WE DECIDED TO set out soon after, wasting no time. I quickly cut out the back of the shirt I bought from the gas station for Elias to wear before packing the rest of our items. Once we had everything, I used the remains of the alcohol to clean all the surfaces we touched, leaving no evidence we were ever there.
With Elias waiting in the car, I stopped at the corner store to grab breakfast and a paper map of the west coast before we hit the road. To my misfortune, I was greeted with the same disinterested cashier, who only took a break from his phone to scrutinize my attire.
A wrinkled gas station shirt with matching black sweatpants from the night before. His sallow eyes widened slightly when his unimpressed gaze landed on my neck. I felt my face flush when I realized what must be there, and cursed at myself internally for not looking in a mirror this morning.
Quickly, I pulled my hair in front of my neck and gestured meaningfully towards my items. I swore I could see the ghost of a smile cross his thin lips as he scanned my items, packing them carelessly in a bag.
As I paid, I caught his eyes on my neck again and I sent him the best 'mind your business' glare I could. He simply rolled his eyes, shoving the bag towards me before bidding me another frosty farewell.
With a huff, I grabbed my bag of purchases before rushing out the door. The sun still had yet to rise, and the crisp morning air whipped across my cheeks as I made my way back to an impatient Elias.
From the passenger seat, he leaned over to open the door for me to slide in with my bag clutched firmly to my chest. Once inside, I say the door shut and locked the car, taking a quick look around to make sure we were still alone.
Fortunately for us, we were the only souls unfortunate enough to have to be outside at the crack of dawn and were blissfully alone as a result. When that was confirmed, I slumped back into my seat, letting out a sigh of relief.
I took a second before I finally looked down into the bag of things I bought. I could feel Elias lean closer to me in expectation of what I would pull out. Smiling to myself, I reached for the same wrapped sandwiches I bought for us last night and handed them to an excited Elias.
I unpacked two water bottles, watching as he quickly unwrapped the food and began to eat. I laughed to myself. I saw what he was given at the laboratory; dry chicken, rice and vegetables. Simple white bread and cheese must taste like the best thing in the world to him.
As he finished his sandwiches, I handed him a cup of strawberries before unwrapping my own sandwich to begin eating as I took a look at the map. Elias contentedly chewed away at his strawberries as I looked between the map and the address I wrote hurriedly on a motel napkin.
We destroyed my phone, so I had to do it the old fashioned way.
It took me a few minutes, enough time for me to end up finishing my own sandwich, but eventually I found the highway I needed to take to get there. Once I had a clear direction, I threw away our bag of food wrappers before setting off.
~*~
When we arrived, the sky was tinted orange with a tease of the coming sunset.
The car lurched and bumped over the unpaved dirt path that (according to the map) was supposed to be the only route to my grandmothers secluded cabin. Though with each passing mile of empty forest, I was beginning to question my navigational skills.
I took the last swig of my water before tossing it to the back of the car.
I felt my jaw ache with the urge to yawn. An entire days worth of driving really took a toll of me. We didn't even take any breaks, just one when we happened to pass by a single gas station on the side of the highway.
It was only when I had picked out some snacks and waters that I remembered my phone was destroyed and I had no way to pay for anything. Against my better judgment, I quickly hid what I could under my shirt and walked out unnoticed thanks to another apathetic cashier.
Nevertheless, that was hours ago and we haven't had anything since then. At the thought of food my stomach rumbled.
I felt my jaw ache with another urge to yawn that I repressed once again.
We weren't there yet. I had to stay focused.
But why weren't we there yet?! From what the map said, we should have been there hours ago. I thought angrily to myself.
My knuckles turned white as I gripped the steering wheel, focusing my tired eyes on the dirt road surrounded by a blanket of trees.
Frustrated, I looked back down at the map. I thought back to my mothers description. It will be down that road, just keep going.
How will I know when I'm there? I had asked her.
Don't worry, she'll find you.
From how long we have been on this road, we should have at least seen some semblance of life.
