Jay set down a bunch of sticks into the newly made fire, paying no attention as the fire crackled and glowed violently, causing his pupils to enlarge. The sky had turned into a blanket of velvet, filled with scattering stars that glistened like Christmas lights hovering over their heads. They had been walking and following tracks that lead them to nowhere for the rest of the day, but without any energy there was no use in continuing overnight.
They all sat individually against a tree, watching as the fire expanded within the night, without food or water. They were completely poor now, with no use left to do anything. They didn’t even at least have a roof over their heads. Their stomachs were completely empty and ached so badly as if their insides had been twisted into knots five times.
“Are you sure there’s no more food?” Nate asked without any energy to dig into the bag and investigate like he normally would. He threw anything he could find in the fire to keep it going, including useless, dead and scrunched up leaves.
He tugged at his hair follicles as he scratched the twirl following into his patch at the back of his head, roofed with luscious curls. Sarah shook her head violently but innocently, lifting herself up to sit on the back of her dress, releasing the creases.
“Not even water? Not like, a drop?” Jay watched as Sarah shook her head once again at Nate, who settled besides his bag like it was his pillow. They drooled in a tiny triangle, with no ability to keep their eyes open. Changing the subject, Jay felt the need to carry his instincts into the group so they could worry together, instead of it staying curled up at the back of his head.
“What do you think Vince would be doing now, all alone?” He gutted across the fire, watching Nate’s expression evolve behind it. Nate stretched his body, gesturing it away from the fire.
“He’s probably not alone. He’s probably with Jerry. I mean, we saw the rope so it’s obvious he trapped him.” Nate yawned, then cuddled into his own blanket and covered his whole body, leaving only his head visible.
“Yeah. He’d be torturing him like he did to me...And it’s all because of me.” Sarah threw a nearby stick into the fire and clutched her sore stomach. It churned and rumbled inside, making a loud noise in the spur of the moment to interrupt their sudden group talk. No one said anything next.
Jay looked at Sarah’s face over the fire, seeing nothing but the reflection changing the colours and contrasts of her face. It flickered in the air, sending nothing but a smoke trial leading up to the sky. A sudden chill came across their bodies as they sat. The fire wasn’t enough to keep them going for the entire night.
The coarse grass mixed with the dirt surrounded them all. Jay licked his lips and cleared his throat, then pausing the next moment, lost for words. Sarah looked around defenceless, scoffing in astonishment.
She was disappointed with herself, not to mention distressed because not only had she disappointed herself but she left her mother in disappointment as well as the boys. Her mother would have to put up with search warrants and inspections every day, knowing she would do nothing but go to the end of the earth to have her daughter by her side again.
“I’m sorry.” Sarah said slowly, only keeping her head down in her hand as it sat on her knee. She circled one finger into the dirt repetitively, creating nothing but a disfigured shape. The boys both looked up in question, struggling with anticipation to find words to comfort her. The expectancy of them to reply never came; instead all they gave her was golden silence. They looked at her with disorientation and also sympathy, shuffling their feet in front of the fire.
“There’s nothing to apologise about,” Jay whispered, finally jerking his head forward in her direction. She shook her head violently and uncrossed her legs with disagreement. She knew they weren’t deserving of any of this.
YOU ARE READING
Meet Me Halfway (EDITING)
Mystery / Thriller"It's only going to be the four of us, and no one else." There was a long pause on Jay's end of the line. "Are you sure about that?" Jay scoffed, scrunching up his face. He pinched the bridge of his nose and rolled his eyes in pure annoyance. It was...
