Dissonance - Book One

thirty-seven

"I just need you to trust me, a little while longer. We're getting closer. I can feel it."

"You can feel it? You can feel it! Look, I don't know what's going on with you Ever, but you sound crazy. You want me to trust you because you have a feeling? Well I have a feeling that we're not going to live much longer if we don't get some help and as much as I love you, I'm taking matters into my own hands."

She reaches for her phone in the back pocket of her jeans and starts to turn it on.

"No!" I shout and run towards her. I try to pry it from her hand, but she won't let go.

"Stop it, you two! Come on, stop it!" Wyler heads towards us, but Lex isn't letting go, instead she tightens her grip.

"Give it to me!" I shout.

"No!" she screams back, as we wrestle over the phone.

Wyler grabs Lex by the waist and tries to pull her away from me. It causes her to loosen her hold just long enough that I'm able to snatch the phone from her hand. I launch it into the air and we all watch as it plummets into the massive opening in the earth. We hear it hit rock after rock as it bounces its way down the chasm.

"Are you crazy?" she screams.

"I'm sorry, but it had to be done."

She gives me a look like she wants to murder me.

"All right Ever, but if we die out here, that's on you." She storms off toward the truck.

"Thanks," I say, looking at Wyler, who appears annoyed. "What?" I ask. I hate it when he looks at me that way.

"This isn't going to work if you two are at each other's throats. We need to stick together."

"Tell her that."

"You know I can't."

He's right. Lex is extremely stubborn. I've always been the sensible one. Whenever we get in a fight, it's me who tries to make things better. In our entire friendship, I don't know if she's ever apologized for anything, probably because she always thinks she's right.

"So what's next?" he asks, looking to me for direction. It's odd being in charge.

"We have to find a way around this. I say we drive along the edge until we find a crossing point and then..." I stop, unable to focus, as I hear Lex yelling obscenities and throwing things from the bed of the truck. On the ground lies several bottles of water, some food, a bag filled with supplies and a blanket. She hops out of the back and climbs inside the driver's seat. I hear the engine rev. She backs the truck up at an alarming speed, swinging it around to face the opposite direction. Dirt envelopes Wyler and I. I cough and wave it away from my face.

"What are you doing Lex?" Wyler asks uneasily. He can see that look in her eyes. It's the look she gives right before she's about to do something crazy.

"I'm going for help. There was a town down the road that we passed about 30 miles or so ago. Stay here with Ever and make sure she doesn't lose any more of her rapidly unraveling mind. I'll be back before nightfall."

"Lex, don't be ridiculous. We need to stick together. Let's just talk and figure this out," he pleads.

"I'm tired of talking. Someone needs to take some action and I guess it's going to be me. I'd say, call me if something happens, but ya know..." she shoots me an irritated look.

"Lex, come on," I reach for the door, but she lays on the gas and speeds off. We stand there, dumbfounded, swallowing the dust that's kicked up from the tires as she races off in the direction we just came from.