Dead Dreams

Eighteen

Being hit with a pillow is absolutely not a good way to wake up. I don't want to wake up either. It feels like I just went to sleep.

"Will you get up? Everyone else has been awake for hours already!" I groan and turn over, the annoying voice completely deterring me from going back into a much desired sleep. "It's like your a fucking corpse between your looks and how much you sleep." I tense up at the comment, now wide awake. I grip the sheets in front of me as I hear Ashlyn leave.

Fully getting up now, I glower in the direction she went. Some people don't sleep as well as others. After last night, I wasn't really able to, tossing and turning as I thought more and more about what might happen now.

I pretty much just ran off after Iris asked me for my trust, making a beeline for the girls tent. It was only once I was in there did I seriously consider his question. On the surface, it didn't seem complicated. Just trust him a little more.

I could never do that though, and he knows it.

Trust is a very difficult thing to give. As much as I had tried, I just couldn't let myself do it.

I don't want to be hurt.

So I have to always expect to be betrayed. Especially by Iris. I have to make myself think that everything he does and says is a part of some plan of his.

It would have been easier if he hadn't found us. I could have been able to slowly forget about him then.

Maybe I should just ignore him.

I seriously ponder the thought as I stretch, getting to my feet.

Then that face appears, for just a split second. The one he made when he found me.

Ignoring him...probably wouldn't be a good idea. I'll just watch over him for now.

I walk out of the tent to see the fire going strong. It feels nice being close to it after sleeping in the tent, which felt much too cold for comfort. I carefully hold out my hands which tend to be the coldest part of me. If only I could stay here for longer.

I grab a nearby flashlight from one of the seats around the fire and make my way down to the trailers. I assume the girls are foraging again. I'll have to help them fill their bags this time. It's important to have resources on hand.

The walk makes me feel extremely wary. I wasn't really able to see all of the trees before. They crowd both sides of the path, my flashlight only showing me a few rows before stopping. Anything could be just behind them and I wouldn't be able to tell.

Why didn't Ashlyn just wait for me?

It feels like an eternity before I finally make it to the trailers. I walk between the rows of them slowly, careful to avoid sticks and other things in my path. I listen for anything as I walk, catching the faint sound of voices in the distance.

Jenny is the first person I see as I get to where they are, and she turns to me upon hearing my footsteps. I am careful not to point the flashlight directly at her.

"Hey! You're up! I thought you were gonna sleep forever. You okay?" She seems surprised to see me, leading me to believe it was Ashlyn's decision to wake me up. Of course it was.

"I'm fine, thanks. Is she in there?" I do my absolute best to keep my voice from being bitter as I point at the trailer.

Ashlyn sticks her head through the doorway before Jenny can even respond to my question, as if she felt herself being summoned. She half glares at me from her spot.

"Took you long enough to get here. I almost thought you got snatched up or some shit." It takes everything in me not to show my anger at the comment. So she did know that it was dangerous to be alone, but she didn't care what happened to me. Her head pulls back and I wait a moment before walking into the trailer. Ashlyn now stands in the kitchen rummaging through the fridge. She makes different faces of disgust at the food items, some of which looked perfectly fine to me.