~~~~~~~~~~~OLIVIA~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
When I wake up the sun is beating in from all directions. The room is warm and the air is thick. I guess I left my windows open, it smells like the sea.
My clothes are scattered on the floor. I pick out an outfit for today. I quickly change into a grey t-shirt and dark blue shorts. I check the mirror that stands in the corner of my room. My hair is a mess. I try to comb it out a bit with my fingers before going downstairs.
The old, wood stairs creek with each step. As I walk down I get a waft of an all too familiar smell. I gag and fan the air in front of my face. The basement is not a good place to store your- leftovers. I knew it would start to stink.
I continue down the stairs and look into the hallway.
I find Adam in the living room. He’s staring out the window that looks upon our front yard. I know he’s heard me come in when he says my name without even looking back. “Olivia,”
“Olivia, how long has this been here?” his tone is urgent.
I walk over to the window. “What…” I begin. And then I notice it and my heart skips a beat. The little for sale sign on our front yard says sold! No, no, no, no, no, it can’t say sold.
“I didn’t see it yesterday” I say hurriedly, thinking back to our walk home in the dark.
“Yes, but did you look?” asks Adam, angered.
I shrug.
Adam storms out of the room. “Grab everything you can,” he calls from the hallway.
I run upstairs as quickly as I can. My bag is under my bed. I haul it out and fill it with clothes, then shoes. My notebooks fit in the front pouch. And, really I don’t have anything else. I had packed light from the beginning.
I couldn't bring anything I used to own. Three months ago, I had faked my own death and dead people don't bring things with them.
I shivered as I recalled the experience. It was a memory that lived in the darkest corners of my mind and I rarely ever let it surface. Three month ago, after we had gotten to know each other and planned out this whole thing we decided that the only way for me to run away from my family would be to fake my death. Adam taught me how to slow my heart rate, how to hold my breath long enough to be titled dead.
I was buried. Yes. I was buried alive. The entire process was scarring. First, I had to lay in the coffin, listening to my family grieve. Listening to the things they said, how much they would miss me. I cried, nobody noticed but the tears dripped silently down my cheeks as I waited for it all to end. I could hear my mother crying, everyone I loved was there. I was lying to all of them. I was hurting them all in more ways than I had ever imagined.
I found strength in one thing that Adam had said to me. "It will be sad, yes, and right now it will seem like a horrible thing, but trust me when I say this; when the thousands of years go by, and you've outlived everyone you know a hundred times over, it won't matter. It won't be anything. Just a first step to infinity." The words echoed in my head.
That alone was what got me through it. That, and the joy that filled my heart when I knew I would be living with Adam.
The next part was a test of will power. Being lowered into that ten foot deep hole, I knew I could cry out at any moment, make just one sound and it would all be over. But I held out. I listened to the pitter-patter of the dirt being tossed on top of me. I lay silent in that stuffy, claustrophobic box until the hole was all filled in. Everyone was gone. I started to cry. I wept for what seemed like an hour. My world was closing in on me. I was trapped in so tight that I couldn't even roll over. It was pitch black and the air was getting thinner. The only hope I had was that Adam would stay true to his word. I trusted him with my life. I had to.
Mascara streaked down my cheeks, my eyes were red and swollen, I felt like I was going insane. I was in total panic until I heard the sound that broke my insanity. A sharp metal shovel clanged hard against the top of the coffin. I gasped a sigh of relief and yelled out, assuring Adam that he had found the right one.
I inhaled a breath of cold, fresh air as the lid swung open and a dirt covered Adam pulled me out. He wasn't surprised by my appearance. He knew I would be traumatized. He also knew it would be worth it.
I shake my head, drowning out the memories. It is worth it. When you get the chance to live forever you don't just give that up. I grab my bag and head out into the hall way. Looks like we'll be on the run again.
I bound down the stairs. Adam meets me in the hallway. His bags are packed.
“Let’s go” he says as we rush toward the back door.
“But won’t they find the bod-” he cuts me off, rushing me out the door.
We carry our things across the sand and drop them down once we’re a few steps into the forest.
I catch my breath. “Well what now?” I ask.
I’m simply flabbergasted. never in a million years did I think our house would sell. That means someone must have gone through there. Someone must have walked through our house while we weren’t there. With our things in the kitchen, my shirts on the floor, Adam’s shirts, Adam’s blood stained shirts. And after all that they actually bought it.
I stare at Adam. “Well, what are we going to do?”
He picks up a bag, then looks at me like he knows I’m going to be mad “Auron”. He says and starts walking.
I grab my things and follow behind him struggling to keep up. “No. No, I won’t. There’s got to be someone else, Adam. Come on, you know people”
He looks back at me and slows his pace. “In Markham” he says.
I stop in my tracks. “We’ll take the car. Quick lets go back and get the car”. He keeps walking.
“Auron has a house- bigger than ours. He owes me” says Adam.
