Rouge's Trail

XIII

It rained for 3 days after that. I should have known not to toy with water.

The storms kept the rest of the group inside. Isabella and Ajax played chess on one side of the room while Sofia and I took up the beds. Her flipping through the endless channels of NEWS and static and me trying not to lose the lunch I barely managed to get down.

"How much longer is this freaking cruise?"

"Did you actually just say that?" Sofia looked over at me and scoffed before putting her attention back to the remote in her hand. "Most people would be glad to be hanging out on a cruise ship."

"I'd like it a lot better if I could go a day without deafening nausea and a head ache to kill kings."

"Quit being dramatic," Ajax called from his side if the room, not removing his eyes from Isabella as he moved his piece. "Mate."

She moved a different piece and he cursed under his breath, half smiling. His face almost looked crooked from the rare sight but I just couldn't get over the fact that he knows how to play chess.

Or that he was winning.

Sometimes I forget that we can all have stories and backgrounds that change is and we might not necessarily put those out front and center to display in our personalities.

Sofia speaks Latin.

Isabella loves classic rock.

Apparently, Ajax plays chess.

I'll never forget the first time I heard Isabella belch out some very bad Jimmy Hendrix during a drunken karaoke night in Shang Hai or when Sofia had a very specific insult for a Catholic priest in Vatican City that I wouldn't repeat even if I knew what she said.

And I don't think I'll forget the look on Isabella's face when Ajax beat her in chess.

__

The storm lasted the rest of the boat ride after a slight let up in the middle, marking the Great Lakes as a melancholy place in my memory. Maybe one day I'll come back and make happier memories there.

I seriously doubt it, though.

Sabrina was coming to a very slow and rocky stop that made my stomach want to give it's last have and give up on life forever. Sofia and Ajax gave me "get over it already" looks but Isabella put her hand on my shoulder and handed me a hot yet very cheap cup of coffee that was provided by the cruise.

I've always thought coffee smelt strange. My first cup was when I was 17 at a Bulgarian rest stop on our way to Asia and I haven't been able to get over the pungent odor yet. Every time I pick up a cup it flows through my system automatically and I have to try not to cringe inward.

"Only an hour more," she told me in a kind voice, reaching for a red tank top she had taken from the lost and found yesterday," you'll survive."

"But at what cost," I put my hand over my mouth as I dry heaved.

This is absolute torture and I hate it. The entire trip was only barely better than when I lived by myself in Russia.

Granted, it shines in comparison to where I was before that.

I was too sick to even shiver at the thought of the camp. Or Alexia. It was the first time I couldn't manage to hate myself because I was too busy hating my organs and the salmon fillet I had for lunch.

My replacement replacement bag hung lightly on my shoulder. The only thing they had at the gift shop was a red drawstring bag that showed a teddy bear waving bye saying "come again soon" while it manned a ship in the water.

Apparently bears can be captains now. Sounds safe.

They were having a final call downstairs for all the passengers to get information on the next ship that can take them home and where the nearest shuttles, airports, and hotels were located. Isabella tried to stop and get shuttle information but the rest of us needed to stretch our wolves so she was out voted.

We may not be in touch with them but it's very obvious when they need something. Like a good, long run.

I was practically purring when we got off the boat, my feet touched solid soil and I wanted to melt. No more of that demonic contraption.

"Next time I'll take my chances with swimming."

"Oh, for the huntresses sake," Sofia cried, annoyed with me," it wasn't that bad."

We left the docks and went to find somewhere to change and start running. The state seemed so big on a map that we thought it would be easy to find a nice wooded area but it was more packed than the outskirts of Moscow. 

We started to regret not taking the lecture on bus fair while we walked along a train track that would lead to New York City with a lot of twists and turns. The long, steel snake winded down the roads and towns further than I could see. We just had to wait for the right moment-

A loud whistle went off in the distance and we rushed away from the tracks. Soon enough a long, metal beast of a machine came into our view and was plowing down the snake, swallowing it whole. We came closer up and started running along it, slowly losing pace with the machine so we would line up with the back end.

Sofia pushed Isabella to jump first, then her, then Ajax until I was the last one running along. The sun caught the side of the machine and I was momentarily blinded, but it didn't matter. I jumped anyway.

What is sight when you're about to have all your dreams come true?