With Him

Chapter 7:

This chapter is due to insanity.

Chapter 7:

I knew that I probably shouldn't, but, God, all I wanted to do was chop my fricken legs off and end the pain. My calves hurt like a nutcracker and my thighs were screaming to hell.

I literally wanted to be wiped off the face of the Earth.

I swiped my brow as we walked. We had been at it for hours after our break, and I knew in a couple more hours that day would break, and we'd have to rest again before maybe finishing our journey the next night.

Of course, I had no way to judge how far we'd come or how far we'd have to go to meet our destination.

A smile nearly appeared on my face as I thought of finding civilization and maybe resting in a bed at a hotel. I would even be glad if we found a motel.

"You guys wanna take a break soon," Hazel asked, curling a strand of hair behind her ear. "I'm sweating like a whore in church." I rolled my lips into my mouth as I thought about how funny that joke was.

My God, Hazel was so funny.

I bursted out laughing and all my friends looked at me like I was crazy.

"Like a whore in church...," I repeated, trailing off as I laughed again. Eventually they all joined in as we cracked up.

"I'm sweating like a turkey nearing Thanksgiving," Kenny added and we all started up again as we stumbled along. Now too hysterical to stand up straight.

"I'm sweating like an idiot in his SAT finals," Brad said and we laughed and laughed and laughed. They all looked to me.

"I'm sweating like some losers stuck in the desert." We all shared a look...

Then cracked up again.

"God we're losers," I giggled as I hugged the stitch in my side. Tears formed at the corners of my eyes as I laughed so hard it hurt.

"We're idiots that got stranded," Kenny roared in laughter and we heaved and panted for breaths of air. Like we were drowning in the ocean instead of the heat.

I remembered when I was a child I had asked my mother why the stove got red when we put a pan on it. She explained that it was heating, and that I shouldn't touch it.

Of course, I was a stupid and curious child and when she took the pan off I placed my entire hand on top of the redness.

I recoiled immediately as my hand burned and screeched as tears began to pour down my face from the pain. My mother had dropped her pan which had been boiling eggs and rushed over to me. She tugged me to the sink and placed my hand under the water. It only dulled the agony, but it was still there. It drove me crazy that it couldn't take the entire pain away.

That's what it felt like in this happy moment. We had been placed under the water and it was smothering some of the ache but not completely. It drove me crazy that laughing couldn't take away the tortue of being stranded in the desert, trying to savor water that wouldn't last another day after this because of how insatiable our thirst had become.

Soon my tears no longer became happy as I sniffled and wiped my eyes on my shirt. They all continued to laugh and I thought I was the only one back in the tormenting reality until someone touched my shoulder. I looked behind me and saw Brad's shining eyes.

He nodded and I leaned against him for a second.

"Just relax," he assured me. "Everything will be better soon. Just remember that. Nothing can stay the same forever. You can't have pain forever."