Hampton stood up from the ground and he skipped forward onto his left ankle. I watched him fall down to his elbows and before he could shout a word I was already by his side. Hampton's thick hazel eyebrows flared as his motionless eyes subdued over my shoulder.
"Hampton, let's move!"
I see Hampton's eyes aim down to his ankle as he swings his arm over my shoulder. "I think it's broken,"
We're a little lost amongst the trees when Hampton stoped to say, "Go on without me. The - something's - this ankle can't go far, Dayna,"
"I'm not leaving you here," I said in a whispered. "We need to get help. Listen I'm sure there's a town nearby."
Hampton's head flicked towards the direction of my estranged bony finger. I stood tall like a meerkat while he hung loose from his broad shoulder. "We won't make it in time. Must be a kilometre, max,"
"Hampton, we can make it if we moved!" Finally the tone in my voice grew in a storm of words, nearly growling like an animal.
"I'm trying to help you." I swore his head shook as he added, "Maybe I'm more concerned about you, right. Because this ankle is slowing you down."
"Wait - I think – I hear cars," My mind scattered around the woods in search for a sign. Any sign or signal that could indicate a direction, out of these woods, back home. The quiet atmosphere left my ears with the ruffling of trees, itchy crickets and maybe a few birds, too. Muddled behind the woodlands I hear a soft hum almost like an angelic presence. The slight hum nearly had me fooled for until Hampton calmed his jagged voice.
"Aye - you might be right." His eyes continue to measure the sound. Maybe it's another 900 meters, or if we're lucky 500. The answer was obvious, it's too soon to tell.
I begin to walk at a pace I believed comfortable for Hampton. "An art student, huh. Managed to out run an athlete?"
I pace myself after I'd accidentally giggled. Actually I ran away like a frightened mouse. My voice echoed. While to my surprise it ended in a rush. My voice scurried for the arms of silence like a mother cradling her child. "I didn't think you'd be such a baby," Hampton's lips hung loose from his red nose like a store sign. His smile faded and I saw his attention shift towards a sensitive limp.
We had a dark, heavy walk. Maybe longer than needed. We carried on between pointy hedges and hidden obstacles. Hampton peaked over his shoulder. His heavy breathing rocked like a loose boat and his tall posture stooped after each step. There wasn't much noise in the background. Just a fuzzy silence. We soon crossed paths with a nearby river.
The river rumbled before our boots. "I'll help you across," Hampton's chin leaned like my Father would when he sat on his chair to read the morning paper. Hampton's glum smile then stretched between his red cheekbones.
"Are you okay? You don't look so good,"
"Yeah, just that river looks heavy. I think I remember there being a bridge around here. Maybe we should -"
"We haven't got long." I tugged at his arm. "Come on, Hampton,"
I was sure to hold him close. I guided him into the water. At first we took care not to slip while Hampton worked hard not to tug gainst my shoulder. I'm sure he did his best. His mind was like an engine and I heard his voice feeding in loops, 'Don't slow her down."
My breathing picked up pace. The icy cold water reached over our ankles and in a few meters we're knees deep. "Stay close,"
"I don't know if this." Hampton's voice dialled down in tone as if controlled by another influence.
"Hey! We're nearly halfway. Tell me something,"
"What about?"
The water pushed against my waist and I nearly withdrew from a reply, "Anything,"
"Uh,"
A sound echoed behind my frozen –stiff ears. A crisp and sudden blaze crackled behind our heads. "My brother may-be return' home from-the-military. Guess-I'll be read'n his final letter tomorrow," He laughed and peeked over his shoulder.
"That's nice," I wouldn't express my joy because a rugged noise dipped in a contemptuous hiss. Maybe Hampton heard it too? Campfire? The same, heavy tone dragged through the thick cool air and nibbled at the edges of my ears. Any wonder Hampton pushed himself collarbone deep. When the low temperatures made Hampton gulp, he followed my guidance, further into the water. The heavy sound hovered behind us like my best friend's ruptured radio.
Strong paddling and a mixture of instincts led us to the other end. A few times these ingredients possessed Hampton like agitated demons. The voice in his head thundered. In equal motion to his sudden drop my arm directed him back on his foot. My hand slipped along the hood of his jacket as he almost tipped us sidewards.
"Thanks," Hampton laughed as he took a break by the river.
The silent wind bit our skin and we waited. I observed the silent woods stretched around. The only sound was coming from Hampton's rattling jaw and his breathing. He nearly choked as he barked like a dog. As he finished his hand stiffened and tingled like electric shocks. I removed his boot to ease the weight.
I looked back up at him and his eyes were pinned into mine, "Can you hear a phone?"
"Maybe we're close to a road? Can you walk?"
