Blood Bound

Chapter 15: Wild planning

"Wake up, Leia,"

I hear something in the distance, like someone calling me deep within my slumber. I try calling them back but it comes out all jarbled. I'm not even sure I opened my mouth properly to speak.

An unpleasant smell invades my dream and suddenly I'm knee-deep in a murky liquid that threatens to drown me at any second. I thrash around in a wild panic but the liquid steadily rises higher and higher until it has reached me at the neck. I gasp, desperately trying to tread water but the liquid is too thick, like maple syrup.

The voice calls me again, only far more closer and reverberating in my ears. The vibration shakes the very core of my being but I'm afraid to cover my ears for I need my hands to continue treading water. Suddenly I'm violently thrown from side to side in the syrupy substance and I'm terrified that a massive shark has snatched my legs. I'm pulled under and I struggle with my last breath beneath the substance.

"Leia!"

Another harsh tremor trembles my body and moaning, I force myself to open my heavy eyelids. Everything is blurry and I realize that my glasses are askew on my face. I adjust them sluggishly with my hand, groaning as I feel the burning tension in my muscles.

"About time you woke up," a grumpy voice mumbles near me.

I turn and see Sophie sitting crosslegged opposite me, slurping blood from one of the bloodbags, like she's drinking a milkshake. I wrinkle my nose in disgust. So that was where the unpleasant smell from my dream came from.

"What time is it?" I yawn as I gingerly stretch my arms and wincing in the process. My whole body is sore, like I've been put in a bag and thrown onto walls repeatedly. Just a simple movement causes me to grit my teeth in pain. It will take weeks for my weak body to recover from the unusual exertion.

"Time to get moving," Sophie replies as she shuffles around in the tent, towards the opening. "where are we, by the way?"

"In the Wrangell-St. Elias National Preserve."

She looks at me confused, eyebrows tightly scrunched up together. "Where the hell is that?"

I pull up the map from my jeanpocket, unfold it and point at our location. Sophie takes a look and frowns, obviously displeased.

"That's not Tok," she points out and I have to resist the urge to roll my eyes at her.

"Obviously," I say sarcastically, grabbing a protein bar from the backpack to feed my growling stomach.

"So care to explain to me why we haven't reached our destination?" Sophie demands icily.

I proceed to explain the reasons of our current situation, from the horny trucker begging for more head to my Macgyvering skills in the pitstop restroom. Sophie is staring at me incredulously when I finish. There's obvious shock and awe in her wide, unbelieving eyes.

"You actually threatened a full grown man with a knife?"she asks in awe.

I nod timidly.

She throws back her head and roars with laughter. I flinch at her sudden reaction but ease up when I hear the mirth in her laughter.

"I never imagined you had the balls to do it," she chuckles, wiping a tear from her eye as her shoulders continue to shake with amusement. "You keep surprising me, Leia," she adds more thoughtfully.

I blush as I detect the praise and my hands snap up and I clap them together. Sophie grins and proceeds to zip down the tent and crawls out.

The chilly spring air flows inside and I feel a momentary shiver envelop me. The heat that preserved my body as I slept has evaporated and I hurry to put my jacket on as I follow Sophie outside. The sun is setting but luckily, the rays of the sun are obscured by the sheer density of the trees around us. I'm impressed by the magnificent violet colour the sky has turned into and if I stare hard enough, I catch glimpses of stars popping up. Under any other circumstances, this would have been such a magical place for a family camping.