Moondust & Orchids

Chapter 8

I awoke to the sound of feet scraping against the dust-covered cave floor. I batted open my eyes to see Clay rushing around the cavern, stuffing anything and everything into a cloth sack.

I groaned and rubbed my eyes. "What are you doing?"

Clay snorted. "I said last night that we had a big day ahead of us. Well today's that day. I'm almost done packing up. We'll have to leave soon. You're lucky I let you sleep that long."

I sat up, leaned against the cave wall, and let out a huge yawn. Clay looked at me from the corner of his eyes and smirked. "Don't get used to it." He said. Then he expression turned grim. "We'll be through all kinds of hell, you wait and see."

"That's nice." I sighed sleepily, then brushed myself off and stumbled onto my feet.

Clay slung the bag over his shoulder, poured a bucket of water on the fire, and walked towards the cavern's exit.

"Yippee." I said. "What hell do we get to face first?" Then I followed him.

We came to the cave entrance, where bright morning light flooded through the opening. I went to take a step outside, but Clay held out his hand.

"Who knows what could be out there. Let me look first." He scanned the horizon. "Here, anything and everything is our enemy. Don't trust anyone, don't talk to anyone."

I put my hands in my hips. "So I shouldn't trust you? Or talk to you?"

"That's not what I meant."

I didn't answer. Clay stared at me.

"What are you doing?"

I still didn't answer.

"Hello, Tessa? What are you doing? Answer me!"

"Nuh uh, nuh uh. I can't talk to you remember."

Clay shook his head. "Whatever." Then he pointed towards the woods stretching from our right to far in front of us. "On my count, we'll run to those woods there. Stay right next to me. We'll have to go fast." He looked around. "They have eyes everywhere..."

I opened my mouth to ask who "they" were, but Clay was too fast.

"Go!" He ordered, and his hand brushed mine as he took off. I ran out after him.

So far, in this world, I knew no danger. I was not scared. But just as my feet hit the soil of the open plain, a wall of fear and terror struck me. Strange thing was, I didn't know why. There was no danger in sight, but the cold whisper through my veins told me everything I needed to know.