But we found nothing.
No cabins, no people, no anything.
I sighed. "This can't possibly be it, there's nothing here," I mumbled to myself, tossing the useless map to the back of the car.
Elias only watched my frustrated display briefly before turning back to look out the window. My only consolation was seeing Elias's reaction to his new surroundings. His blue eyes were wide with admiration as they outlined each branch of the vibrant green pines that towered above us.
I must have let my mind wander for the next thing I knew, the car suddenly took a violent dip, thrusting me forward as the car rolled.
When I came to, the first thing I tasted was blood. I wasn't sure how long I was out, or if I even fell unconscious. The last thing I could remember was my face colliding with the steering wheel as my world turned upside down, literally.
The only indication that any time has passed was that Elias was no longer in the car with me. His seat was empty, and the door was completely gone, ripped off the hinges.
Immediately I panicked. I was in a frenzy to get out, I had to find him. I undid my seatbelt and lurched forward unceremoniously onto the broken glass of the windshield.
I felt the glass cut into my hands as I scrambled to open the door, but no matter how hard I pushed it wouldn't budge.
"Elias!" I called desperately, though it sounded more like a rasp. A million possibilities rushed into my mind of what could have happened. For all I knew he could be back at C.R.O.S.S. Labs or some other desolate location where I could never find him.
Suddenly a bang echoed from beside me as something hit my car door. The screech of metal was the only warning I got before the door was ripped clean off the car and tossed aside.
I let out a sigh of relief, when a familiar (thankfully unharmed) figure bent down to reach for me.
"Aurora!" He cried, his voice sounded pained.
I didn't even have time to respond before I felt myself get pulled into a warm chest. His arms weren't long behind, circling me in their welcoming warmth, drawing me closer.
He held me close for a few long moments before he pulled away to look down at me. His forehead creased in worry as he brushed my hair away from my face as his frantic eyes checked me over. He saw the blood and his face morphed into a pained grimace.
"I'm okay, I'm okay," I said quickly, even though I had no idea if that was true. I pushed away from him slightly, enough to wipe the blood from under my nose and take a look around.
Glancing back at the car, I realized there was no way we could continue to drive it. Even if Elias could flip it back over, the windshield was shattered, the doors were missing, and the front two tires were flat.
Well more than just flat...they looked almost...ripped?
What the hell did we hit.
My eyes widened when I saw a line of metal spikes running along the road, just barely peaking out of the dirt.
What the...
Suddenly my mother's words played in my mind,
Trust me, she'll find you.
"I think...I think we're here" I said suddenly, looking up at Elias who still clutched me as if I would disappear at any moment.
His eyes widened. "Here?" He asked incredulously.
I looked down the path, past the spikes. "It had to be here, who else would put that there" I said, gesturing towards the spikes. "I mean, it seems kinda archaic for C.R.O.S.S., besides, how would they even know we were out here?" I added, looking back up at a skeptical Elias.
He looked from the car to the road ahead of us as he processed my words. I could tell he felt uneasy, but I could also see that he knew I was right.
"Have any other ideas?" I asked after a few moments.
His wing twitched in irritation, before he looked back down at me, shaking his head in defeat.
"Great, then guess we better get a move on, it's getting dark," I announced, casting a meaningful look up at the waning sunset.
"I don't know about you, but I've heard the forest is not the safest place to be at night..." I added, carefully removing myself from Elias's unyielding grasp.
I let out a sigh as I looked at the dark forest path ahead of us, suddenly looking much more questionable outside the safety of the car. Nevertheless, I was confident that the spikes meant something or someone was nearby, and the stupidly curious scientist in me was determined to find out.
My mind made up, I began to walk. Just like in the car, I followed the dirt path cautiously avoiding the numerous tree roots and fallen branches scattered across the way. With the first few steps, I grimaced at how sore my body was from the crash, but I knew it couldn't be much farther.
Without looking back, I smiled when I heard hesitant footsteps follow behind me.