Expedition Dead

Almost Free

Julia didn't make it far into the line of trees before realizing she wasn't alone. She was cautiously tiptoeing around and trying to be totally silent when a hand shot out and pulled her up against someone, a hand clamping over her mouth.

She froze in fear, knowing that all of her efforts up to this point had been for nothing- she would die right here.

"It's me," a familiar voice whispered in her ear, mouth touching her hair.

She sagged in relief against Travis and turned around in his arms. "I'm so sorry," she whispered, tears spilling down her face.

He hugged her tightly. "Don't be."

She let him hold her while she cried for what seemed like ages. When she'd finally settled down, he gently pulled her away. 

"We need to get as far away from here as possible. Okay?"

She nodded her head, feeling foolish for breaking down before she got away from Marvin's campsite. Travis laced his fingers though hers and together they headed for the opposite end of the forest.

***

Daylight came a few hours into Julia and Travis's hike. They were afraid to talk out loud now, but whispered every now and then. She explained her findings to him, and he told her what had really happened when the rest of the team died.

Marvin, thinking he could take Ginger and Travis both, hit Ginger over the head with his canteen. Ginger collapsed, bleeding. Travis, seeing that she was dead and he was weaponless, took off to warn the others. He heard Raven's screams and saw her fall just as he came to the embankment. That's when Julia had discovered him.

"So Alexandru pushed Raven and got to Oliver. I wonder if he got Kevin, too?"

"Most likely," Travis said grimly.

"But...why?" she asked, trying hard not to break down again. This was too much to handle and she felt like she could snap from the stress and fear and confusion at any moment.

"Who knows?" 

They continued on in silence until they reached two very familiar fallen logs.

"This is where we stopped the first day!" Julia exclaimed in a whisper, hope filling her.

They were so close to escaping!

Travis grinned. "We're almost there."

"But not quite," a cold voice said from behind them.

They froze, hands still linked, and chills ran down Julia's spine. They slowly turned around to see Marvin and Alexandru standing behind them, knives at the ready.