I grit my teeth, remembering the nights Auron stayed with us. “We can find a hotel” I suggest hopefully.
Adam goes on, ignoring me altogether now.
The walk is long. It seems like it’s been hours now. My feet hurt and there’s absolutely no sign of a house or any kind of civilization in sight. “Why didn’t we take the car?” I complain.
Adam stops. “We’ve been here before. Remember? This is where we found those campers” He seems exited.
“I wonder if it’s still here” He wonders off, searching. I sigh.
Sure enough he stumbles upon the tent. One of its sides is caved in. the whole area has things scattered about. I step closer and pick up a tattered hat off the ground.
“We’ll stay here tonight” says Adam.
I look at the sun. “It’s only like, twelve o’clock. Are we that far from Auron’s”
Adam goes into the tent. I watch from outside as he tries to fix it. “To be honest I don’t know exactly where we’re going. But I didn’t think you’d have walked much longer” The tent’s side pops out. I drop my bag and sit down on a log.
“So we’re lost” I say.
Adam comes out of the tent. “Not lost. I know exactly where we are. There’s a road just north of here. We’ll find our way tomorrow”.
Oh thank god. Where there’s a road there’s a convenience store. “I need some water and something to eat”
I pull his bag closer to me. “Where’d you put the money?” I ask, fishing around in the front pocket. All I feel is some loose change.
“That’s it” says Adam, “That’s all we have left.”
I pull out a couple quarters. “It’s all gone? Already?”
I burry my head in my hands. We were doing fine up until now. We lost the house, the car. But it was all okay. The money was the one thing I could count on. Three months ago, when I left my house I took two thousand dollars with me. I figured I could live on that for a while. Now I’m scared. All at once we’re down to nothing. All at once I feel alone.
I look up. “Adam?” I call. He’s gone off. I pull our bags into the tent and zip it up. Our camp site comes fully furnished. Sleeping bags, folding chairs, a tarp. I guess I’m lucky Adam found it.
I pick up a few things that are blown over or out of place. There, now it looks a bit more inviting.
Adam comes back carrying a bowl and a heap of sticks. “Water and fire wood” He drops the sticks and places the bowl on the ground with a slosh.
“Is it safe to drink? Where did you get it?” I ask.
“I heard a stream nearby. We’ll boil it.” he replies.
I kneel on the ground and arrange the twigs and branches nicely in a pyramid. The sunset comes sooner than I thought. A cool breeze picks up. A few leaves fall from the trees. Adam lights the fire. I like fire. I like watching it. Watching things burn. I throw in some leaves now and then. The green ones turn white when they burn. I take a blackened piece of wood and drag it across a rock. It’s charcoal. It leaves dark lines!
Fuck, I'm bored.
Adam gets up. “Where are you going?” I ask.
“Watch the fire” he says as he leaves, completely ignoring my question.
And now he’s gone. Oh, sure don’t tell me where you’re going or anything. I think I won’t watch the fire. I’ll go into the tent and let it burn on its own. We’ll see what happens. I snarl.
Dammit, why did I ever go with him?
I sit in the tent. The sleeping bag smells vaguely of someone’s perfume. I hate perfume. I can see the brightness of the fire through the fabric of the tent. I start counting. I don’t know why. I get to three hundred and fifty three when Adam unzips the tent. He comes in and sits next to me.
I stare at him “What’s the matter with you? You just left.”
“I was - looking for Auron. I caught wind of a sound… thought he was nearby”
It’s quiet for a minute. “Are you going to put out the fire?” I ask.
He breaths deeply. “No. I’ll watch it later” he says.
I lay down on the sleeping bag. The ground is lumpy underneath. I exhale with my mouth open and can see my breath. Of course, the night we spend outside is the coldest one we’ve had in months. I rub my hands up and down my bare arms trying to warm myself.
Adam starts taking off his jacket. “You’re cold” he says.
“I like the cold” I respond defiantly.
I don’t know how much longer he’s planning on spending in the tent. He’s not much for company. I mean I like him, I really do! But when he watched me sleep it's just plain creepy. My heart starts beating like I’ve just ran a marathon. I hope he leaves soon so I can get some sleep.
A few minutes seem like hours. I’m close to shivering. He unzips a part of the tent and sits up, looking out.
“There’s someone out there” he mutters under his breath.
He slowly unzips the flap a little more. Perfect, maybe he’ll go after them and I can get some sleep. “You should go -” he cuts me off, thrusting his hand firmly over my mouth. I push it out of the way and sit up. I peer out the tent flap with him. Our fire burns brightly against the night sky. Suddenly I hear it too. Somewhere, not far off, a branch snaps under someone’s foot. Then another, closer now.
I look at Adam like, are you gonna bite ’em or let ’em get away? He seems strangely tense, like he’s picked these footsteps out as being dangerous or something. But it’s just a person right? A weak, mortal, human person…
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