City of the Fallen - unedited

Chapter Twenty-Nine

"So what's the plan then, are we going to have to walk that far?" I really hope we don't have to walk far, my legs hurt so much already. My body isn't used to feeling things yet.

Colton looks completely fine. I also notice that his eyes aren't unique like they were in the Afterworld, they're a really dark brown, which I like better on him.

"We are going to walk a lot on this trip. We'll catch a boat to get onto Turkey and then we'll find a way to get to Hierapolis. Most likely by train, but there isn't a stop by Pluto's gate, so we'll probably have to stop at Arslan's village." He remarks, but I don't follow very well. I don't want to ask who Arslan is because he already looks angry.

"Ah!" I exclaim after a burning sensation emerges in my arm. It's all coming back to me. The fire, the heat. "Why is my arm so hot?"

"It's the sun." He chuckles. "You're not used to heat." I feel stupid asking that, but he doesn't even realize what the thought of heat or fire does to my mind. "It never gets old." He says to himself, laughing.

The dirt is not a dark, rich brown, it's a light, dry brown. There are tons of buildings in the distance that look like resorts. I'm nervous to make contact with actual people, it seems illegal.

"What happens if I see my parents or something?" I question. I can't imagine seeing their face. "Would they think I'm alive?"

He squints his eyes. "Parents? Your parents are still alive?"

He doesn't know. I didn't realize.

I nod.

He doesn't seem to care. "They wouldn't recognize you. They'd think you were just like every other human being. That's why you're not allowed to see your loved ones after you die. It hurts too much when someone you love doesn't recognize you." He says that in such a sad tone, like it has happened to him before.

Colton peers down at his compass and looks back up in front of him. "We're facing east and we need to go... north." He mumbles and turns to the right, then begins walking quickly.

"Do you know where to get a boat?" I inquire.

"Yes. It's in a mile or so." I lean my head back in frustration. No wonder he's walking so fast, we've got a whole mile to walk before I can sit down again.

"How long do you think it will take to get to the gate?"

He inhales sharply and holds his breath for a few moments. "I'd say six days. If you ask one more question Juliet I will make you figure it out yourself and I'm going back to my dorm."

"Julia." I correct, but he doesn't pay attention to what I said. I just want to know where we're going and what to expect. Any sane person would ask questions in this situation, even to Colton.

Maybe the reason why people that he went with in the past never asked questions was because they were too scared to. He looks pretty intimidating. His jaw is alway clenched and his face always contorted into a frown.

The sun begins to go down, which soothes my skin. What I don't like is the idea of walking around in the dark.

Colton stops again, looking around us. We're right near a small neighborhood. The houses are small and old, but a large field of dirt and patches of grass lie a few feet from where we're standing.

"What are we doing?" I ask. He grabs a few things from his bag and sits down onto the ground.

"Getting ready for bed. Here's your blanket." He hands me a thin blanket. It's heavier than I expected, and I wonder how he carries all of those supplies in his backpack without having shoulder problems.

"We're sleeping here?" I look at the area around me. It would be very easy for somebody to kidnap or rob us right here in the open.

He pulls out a sweatshirt from his backpack and tosses me one. He uses it as a pillow and lays his blanket over him. "Yes. Do you have a problem with that?"

"Would it matter if I did?" I reply. Colton grabs a match and gathers a few small sticks that are laid around us. They're probably from the few trees that are scattered around us. He sets them on fire and I gasp.

"Nope. Sweet dreams, Juliet." He closes his eyes. The memory flashes in my mind and I shut my eyes in an attempt to clear my mind, but only horrifying images appeared in my head.

I feel obligated to lie down, but I face away from the fire. It's very warm in this cold environment, but I'd rather freeze than be warmed by this fire. There are too many risks associated with fire.

Even if I were to say anything about my death, Colton wouldn't care nor do anything to make me feel better.

"Are we just going to let this fire burn while we sleep? What if I get set on fire?" I inquire.

"It'll burn out by the time you fall asleep. Now go to bed, Juliet. We've got an early start in the morning."

He's definitely saying my full name just to bother me. "Julia." I whisper quiet enough so he won't hear it. Eventually he would start respecting my nickname. The significance of this trip is the only thing allowing him to treat me like this. He's helping me save Nick and that's all that matters.

I'm also nervous that confronting him would make him angry and refuse to help me. I just have to be careful about what I say around him.