Jokes
1260 Words
Alex stayed silent as Gunnar led her back through the camp, his grip firm on her elbow. She hated how weak she felt, how her body ached with every step, but she refused to lean on him for support.
The camp was still quiet, the rebels asleep in their tents, unaware of her failed escape. At least she wouldn’t have to endure their stares or whispers.
Gunnar guided her back to the same tent she had woken up in before, pushing aside the flap and gesturing for her to enter.
Alex hesitated.
She could try again tomorrow. Or the next day. She just needed time.
Gunnar must’ve noticed her hesitation because he sighed, shaking his head. “Alex, get inside.”
Alex shot him a glare but stepped in. She wasn’t in the mood for another fight.
The cot creaked as she sat down, pressing a hand to her side. The wound was warm and pulsing—probably not a good sign.
Gunnar crouched in front of her, watching her carefully. “You’re lucky you didn’t tear the stitches.”
Alex smirked, though it was weak. “What, no ‘I told you so’?”
His lips twitched. “Oh, I’m definitely thinking it.”
She rolled her eyes, leaning her head back against the tent wall. “Great.”
For a moment, neither of them spoke.
Then Gunnar said, “Why are you so desperate to leave?”
Alex stiffened.
She knew he’d ask eventually, but she wasn’t prepared for it.
She could lie. She was good at lying. But something about the way he was looking at her—like he was genuinely curious, not just trying to pry—made it difficult.
Still, she wouldn’t tell him the truth.
Instead, she sighed dramatically. “Not a fan of tent life.”
Gunnar huffed a laugh, shaking his head. “Sure.”
Alex looked at him then, studying him the same way he always seemed to study her. He was confident, always grinning like he had the upper hand. But there was something sharp in his eyes. Something calculating.
He wasn’t just some soldier following orders. He was something else.
“Why do you care if I stay?” she asked.
Gunnar leaned back on his heels. “I don’t.”
She raised an eyebrow.
“Alright,” he amended, “I do, but only because you’re interesting.”
Alex scoffed. “Wow. How flattering.”
“I mean it.” He smirked. “Most people in your position would be grateful to be rescued. But you? You act like I dragged you to hell.”
Alex shrugged. “Not far off.”
Gunnar’s smirk widened. “You really are impossible, Alex.”
Alex didn’t answer.
Because he wasn’t wrong.
And because she was already thinking about her next move.
---
Alex lay awake for a long time after Gunnar left.
She listened to the quiet hum of the camp outside, the faint crackling of dying embers, the occasional sound of footsteps patrolling in the distance. Her side throbbed, reminding her of how close she had come to getting caught—really caught.
She needed to be smarter next time.
Alex didn’t want to admit it, but this rebellion—whoever they were—had a tighter hold on their camp than she expected. They were organized. Dangerous. If she wanted to escape, she couldn’t just slip away in the dead of night. Not without a plan.
And that meant she had to wait.
For now.
Eventually, exhaustion pulled her under.
Alex woke up to the sound of movement.
She tensed immediately, her instincts flaring before she forced herself to relax.
Gunnar stood in the tent entrance, arms crossed, watching her.
“You’re finally up,” he said.
Alex rubbed her eyes, groaning as she sat up. “Yeah.”
She glanced around, noting that nothing in the tent had changed overnight. No signs that anyone had come in while she was sleeping.
“How’s the wound?” Gunnar asked.
Alex resisted the urge to roll her eyes. “Fantastic.”
He smirked. “Glad to hear it. Because you’ve got a busy day ahead.”
Alex frowned. “What?”
“You didn’t think we were just gonna let you sit here and plot your next escape, did you?”
Alex went still, but his tone was light, teasing.
He was guessing.
She forced herself to scoff. “Wow. You really think highly of me.”
“Oh, I know you, Alex.” He winked. “You don’t seem like the ‘sit around and do nothing’ type.”
Alex hated how accurate that was.
She swung her legs over the side of the cot, testing her balance. She felt sore and stiff, but she’d had worse.
Gunnar studied her before nodding toward the entrance. “Come on.”
Alex hesitated before following him out.
The camp was even bigger than she had realized.
Tents sprawled across the clearing, with makeshift wooden structures scattered between them. People moved with purpose—sparring, gathering supplies, talking in hushed voices.
It was a rebellion, no doubt about it.
And that made her uneasy.
Because she knew what happened to people who got involved in things like this.
Alex kept her expression neutral, taking in every detail as Gunnar led her toward what looked like a mess area. A few rebels glanced at her, some whispering to each other.
She hated the attention.
“So,” she said, keeping her voice casual, “what exactly do you people do all day?”
Gunnar shrugged. “Train. Plan. Try not to die.”
“Sounds fun.”
“Oh, it’s a blast.”
Alex studied him out of the corner of her eye. He was too at ease. Too comfortable in this place. Which meant he was important. If she wanted to get out of here, she needed to figure out exactly who he was. As they reached a table, Gunnar grabbed an apple from a crate and tossed it to her. Alex caught it easily, raising an eyebrow.
“Am I supposed to be impressed?”
“I don’t know,” Gunnar said, grinning. “Are you?”
Alex smirked, taking a bite of the apple. It was better than she expected.
“So, what’s the deal with you?” she asked after a moment. “Why are you with the rebellion?”
Gunnar leaned against the table, arms crossed. “That’s classified.”
Alex rolled her eyes. “Oh, come on. You act like you know me, but I don’t get to know anything about you?”
He chuckled. “Alright, Alex. You tell me your real name, and I’ll tell you whatever you want to know.”
Alex froze for half a second before recovering.
“Nice try,” she said, smirking. “But I think I’ll pass.”
Gunnar sighed dramatically. “See, this is why we don’t get along.”
“I think we get along great.”
“Uh-huh.” He tilted his head. “What are you really running from?”
Alex's smirk didn’t falter, but she felt something twist in her chest.
She shrugged. “What makes you think I’m running?”
Gunnar studied her for a long moment, then just smiled. “Call it a hunch.”
Alex held his gaze, refusing to give anything away.
She had been running for a long time.
And if she had her way, she wouldn’t be here much longer.
She just had to be patient.
- Writer
