If We Could Make it There

Theories and Colorful Feet

Caylie POV

I don't know what the heck that thing was, but it's been a few hours. Alexandra is doing better, and even though I've tried to cure it, the healing is minimum.

Kate told us that it was broken, and I was able to fix that. The only thing is, is that it keeps getting bigger and changing color. In the beginning it was red, then it got bark blue and we just thought that it was bruising. But right now it's a very pretty shade of turquoise, and it's getting greener by the minute.

Kate thinks that I've done all that I can do, and that she and Alex and I should all just get some rest. Seth and Grace have tried to help us, but we just kept sending them back. Seth kept trying to tell us something, but being the medical people that we were forced to be, shewed him away.

Alexandra keeps sobbing, even though her foot no longer pains her. Then I remember: she was trying to tell me something important when that monster came! But then the monster tried to attack me and... Goodness, what has Alex done?

"Alexandra," I start, "Thank you. You saved me from that-that thing..." I trail off, wondering whether Cheryl would know what it is. Of course she will! She's a living dictionary. But now that I think about it...

I look inquisitively at Alex.

"Alex, do you know where Cheryl is?" I haven't seen her all morning. She should have been here already, comforting Alex and seeing how everything is. Did she sleep so heavily that she couldn't hear us wailing and screaming in terror and pain? The last time I saw her was last night, when she, Ashlyn and I were talking-

"Ashlyn! Where's Ashlyn? Where are they?" I ask. Alexandra's eyes widen in terror.

"No. No!" she yelps. Her face twists into a grimace and she covers it with her hands.

We sit in silence for a few minutes, just her, me, and Kate. I put a sympathetic hand on Alexandra's shoulder, but she shrugs it off. Seth was trying to tell me something too! I call him and Grace over, wanting their help to get Alex to speak. But by the time they're here, I don't need their help.

"I-I-It..... Jack..... Th-th-th-they'r-re... c-couldn't find... they're gone. And it's all my fault!" Alex exclaims with a sob, before burying her head into my shoulder once again.

I give a shaky laugh and look around smiling at everyone, waiting for them to give up on their prank and shout, "Jokes!" but no one does.

I laugh again. "Guys! The gigs up. Seriously? Ha ha, you're all so funny..." I trail off and goggle at Alex, waiting for her to smile. But she doesn't smile. Doesn't even grin. She stares at me with such an expression of disgust, that I feel as if I've gotten trampled by that beast.

"Do you r-really think someone here would joke about that?" she asks angrily. I shake my head solemnly.

"Sorry... it's just..." I can't think of good enough words, "...didn't want to believe what I was hearing, I guess."

I look down at my feet, embarrassed, shocked, and scared. How could Jack do this again? And how could Ashlyn and Cheryl go with him?

I stare at Alexandra's foot which seems to have stopped swelling, and is now a bright neon green. What was that thing?

There are too many questions to answer. For another, why do my cheeks feel wet? If I'm crying, I'm not aware of it. My hair feels suddenly wet too. I look up and the others do the same.

Great. Just what we need. Snow.

In the middle of summer?

"Okay, lets go find some shelter to stay under," Grace says. We all nod, and Kate and I help Alexandra over to a sheltered part of the edge of the woods. Once in the woods, I swear I can still hear the monster, where ever it is, rumbling footsteps.