Escaping Elysia

Chapter 37 - Free

Evita

"Let's set up camp here," Dale says, eyeing the sun approaching the horizon.

The forty-six of us who escaped have been walking for the past day and a half through endless trees toward Fairbanks. We haven't had anything to eat since we escaped, but Leah and a few others managed to shoot a deer this afternoon and everyone is looking forward to starting a fire and having a real meal.

While some people collect dry branches for the fire, I help a few others gather stones and dig out a pit in a relatively clear area under the trees. Burning wood was out of the question in Sanzha, and it still makes me uneasy. Once the fire gets going, however, I have to admit I enjoy its warmth and comfort.

One of the guys butchered the deer while we set up the fire, and now everyone eagerly skewers pieces of the meat on sticks to roast. Everyone except me. I'm a little hungry, sure, and I still cook some meat for myself, but I'm not ravenous like them. Another symptom of the pill I guess.

While the others are distracted by the food I pull my hands out of my pockets for a quick peek. I haven't taken a pill since the morning of the escape — though I do still have them in my bag — yet the green is still spreading. Now it's made its way to my wrists.

Next to me, Dale looks over and wrinkles his brow. "Not hungry?" he mumbles.

I shake my head.

Across the fire Nadya stares off into space as her meat blackens. "Nadya," I say, gesturing to the end of her stick.

She jumps, then laughs. "Whoops." She inspects the meat, then shrugs and takes a bite anyway. She doesn't notice, but several guys around the fire check her out. I suspect her love life will do just fine without Weston, if she wants one that is.

The sun sinks low until it finally disappears below the horizon. Another night sleeping in the open. At least it's not cold.

"How long until we get to Fairbanks?" Zola asks.

Dale chews, thinking. "We should be there by tomorrow night."

This sets the others off into a round of excited chatter, and talk about being reunited with their families.

I shift in the dirt, pulling out a weed that was tickling my leg and throwing it aside.

Dale leans his head in close, so the others can't hear. "You are coming with us, right?"

I lean my head on his shoulder and stare into the fire. If I've learned one thing over the past day, it's that I would never survive out here alone. It was foolish of me to even consider it. Even more, though, I don't want to leave Dale and Nadya. It may be selfish, and I may come to regret it, but I care too much about them now. I need them.

"Of course." I take his hand and rub my thumb over the top of his. "I'll follow you wherever you go."

***

Author's note: Thank you so much for reading my book! I'm so grateful for all of you who've loved this book and have voted and commented to let me know. I hope that one day it might be published and get to see the inside of a bookstore :).