"Hopefully. Can you give me a boost?" The moment he loosened his grip I aided his arm over my shoulder. "Lifesaver,"
"Okay. We may want to move a little faster,"
Hampton agreed as he limped a little harder. I guided us further into the trees. Towards the sounds that swayed and rocked somewhere in the distance. Then Hampton stopped. He turned to check his options. "I can hear," I listened and watched his chin move, "something, it-"
Not far from here I heard a hum motion back and forth. Car and surely after a truck. My senses honed in on the sensitive hum and it repeatedly called for our attention, a few seconds at a time. My eyes traced Hampton's foot stagger over the snow. "We'll continue to the roads,"
Our legs swung our body forward for another hundred meters. Headlights dash between trees. It felt warm when the light struck my skin. I knew our bodies were closer to being recognized. Hampton and I reached the road and not far down there was a town. Streets were nearly empty. We stepped onto a footpath and our eyes gazed towards the town as if we've found a pot of gold. Then a woman strolls by, in gym pants and a t-shirt. We received the same, odd-fashioned stare from other folks when they spotted us near the payphone.
Hampton had lost his mobile and mine died earlier in the day. We called for an ambulance and it arrived in less than twenty minutes. Hampton was taken to the hospital a few hours from the town. He held a smile that appeared limp as if it too had a few broken bones. We explained and talked to a nearby store owner who helped assist his injury. The moment was a thrill for words as I moved frantically about. I'd explained our situation, maybe a dozen times over, until eventually Hampton was loaded into the ambulance.
I didn't have any injuries but they insisted I tag along with Hampton. I tried to call some friends of mine until Hampton reminded me under his breath and his closed, exhausted eyes, "We found their phones, remember?" Yeah, we did. Hampton and I woke up at our campsite and we found cracked phones. Dead and scattered around the area. At the town hospital, we were given separate rooms. Hours passed and I laid there, staring up at the ceiling, when my phone buzzed.
It was Hampton. He was calling at 3:33 am. I woke up and in a daze and I answered. I spoke through the phone and my voice sounded like it was begging to fall back asleep. "Dayna," Hampton's voice shook my mind. "Listen, I need help because I've fallen,"
"Wait, Hampton, I thought you were-?"
This time I could hear a fuzz almost muddle the speaker. His breathing reassembled his heavy words, "I know but I think the town's done something. I went to sleep and woke up at the camp site. I was running from the man and I've fallen,"
"Hampton,"
"They just keep looking at me," my mind wanted to grab his attention. His voice sounded a little further from the mike and I heard mumbling. An object lightly cuffed the speaker and my eyes darted for the door ahead of me. A nurse was peering into my room. She walked away as the phone went silent. I hung up and dialled the police though that's when I heard the door swing open. The nurse hands me a cup and her eyes flatter around the dark room.
"Has Hampton left?"
"No, he's asleep and resting. Just like yourself, now," the nurse lifted the drink to my stiff lips. Her blonde hair attracts my eyes as I swallowed the soft, cool water. Her silky hair glowed in comparison to the moon. The dark woods barely lit. Then there's the thought of Hampton. A faint line still stands between dream and life. Did I really receive a phone call from Hampton?
The nurse finished with the cup. "I'll also need to confiscate you phone." Said the nurse in a dry tone and a hand gesture that demanded immediate action. Didn't make sense?
I bought myself extra time and asked if I could go to the bathroom, before bed. I smiled and tilted my head. Sanity intensified as a dozen question popped into my mind while I locked eyes with the stranger. The nurse grunted and her chin retracted to the back her throat like a turtle neck. She led me to a unisex bathroom down the corridor from room twenty-three. The hospital I'm currently in? I'm not sure.
The memory replays in my mind. However none of it adds up. I remember I woke up in an empty tent and my best friend's sleeping bag was empty. I woke Hampton up, worried about my friend's safety, since I've never been camping before. Two of his friends had left the campsite also. We both heard light hums, down a path for nature walks. We walked down the same path earlier in the day as a group. This time, while Hampton and I stumbled into the open woods, we crossed paths with another traveller.
A fairly large man and he appeared to stumble over his own feet. We slowed down and Hampton pointed off into the distance, "Look, there are log cabins!" He was right, in the distance, maybe over a few kilometres away there rested patch of glowing, hazel coloured light.
We continued down the path and each step was followed by the thought that maybe the person was someone we knew. Though he never responded to our words or the labels we threw him. Instead he trotted on like a glum old man down the pathway.
"I'm heading back," I said with a tug against Hampton's arm. He wouldn't budge. As I said this the figure, covered in a cloak of darkness, turned our way. His head directed his body in a twisted manner. Hampton and I met the eyes of a creature. Stern and focused. Large yellow globes were separated between towering eyelids which engulfed my focus like a starving dog.
Hampton took a step forward and commented with a giggle, "We scared him," Hampton's harmless and weary green eyes danced gently under the moonlight and I felt my gut quench.
I may have broken eyes with the stranger a little too soon. I looked back and his plump body lowered. His knees folded in half and they manoeuvred above his head. I caught his eyes once more as they now hovered close to the ground. A deep stair somehow took control of my body like a hypnotized bug addicted to a light bulb. I sensed its eyes were toying with the thought of my presence.
Its body slithered across the floor and I grabbed Hampton's shoulder. He leaned back and I thought he was going to flee. I was an art student and I ran before he did. I ran as fast as I could and lost my sense of direction. He must have followed after me because I accidentally led us down a cliff. And there it was. Above our heads were those eyes as it watched us regain our feet. I think I'm going to call the police, they're knocking on the door. If nobody hears from me again here are my coordinates.
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