External (Book 1&2)

Book 2|Chapter 14

|Book Study|

The slope down into the ravine is steep with jagged rocks sticking out on both sides. It's fairly easy to climb up and down by myself, but with William and his ankle, it becomes practically impossible.

"Maybe we just have to wait." I say, standing, failing to see over the wall of dirt and rock.

"Just wrap my ankle. I can climb it." William says, opening his backpack to look for something, probably a wrap.

"You'll end up making it worse. Cayden knows where we are." I say, not liking the idea of possibly injuring his ankle more.

"Okay, but Cayden was being chased by a bear." William says with slight sarcasm on his tongue.

"What are you saying." I say, crossing my arms and glaring at him. If anyone can get away from a bear it's Cayden.

"Nothing." William says, sighing outwards, obviously annoyed.

"We'll just wait here and Sabrina can fix it. We could even set up here instead for the night." I suggest, sitting down again. We will probably have to wait a while before anyone gets here. All we can hope is they get here with at least some daylight left.

As the adrenaline of the chase leaves our bodies, the coldness of the outside enters. The tall walls on either side helps to fight off the wind, but this entire area is also extremely shaded with large trees stretching out above us from either side like some sort of canopy. I stuff my hands in my pockets and lay back against my bag, staring up at the trees. Large grey masses hang off the branches, moving every time a brush of wind comes it's way.

I quickly become entranced by the movements, anything outside entertains me these days. With an obscene lack of films or games to play, you quickly become amused by everything. It makes for a strange sense of humor. At the thought of entertainment, I remember my fathers journal that I had slipped into my bag. Sure, it isn't exactly the type of enjoyment I yearn for, but I need to read it one of these days.

I pull it out of my bag fairly quickly, not wanting to change my mind suddenly, making William look over at me with a questioning look. I ignore it as I open the pages, going back to the last one, to the one I didn't finish. My hands shake as I go to turn the page, but I stop myself. The memories of my father are still fresh in my mind.

"What is it?" William asks, wondering why I'm all of a sudden frozen in spot, shaking.

"Nothing, um, it's my father's journal." I say.

"Oh, is he...?" He trails off, but I know what he's trying to say.

"Missing? No. He passed away a while before all of this." I answer. William looks at me with sympathy and understandment. He, himself has just lost a parent. It grows silent for a few moments, before William speaks again.

"Have you read it before?"

"Some of it, but mostly no." I answer and it goes quiet again, but this time I'm the one to break the silence. "It's hard to, he didn't exactly go in the nicest way." I hesitantly say, opening up just a little bit. I have never actually talked about it to anyone but Danny.

"Well you have time now." William says with a small smile.

"Yeah, I guess I do." I respond while reach to open the book back up. "I just don't like being the first to read it, the unknowingness of it."