Hell Flower

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It was dark outside when I finally woke up. I couldn't see anything out the window other than the shadowed shapes of trees towering around us as they zoomed past. My head pounded with a slight hangover, and the stale taste of vodka clung to my tongue like the memory I'd recalled right before I'd fallen asleep. Tears stung behind my eyes. I tried to push it out of my mind.

Sitting up, I took in the dark, empty interior of the bus. I blinked a few times and rubbed my eyes. How long was I out? Where was everyone?

The bus slowed as we turned off the road. We pulled into an empty parking lot, gravel crunching under the tires.

"Where are we?" I asked no one in particular. My voice came out rough and hoarse.

"South Dakota." Jake startled me as he came through the door at the front of the bus. He grabbed his hoodie off the bench next to me and pulled it over his head. "Just a small trailhead where we can park and camp for the night." He fixed his beanie, looking me up and down. His eyes landed on the empty red plastic cup in my hands, but he didn't say anything about it.

"Where are you going?" I asked as he headed towards the door.

"Just stepping outside. You should get some air, too. A chance to stretch your legs will do you good."

I nodded as he hopped out of the bus. After shaking away the last of my headache, I slunk out after him. The crisp, night air hit me like a wave. I pulled a huge breath into my lungs. The cold stung my throat, but it was refreshing.

"I wish we could stay at a hotel," Veronica whined to Reggie as they got off behind me. "I hate sleeping on the bus."

"You know we can't use our credit cards while we're out here, babe," Reggie said. "We don't want to leave any traces of where we are. I told you that."

I sighed, pacing down the dark trail to get some space. A light dusting of snow crinkled under my feet and echoed through the frozen night. Limbs of barren trees rustled in the wind, clawing towards the sky where the Milky Way glowed next to a nearly full moon. A halo of icy crystals surrounded it, reminding me it was going to snow soon.

"Hey," a voice called behind me.

I glanced over my shoulder to see Alex jogging up the path to meet me. His breath was mist in front of him in the cold air.

"This is yours." He held out my phone to me.

Hesitantly, I took it from him. "Thanks." I'd nearly forgotten that Liz had never given it back after she'd taken it for their call with Trev.

"Just don't use it to tell anyone what's going on." He ran his hand back through his dark hair, pushing it out of his face. "And if you get a call from a number you don't recognize, don't answer it." He forced a smile, but I didn't return it.

Instead, my mind went back to the calls from the cops. The voicemail. That must have been what he was talking about.

I narrowed my eyes and crossed my arms. "If you don't want me answering my phone or calling anyone, why even bother giving it back to me?" My tone came out harsher than I'd intended.

"Because," he began, pausing as an icy blast of wind roared through the forest. We both shielded our faces against the burning cold. When the wind died back down to a dull moan, he met my eyes. "I trust you."

I chewed on the inside of my cheek as my stomach turned over. I nodded, sliding the phone into my pocket. I couldn't hold eye contact with him anymore, so I turned and continued walking down the path.

Alex fell into stride next to me, and we walked silently together for a minute. My gaze went to his wrist where he'd wrapped a bandage around the gash I'd given him. In the dim light of the moon and stars, the dark stains of blood seeping through were just visible. He'd changed shirts, so I couldn't see how bad the scratches across his side were.