A Ghost of the Past

Chapter Four ೃ⁀➷

She groaned and shoved the map towards me. I grinned.

"Thanks for understanding, Sunshine."
"If you call me that one more time I swear I will backhand you across the face."

I didn't call her Sunshine ever again.

"It is west of here, but we've been walking north the whole time."

I turned. "We need to walk west to go west, Taylor."

Her cheeks flared and she turned away. I chuckled.

"C'mon."

ೃ⁀➷

As we hiked west, I turned to look at Taylor. She was holding herself high, taking each step with courage. I was afraid that her courage would drain from her later.

I was about three inches taller than her, but she had at least three feet of wit. Her straight dark brown hair caught the sunlight and shined copper. She was more comfortable wearing long sleeves, and she valued her privacy. She didn't wear anything flashy or fashionable. She wore simple, making the clothing worthy of being a fashion trend. Right now, she was rocking her lightweight green army jacket and dark blue jeans. She wore her riding boots.

After a thousand years, we reached a forest just as the sun was setting. Taylor threw down her pack and sat on a log.

"Finally." She breathed. "I'm so tired."

I pushed sweaty strands of hair out of my face.

"It's hot, too."

"Talk about it. It's the middle of summer in Kansas. "

Taylor rummaged through her backpack and pulled out a sleeping bag, spreading it out on a patch of dirt. She glanced up at me. Her hair was plastered to her face with glistening sweat.

"You brought one too, right?"

I rifled through my pack and silently cursed myself. I knew I had forgotten something. Taylor gaped at me.

"Are you kidding me? Don't tell me you're that rash!"

I stuffed my backpack under my head.

"I'll manage. Besides, it's boiling out here."

"Maybe it is, but it's something between you and the hard ground!"

"Fine, Mother. I'll think next time."

She glared daggers at me. I turned on my side so I wouldn't have to look at her. Truly, it was boiling, and it didn't help that we just walked fifteen miles to find a forest. It was hard to ignore the cold sweat constantly trickling down my neck, but I pretended I was sleeping, because Taylor was skipping sleep to take first watch. You never know when the monsters decide to strike.

After about an hour, I heard footsteps approach and somebody knelt by my side. I went as still as possible and felt a chill go up my spine. The temperature suddenly dropped drastically and I could finally breathe like a normal person again. It felt like I was back in Cabin Seven, without perspiration dripping off my face. The person behind me got up and walked a few paces, then sat down. Taylor. She must have thought I was asleep.

I turned, and found a knife at my throat. Taylor drew it back just as quickly.

"Gods, Lee, you would have your throat slit if I didn't look before I struck."

She sat up on her sleeping bag.

"I thought you were asleep. Do you need anything?"

"You can do ice?"