last edge Benson was so eager to climb.

"Come on!" He yelled over the sound of the rain as well.

Finally, both Denise and I were up on our feet and climbing against the slope of the muddy hill. Benson was already at the top, giving it no rest or patience. He reached his arms down, laying on his chest and wiggling his fingers for Denise to grab. Ashton and I helped boost Denise's muddy heels into the air, against the hill as she climbed up into the rain. Benson grabbed her arms quickly, with no hesitation, once she was fingertips away from the top. His muscles extracted as she was tugged up into the air and rolled over the edge. I was next and so Ashton centered me on the hill as Benson fixed Denise into a safe position.

I ran my hands over my pockets carefully, bumping fingers with Ashton's hand right as he started pushing my hips up the hill. My hands roamed the empty pockets several times before the fear clicked in my head.

"Alright, Charlotte let's go!" Benson yelled down to me but I couldn't go, I was missing the compass.

"Wait!" I yelled, blinking the rain from my eyes before shoving an elbow into Ashton's chest. He jumped back as I turned around and searched the muddy hill for the silver.

"What the hell are you doing?!" I could hear Benson still as I looked towards the ground only. My hands dove to areas in the dirt and scraped at the squishy earth.