gold rush [the wilds, toni shalifoe]

chapter 4

Day Two

After the touching incident, Hunter had gone for a jog down the beach and back while Dot and Fatin continued to look through inventory and Martha and Toni went a walk together. She had been prone to running at least 3 miles a day back home, and she didn't want to stop doing something that was going to keep her sane.

She'd passed Toni and Martha who had stopped their conversation to cheer her on, causing her to send a laugh their way before she continued down for what she thought seemed like a mile and a bit. Doubling back on herself, she playfully rolled her eyes as the duo cheered at her again, laughing as she powered on past them.

Once she got back to camp, she changed shirt since she stank of sweat and watched Fatin and Dot for a little bit before she felt herself drifting in and out of a nap. The two girls looked at her, knowing that she was going through something that none of them had any idea about and smiled at her, telling her they'd wake her up when the others got back from their hike with good news.

Only, the news wasn't good.

___

"Just for context, what did you hope to see from the summit?"

"Something, anything. A dock, a house, some kinda sign that we weren't alone."

"But that didn't materialise?"

"Sorry, what?"

"Well, you didn't find anything to suggest that you weren't alone."

"I did, and I didn't. I did and I didn't." 

____

Hunter didn't need to be woken by the girls returning. She had heard the dragging of a duffel bag form where she had been resting, shooting up to notice that Shelby was towing a black bag of supplies towards camp. The other girls were already there which told her that they'd finished their trek and she knew it was bad news without even asking judging by the look on their faces.

Dot held the identity tag up as they all sat on the ground in a circle, looking at the girl as she investigated the tag.

"Gotta figure this was our pilot. Now, sir, I don't have a great feeling about where you're at right now but the shit you left behind will not be wasted," Dot spoke out loud, everyone rolling their eyes lightly at the girl's dramatics.

"Dottie," Shelby warned, not liking how Dot was almost finding dark humour from the situation. "Don't be morbid."

"Uh, well sorry but this is a haul," Dot announced as she lifted a clear bag that contained a stash of medical supplies. She smiled as she rummaged through it, aware of what many of the things were able to do. "Pain pills, disinfectants... basically a whole medicine cabinet."

"That's good, right?" Hunter asked, wanting to make sure they were all on the same wavelength. Dot shook her head as she continued to rummage, looking up at the cheerleader with a grin on her face.

"It's more than good, its great."

Hunter watched from her large rock that she had been sitting on as Shelby passed two pills to Martha, while Toni who was sitting beside her friend watched on with wary eyes.

"You ma'am, are gonna be ship-shape in no time," Shelby announced to Martha as she passed her some of the pills that Dot had passed over to the religious teen. Hunter watched the interaction play out, noticing how Toni's face warped as Martha admired Shelby.

"I've only ever have the store brand before," Martha spoke, reminding Hunter that while her life was pretty shit recently, she was still fortunate in some aspects in life. Her parents - albeit hating their children - always kept their medicine cabinet stores with top branded pills and medicines. She'd always taken that for granted, but once she got home she certainly wouldn't again.