The Ascent

Chapter 22

Even after the last grain of soil settled on the girl's improvised grave, Jasmine couldn't convince herself to move. Jasmine knew they needed to leave the general area, but she was shaking so much that she didn't think she could even keep standing if she wasn't leaning on the tree.

Surprisingly enough, Asher seemed to understand her mood and said nothing. Still, she could see how nervous he was from the way he kept pacing around and scanning their surroundings every few seconds. Danger could be coming any second and from any direction. Yet, he chose not to disturb another lethargy Jasmine was plunged into.

Though she appreciated the sentiment, Jasmine wished he would shake her out of her stunned state because they couldn't afford the time they were wasting. After all, her emotions were in constant turmoil, and she couldn't see herself balancing them out anytime soon.

That was when Jasmine promised herself that she would do everything she could to toughen up, something she could only achieve much later. She needed to become someone people could rely on instead of breaking apart as soon as something bad happened. After all, she was sure much worse things were yet to come.

"Can you help me?" Jasmine asked, hating that even all her resolution couldn't carry her more than a few steps.

Asher approached her carefully, looking clumsier than ever, his hands fluttering around her as if he wasn't sure how he should help and if she would get offended if he didn't do it the right way. His civility was getting on Jasmine's nerves as it could cause them to get caught, leaving the children to fend for themselves.

"How?" Asher finally asked, at a loss for what to do.

Jasmine put one hand around his neck, transferring most of the weight her wobbly legs couldn't carry onto his powerful body. The closeness was uncomfortable for her, and she was glad Asher didn't say anything as he quickly shuffled them forward.

To her relief, he moved much faster than Jasmine anticipated, as he was lugging her almost useless body with him. She didn't want to be the one to slow them down, but once the adrenaline that she seemed to have been running on had worn off, there was barely any strength left in her body, let alone her legs. So, helping him out was impossible at that moment.

Only when they were close to the cave did some of Jasmine's strength return. The moment she felt it, she transferred her weight on her own two feet, slowly releasing Asher from the firm grip that her hand had around his neck, causing him to lift his gaze in confusion.

"I think I've got it from here," Jasmine said, her voice still unsteady from the brewing mess of emotions, on the verge of boiling over.

"Are you sure?" Asher asked, not sounding in the least tired by lugging a barely responsive human around.

"Yes," Jasmine said, straightening her crumbled-up clothing that was long past being fixable. "Besides, I don't want the children to see me like that. They might get scared."

Asher nodded while his eyes stared at her expression as if trying to understand a book written in a foreign language. It made Jasmine wonder what he saw there, if he could see all her fear and determination, or if he just saw a damsel in distress who needed saving.

Carefully, they continued into the cave, mindful of Jasmine's stiff and limited movements. The last thing they needed was for her to get hurt.

Not long after entering the cave, they could hear the pattering of tiny feet, something Asher had warned them not to do until they were sure it was them and not some dangerous people or the bald men.

"Daddy! Daddy!" Ariyana shouted before she could clearly see them.

"I am sorry," Isaac said when they reached them, breathing heavily. "I tried to stop them, but they are stronger than they look."

"It's okay. I don't blame you. I blame them," Asher said, giving his children a stern look that would have made an adult cower in fear.

However, it didn't have the desired effect on them because they noticed something was wrong with Jasmine and rushed to her side before Asher could strictly reprimand them for being careless.

"What happened to you?" Ariyana asked, looking up at Jasmine with worry. "Did you fall down and hurt yourself?"

It was lucky Ariyana was so talkative as she gave Jasmine the acceptable answer without her having to think of one herself.

"Yes, that's what happened," Jasmine quickly said. "I didn't listen to your father when he told me to be careful so I fell down and hurt myself."

The children shook their heads vigorously, and Jasmine hoped she managed to convey the message she was trying to communicate well enough for them to avoid disobeying their father in the future. It was an old tactic that hadn't failed her in her day job.

With the children fussing around her and with Asher's guiding hand, they went back to the end of the cave where the fire was burning, feeling far more comforting than ever before. Even though it wasn't home, it was a hearth they could all gather around and be grateful for being alive.

"Why don't you rummage through our storage and get Jasmine something to eat?" Asher ordered as he pointed to a wall with many holes that they used as a storage area.

It was just far enough from them for Asher to talk to Jasmine freely and close enough to check on his children if they dared make trouble.

"Okay, I will prepare the best meal she has ever seen," Ariyana exclaimed enthusiastically. "And you two are going to help me."

Dragging her two reluctant helpers, Isaac and Arman, she soon started to prepare things with the seriousness one would expect when making a formal dinner.

"That should keep them occupied for a while. Ariyana loves playing kitchen, and she will do her best to arrange beautifully everything we have," Asher said, turning to the worn-out Jasmine. "It should give us enough time to check the diary."

Even though Jasmine knew that was the next logical step, it felt intrusive and rude to read someone else's diary, someone's most precious and personal thoughts. If the girl hadn't given her permission to read it, Jasmine wasn't sure if she would have done it, even if it meant improving their chances of survival, as it would have felt disrespectful.

As it was, she pulled out the diary from the inside of her jacket, where she put it for safekeeping, and opened it to the first page. Since it wasn't anything about the bald men, she started flipping through the pages looking for the relevant information.

"I will read it," Jasmine said with a tone that allowed no objection. "It's a girl's diary, after all. A guy doesn't need to know everything in it. When I finish reading it, I will give you all the relevant information."

Asher seemed to hesitate for a second, and Jasmine wasn't sure if it was because he didn't fully trust her to tell the whole truth or because he wanted to be the one to read it. Either way, with a deep sigh, he gave up on his plan and looked at the children as if to say that if he had known she wouldn't be reading it aloud, he wouldn't have given them the task.

"Very well, I'll go help them with the food then," Asher said, leaving Jasmine alone with her thoughts and what was left of the girl, her thoughts and feelings.

At first, it felt like an invasion of privacy as she talked about the guy she liked and the issues with her strict parents. Just your average teenage stuff that made Jasmine wish for the times when things were that easy.

However, soon enough, the tone of the diary changed. What was at first a cheerful person with a positive disposition, even when angry, turned into the frightful little girl.

Dark clouds rolled in, dimming her light.