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Chapter Five - Another Pepper Down Flea stepped into the clearing, Chad trailing him. He spotted Anthony, sitting on his sleeping bag, against a tree. Anthony glanced up from the dirt, where he had been drawing designs with a stick. "Where the hell have you guys been?" he scowled, returning his gaze to the dust. Chad held up two water bottles in one hand. "Getting water!" "And it took you all morning?" Flea flopped down beside Anthony. "We lost sight of the trail. You thirsty?" "Hell yeah!" Chad tossed him a bottle, which Anthony promptly caught. He unscrewed the top and gulped down the water. Streams of life-giving liquid trickled down his jaw and splashed onto his drawings. A soft sigh escaped his lips when he lowered the plastic container. Flea glanced around. "Where’s John?" "He went to get us some water," Anthony replied, clutching the bottle to his bare chest. "He was going out of his mind waiting." Chad rubbed his stomach. "I don’t know about you two, but I’m starved! Flea and I haven’t eaten all day." "I could go for some food," Anthony replied. Chad retrieved a box of macaroni and cheese from his bag. Then he and Flea gathered branches and twigs, and the two made a fire. Anthony huddled by it and watched Chad pull a small aluminum pot out of his bag. Flea grabbed a little metal rack from his and set it over the fire. Soon the three were devouring their meals. Flea glanced at the pot, which still held a serving. He hoped that John hadn’t gotten lost. "Aaaahh!" The blood-curdling scream emanated from the woods. The three paused, each holding a spoonful of food. "That sounded like John," Anthony’s eyes were wide as he gazed into the surrounding woods. Flea and Chad dropped their bowls and leapt to their feet. They raced into the woods. Leaves swished past Flea’s shoulders, and he shoved branches out of his path. "Aaaahh!" They followed their friend’s cries to a fork in the path, where a wolf stood. Blood ran from its snarling fangs, and he growled. He darted into the woods. A figure staggered by a tree beside the trail, retching and clutching his midsection. He fell to the ground. As Flea strode closer, the figure’s face came into view. Blood, tears, and hair streaked the tensioned face, mouth open, and coughing up blood. "John!" Flea skid on his knees to his friend’s side. He brushed the hair out of the fallen’s dark eyes. Flea’s sights fell to the blood drenched hands that John held to his abdomen. His eyes wide, he gazed up at Flea. Gasping and shivering, he flopped forward, into Flea’s lap. He shook violently for several seconds before lying still. Tears flowed down Flea’s cheeks as he turned the inanimate body in his lap. John’s face was relaxed now. The hand that had been clenching the injury flopped from John’s abdomen and swayed limply by his side. The skin was cold. Flea ran his fingers against the carotid artery in John’s neck. No pulse. "No!" Flea cried, staring at his friend’s closed eyes. "Flea!" Chad shook his shoulders, and Flea jerked. Through clouded vision, he saw Chad kneeling over him. He was lying on the ground. Flea wiped his eyes and sat up. The land was dark, much darker than it had been in his dream. And very cold. Wrapping his arms around his torso, Flea looked around. It was just he and Chad. Trees surrounded them, grass beneath them, frigid winds embraced them. No trail. "We’re still lost," he murmured. He gazed at Chad, who sat back on his heels. "Yeah? No sh**!" Chad replied, cracking a smile. "Are you all right?" Flea sniffled and ran his forearm across his nose. Slowly, he nodded. "Yeah, just a little cold." He crossed his arms over his bare chest. "I think we can take care of that," Chad grinned. "I just found a cave." "Really? Where?" "Not far. Come on!" Chad gave Flea a hand to his feet, and the two men ventured through the trees. The new moon illuminated a clearing up ahead, where a cave came into view. The two slipped inside. They dozed off right away, unaware that they weren’t the only ones sleeping there. |