The Survival

Chapter 23

Chapter 23

You know when you make a decision and you later regret it? And you realize it after a few days, maybe months? That’s me right now.

One night was all it took me to see I’m bloody stupid. I actually am.

I didn’t kiss Nathan. What has gone into my head? He is the epitome of perfection. Good eyes, pink lips, p***s’s nose, defined abs, huge biceps, curly hair and let’s not forget, he is as sweet as an apple pie.

So, imagine my reaction when I wake up with the winter’s sun shining on my face, and when I open my eyes the first thing, I see is this hot boy sleeping with me against him. And then what I did, or better didn’t, hit me like a monstrous truck.

I, Kate i***t Blair, denied kissing, Nathan Sexy Turner.

I may die now, because seriously if my life is going to get more embarrassing or worse, let it stop here.

I bet that snails are smarter than me.

“Stupid snails...” I mutter.

“Are you doing black magic?”

“I’m what?” I stop fidgeting with my nails and look at Beth.

“You have been ‘praying’ and whispering since we left the camp spot, so I guessed you were cursing the snails.”

“I don’t practice black magic, and I wasn’t cursing the snails, I was praising them, I was saying that they are more intelligent than me.”

Beth gives me a ‘what the f**k’ look, before moving on, “You seem disturbed today.”

“You have no idea.” Nathan was walking by my side, till Beth came, he didn’t want to feel like he was getting into our way, so he left us to talk. He gave us space, sure, but with space he must mean three steps of difference between me and him, because that’s how far we are from one another now.

“What did you do this time?” Beth asks.

“This time? Like most off the things that happen are because of me.”

“And this one is?”

“Yeah...” I lower my head in defeat, the chilly air during the night must be bad for my brain cells. Kicking a small rock, I try to calm my racing heart. I could have kissed him, and instead I said that I needed time.

I can feel heat rushing to my cheeks, oh man, I’m a deception to the humanity, I shouldn’t be called a woman, I can’t kiss a guy that wants to kiss me, and let’s not talk about my lack of flirting and dancing skills.

“Care to tell me.”

“I’m just the most moron person on Earth.” I cover my face with both my hands and pout.

“Let me guess, does it have something to do with Nathan?” I don’t say a word, but I peek from my fingers and raise my eyebrow, “I’m going to take that as a yes.”

“It wasn’t my fault Beth, I mean it was, but I wasn’t in the right state of mind... I think.”

“Kate, calm down, breathe and talk to me. Take your hands off of your face.” Being the sweet and docile human that Beth is, I must say that she was quite violent when she took my hands off of my face, she almost ripped my hands.

“Speak.” She orders.

“Short version of the story?”

“Yap.” She pops the ‘p’.

“Last night Nathan asked me to kiss him.”

“Oh, my f*****g God, are you serious?” I put my hand over her mouth to hush her, it probably wasn’t a good idea, since she licked my hand right after.

“You sick dog!” I scream at her.

“What? I’m the one that should be screaming, I don’t know where your hand has been.”

“Like I know where your tongue goes into.” I make a disgusted face and a chill passes my body, ugh.

“Moving on, so you kissed that piece of heaven?” She whispers, while covering the side of her mouth and pointing with her thumb at him.

“That’s the funny part. I didn’t.”

Beth’s radiant expression turns to one of… hmm evil queen? Her bright blue eyes are looking fiercely into mine, her nostrils are opening, and her foot is crashing on the floor. She is scaring me to death.

“Please tell me that I’m deaf, and I did actually hear it wrong.”

“I wish I could say that.” I whisper under my breath.

“Katherine, what’s wrong with you?” She guides her hands to her hips, her posture is similar to one of a mother scolding her child. If you don’t know yet, I’m the child here.

“I don’t know. I woke up this morning and I couldn’t believe that I said no, I wanted to hit my head on a tree.” I say in frustration.

“Did you do it? Hit your head on the tree?”

“Uhmm... no.” Why woul-

“You should’ve. So, the next time the boy gains courage to ask you to kiss him, you would have your brain working perfectly fine, so you would say yes.”

“Jezz, why are you so violent today?”

“Mother Nature called me this morning, unfortunately I needed to answer the call, because I had no choice, so now I’m wearing red.”

“I’m free of that for now.” I grin in her direction and do a weird dance. I repeat once again, I lack dancing skills. It’s not in my genes to be a famous dancer.

“You better stop, or I’ll punch you.”

“Okay, today is not your day sugar.” I try to contain my laugh, and let my hair cover the side of my face and bite my lip to prevent the laugh from escaping, but when I see her tomato face through my hair I don’t hold it anymore.

