The Last One | Project Fear

𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐓𝐄𝐍

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"Okay, we are back on the road," Dakota says the next morning as we're sitting in the RV. "Now we are going to a coffee shop. We're gonna meet with a lady named Kristie. She is a paranormal investigator, a psychic, and she's been to the Statler many times."

"Oh, nice," Tanner remarks.

I turn to look at him, brow pinched in concern. Since we woke up this morning, he hasn't really been himself. He's been coughing a lot and his face is sullen and pale. I know we all look a little rough from the constant all-nighters we've been pulling, but this is something more than that.

"Yeah. It's definitely gonna be interesting," Dakota agrees. "How are you guys feeling, like, rest-wise?"

It's always so strange to me how in tune Dakota and I seem to be. It's like he read my mind. That, or he can see the change in Tanner, too. We're both extremely close to him, but he's also lived with Tanner for the last three or so years.

"I'm definitely under the weather," Tanner admits. "One hundred percent under the weather."

"I'm just, honestly, I'm, like, super tired," I say, because it's the truth. I keep glancing at Tanner as I speak, mostly just because I'm worried about him. "Um, I'm not a night owl. I prefer to, like, wake up early, but I'm usually in bed by, like, eight o'clock."

"What?" Dakota laughs.

I shrug, smiling. "It's just how I always, like, remember my schedule being," I reply. "The last few years, one of my dance classes ran until eight-thirty and I absolutely hated it."

"You dance?" Dakota asks, tilting his head slightly in what appears to be intrigue. I nod in response. "Oh—wait, I knew that. Tanner used to get videos from your mom and would watch them like a proud dad."

"Awe," I draw out, leaning onto Tanner's shoulder. "I'm sorry you're not feeling well, cous."

He rests his head on top of mine for a moment, but doesn't say anything. The RV pulls off to park on the side of the road in downtown Buffalo. We get out, cameras in hand, and I stand with Dakota and Tanner at a street corner as we talk about what's going to happen now.

"I'll be completely honest, my throat is absolutely killing me right now," Tanner tells us. "This morning, I woke up and just coughed and then just spit into the sink. It was, like, a blackish-brownish, weird, like, specks everywhere, so I think what I'm gonna do, because I really want to make this overnight, um . . . I'm just gonna go to the hospital quick."

"An urgent care might be easier," I suggest. "I can look them up, send some to you."

Tanner nods at me and I step forward, hugging him. He's so tall that I barely reach his shoulders, but he hugs me back and the three of us start walking back to where the RV is parked.

"I'm sorry, dude," Dakota says sincerely, "but it's better to be safe."

"Yeah," Tanner agrees as I'm tapping away on my phone, looking up the nearest urgent cares.