Page 53 of Downpour

Thoughts of Ray’s hand tangled with mine when we ate dinner at his parents’ house floated through my mind. His hands were calloused from using his wheelchair, but they felt so strong. So safe. I didn’t want to let go.

I stumbled over another rock, and my vision swam. Seriously? Where was that construction site? I turned around and tried to catch my bearings, but it was nothing but dirt, grass, and low shrubbery as far as the eye could see.

Had I been jogging in a straight line or did I make a turn somewhere? The sun hung straight above my head, so there was no way of knowing which way it had risen or would set.

My heart raced, and I looked at my phone. Of course, the battery had died.

Okay. Don’t panic. Just turn around and go back.

I pivoted and kept walking. My mouth felt as dry as the dust that clouded up from the ground with each step.

I passed a grove of bushes that I didn’t recognize, but maybe I just hadn’t been paying attention the first time. I tended to zone out.

My head felt light as I tried to make my way back. I needed to stop and breathe for a minute. I had been going for a while, and it was awfully hot.

I braced my hands on my knees and tried to suck in a breath, but it was threadbare and short.

Oh my God, I was going to die out here.

They were going to find nothing but a dusty skeleton covered in sun-baked clothes. My body would be picked apart by buzzards.

I didn’t want to become bird food!

Okay, now I was panicking.

The waves of heat lifted from the ground, blurring my vision. I stumbled as I started back in the direction I thought I came. I waited for buildings and barns to pop up out of the earth, but there was nothing. Just grass for miles and miles.

My blood pounded in my ears, and the earth swirled. Was I hallucinating, or was there a horse in front of me?

“What the hell are you doing out here?”

I blinked at the man’s voice. “W-Where am I?”

He swore and jumped down from the horse. “Sit.”

That wasn’t hard to do. I dropped to the ground like a sack of potatoes.

He reached into a saddlebag and pulled out a metal water bottle. “Drink this.”

“Are you a serial killer? Are you going to poison me?”

“No, but I might kill my brother after he tells me why he let you out this way.”

The water was ice-cold. I could feel it running down my throat. I blinked and peered under the man’s cowboy hat. “CJ?”

“Who else did you think it was?”

I looked up at the midnight black mare who was glaring at me. “I dunno.”

His hand pressed against my cheek. “Jesus—you’re three seconds from heatstroke.”

“Where am I?” I said between sips. “I was just going on a walk to see the construction site.”

“Wrong direction and you went way too far. You’re lucky as hell I was coming up this way. It’s a hundred degrees.”

“Yeah,” I groaned as I drained the rest of his water. “I’m starting to feel it.”

“You gonna pass out if you stand up?” CJ asked.

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