“Kate!!” She says indignantly, only making me laugh harder. I’m laughing so hard that I need to clutch my belly and I can feel tears in my eyes. I know that the others are probably looking at me like I’m weird, but what can I say?

“You’re such a bitch.”

“Y-yo... I can’t s-“

“You’re so annoying. When you are on your period, you’re the one that acts all Hulky.” She has a point there, put it’s so funny to piss her off when it’s this time of the month, it’s so easy to get on her nerves.

I whip the tears from my eyes, take a deep breath and recompose myself, “I’m done.”

“Took you long enough.” She starts marching away from me, she bumps her shoulder into Nathan while passing him. It seems like he watched our ‘interaction’.

“She’s going to be okay.” I tell him.

“Was the talk good?”

“Don’t be nosy.” I scold him in a playful away.

“Sorry Miss.”

How could I have said no to this?

I shake my head to clear my thoughts and look at our surroundings, as always, all we see is tall trees, branches, leaves, snow, and the sky. Not a trace of the track. Not a trace of the exit. Not a trace of a living soul. Nothing.

The forest is silent, which is weird and uncomfortable because you have constantly sound and noise following us, doesn’t matter if it’s the wind whispering, or the squirrels eating. Yet, now you don’t hear a single thing except our steps.

“Beth?” Nathan’s voice reaches my ears, I turn to look at him, but he is already sprinting to Beth. She is bending forward, like she is going to vomit. I follow Nathan and I reach Beth’s side in a few short steps.

“Beth. Talk to me. What’s wrong? What happened?” I’m freaking out, and I have all the right to do it, she looks like she is going to collapse. One hand is on her belly and the other on her knee to support herself.

“Kate. I have it again.” Her blue eyes fix on mine.

“Han?”

“The feeling, Kate. I have it again, and it’s a big one.”

Just like that, it all makes sense, it clicks in my mind, “Oh f**k. What can I do?”

“Beth, are you okay?” Nathan asks by my side.

“I’ll be.” She sends him a small smile, but I know better.

“Is it your stomach?” Nathan deduces because of her hand clutching her belly area. She looks my way and we have a secret and short conversation with our eyes, oh, and here I thought I couldn’t manage to have this type of chats with someone.

“Yes, I... uhm had my period today.”

On another situation, at a different time I would be laughing at Nathan’s face, he wasn’t expecting that answer, but I’m more worried about helping my best friend.

“Do you want to lie down?” I suggest.

“We should get back or something.”

I’m about to do as she wants when Dylan speaks.

“You guys. I think we found the exit.” I see an excited Dylan spinning a smiling Sarah on the air, Lucy and Ed seem just as happy, they are hugging each other and have wide smiles on their faces.

Closer to the place they are in, you can see lights. Almost like city lights or lanterns, but there are many and so bright that you can see them shining from afar.

Could it be?

I share a look with Nathan and Beth, “But your feeling?”

“Feeling?”

“We’ll explain later Nathan.” Beth addresses him before turning to me, “Unfortunately, you and I both know what it leads to. We need to stop them.”

As if in slow motion, Nathan starts running to them while I struggle to take Beth and me to the others as quickly as possible, with half of her weight supported on me. Nathan sprints, and I almost drag Beth, yet it doesn’t matter at this moment.

For what I’ve learned of Beth’s feeling is that there is no good in it. There can’t be a coincidence that she got it when we find the lights.

Those aren’t only lights.

Those lights aren’t lanterns.

Those lanterns don’t belong to a human being.

A human being that can rescue us.

It’s something else.

As quick as Nathan is, as much will as I have to reach them before hell breaks loose. It’s not enough, and they arrive to the lights, disappearing from my line of vision. I wait for a noise, like a scream, but nothing. I wait for a snap of a twig, yet again nothing.

Two minutes maximum is all it takes for me and Beth to reach them, a horrifying and powerful smell hits my nose, making me wrinkle it, but I try to ignore it and focus on the task ahead.

They are frozen in place, all of them, and I don’t understand why, till I look ahead.

I stop moving, stop reacting, if I could I would even stop breathing.

As I predicted the lights aren’t from the city, far from it.

In front of us, is a small wooden table with utensils like scissors, bistouries, knives, and others laid in it, there’s also an old chair by it. The lights that we saw, are in fact lanterns that are hanging on some tree’s branches, there is a large log that have written in it words, numbers, phrases and some random scratches.

You also see a piece of cloth, which from my position seems a t-shirt and a black boot not too far. You can see scary painting and draws on the trees, that circle this spot precisely.

Yet, what catches your attention is another table, set in the center of this area, making it look like the main attraction of this place. But the worst is the red liquid that is drenched in the middle of the table, coming down all the way to the ground and soaking the once white snow.

Blood.