Into The Realm

Chapter 5

"Shiloh...Shiloh..."

I parted my tired eyes. I saw Loren looking down at me, concerned.

"Shiloh," Loren spoke again.

I blinked a few times at her.

"She's awake!" She cried into the void. Then Shasta and Viggo appeared, running to the sleeping bag where I lay.

Shasta pulled my eyelid up a little with his thumb.

"Can you see me? Can you hear my voice?" I nodded and closed my eyes. "I think she's conscious."

"Here." Viggo tossed a canteen towards Shasta. "Give her some water."

He unscrew it, getting me to lift my head for a drink. I was parched. The water spilled down my chin, but I didn't care in that moment. I leaned on my arm, but it caused pain to shoot through my back. I hissed through my teeth. I fell back down on my stomach and did not try moving again.

Shasta's face was heavy as it stared back at mine.

"How bad is it?" I wondered, fist tucked close to my mouth.

He sighed. "Second degree burns. Some are puffy and blistered." He took hold of my hand, holding it for a moment. It through me a little off guard, but I let him do it. "But, you should be okay," He spoke softly.

I closed my eyes again, almost in relief. I was going to be okay. We were all still alive.

"You saved my life, Shiloh." I blinked my eyes open, looking back at him.

"You stood up for mine."

he shifted a little where he sat, looking back at me with such strength in his eyes.

"I had to. there was no other option for me."

"Thank you."

His jaw set as he cleared his throat. He looked down at his shoes.

"Where are the others?"

He turned behind him, looking. "They talked about looking for more provisons. The people spoke of Dorangu passing out rations. We'll be low on water soon. the people must at least have some sort of spring to draw water from."

I nodded, thinking back to all the events in the last forty-eight hours. I let my mind drift to everything we encountered, from the moment we arrived here.

"They're ashamed, Shi."

"What?"

"They feel they abandoned you. They didn't stand up for you when you were in trouble."

"What could they have done? Besides almost get themselves killed...?" I only gave a tired smile.

He smiled lightly at me, but his smile disappeared.

"I would've been sent to that post no matter the outcome." I continued.

"Well, maybe you should tell them that. I...I would do it all again if I had too, Shiloh." And he abruptly left.

I was confused at his sudden coldness, but realized I must have insulted him.

"Oh..." It dawned on me a moment too late.

Shasta...the man who risked his life for mine. I regretted my careless words. I lifted myself to follow after him, but fell back down on the sleeping bag, wincing.

My muscles must be deeply bruised, I speculated.

I felt regret seize me, seize my chest. I would have to wait on my chance to speak with him again. I sighed despondently. After a few minutes, I was out cold again, in a deep sleep.

-

I checked my watch. Sixteen hours had passed in Earth's time. I was coming awake, and heard voices talking.

"This isn't going to work. We'll be stuck here, forever!"

"Loren, calm yourself. We will find a way out of this realm. We all knew the risk we were taking when we signed up for this assignment."

"Signed up?" Loren said hysterically, a mocking laugh in her tone.

"Evil, alien overlords were not on the itinerary, Viggo!" She sounded as if she were not in any mood for games.

"We don't know what he is! Maybe an alien, a spirit, or merely a highly intelligent creature. Shasta, what do you think he is? Do you think we're really dealing with some sort of spiritual entity?" Viggo asked, adjusting his glasses.

"Well...he can somehow read minds and sense our presence when we are near...right now, I have no other explanation."

"Let's keep cataloging our journey, here, for now. It's what we came here to do."

"I don't wanna cause problems, or argue-" Loren's voice cracked. It sounded as if she was on the verge of crying. "We are a team, but I'm not "cataloging" anything! I'm going home."

"If you go near that exit, he will kill you, Loren." Shasta said sternly.

My breath caught as I listened. This was becoming unsettling. Loren was going into a panic. She was going to end up getting herself killed.

"Don't even look for it. Shiloh was already made an example to us all. Look what happened to her!"

He pointed my direction, and froze to see that I had turned over, listening to their entire conversation. All eyes were settled on my, now.

"Don't go, Loren," I said groggily as I shifted onto an arm.

"I'll take the fifteen whips."

"You don't know that's all he will do." I sat up in the sleeping bag for the first time in 24 hours. I still felt wobbly.

"That is bull, Loren..." Shasta exploded. "After what Shiloh went through, you're gonna say to her face that you'll take the same punishment? It might have killed her!"

Loren opened her mouth to speak, but had no words. Only a trembling lip.

"Don't place yourself In harms way. Shasta has already been threatened because of my actions." I met Shasta's gaze, my eyes pleading with his for some sort of forgiveness. I felt maybe more vulnerable than Loren in that moment. I had been so careless in our last conversation. His expression was unreadable, but his eyes showed a slight gleam. I think he forgave me.

Loren, however, was still trembling. Angry tears spilled over. "So, you're just going to gang up on me, then? Unbelievable." Her voice shook. "I am not the enemy, here." She through her arms down at her sides, her red hair whipping from side to side as she stormed off.

"Loren...!" Shasta yelled after her. He gave an exasperated sigh. "I told her father not to okay her for this assignment...but did he listen? She was barely graduated from college! But no..." Shasta laughed disbelievingly. "...the soldier is uneducated. He doesn't know what he's talking about."

"...She is emotionally unstable at the moment." Viggo concluded.

"Exactly. I came her to protect, not to babysit." Shasta fumed.

"Maybe I should follow her, too make sure she doesn't do anything rash." And Viggo headed off after her.

Shasta nodded, running a fingerless-gloved hand through his hair. He rested his hands on his hips and slumped, sighing.

I studies his posture for several moments. As frustrated as he was, there was just something kinda attractive about it. I bit my lip. He was strong and capable. And, uneducated my ass.

I may need to have a few choice words with Loren's father, Prof. Clabourne, when we return back to Earth...