Page 63 of Hell and High Water

All I can do is laugh, chasing him into the dark.

It’s a mad dash, the moon guiding us over fallen trunks, over dips in the rotting leaves. Gavin is like a fucking wolf, bounding through the undergrowth like a shadow, his footfalls eerily soft for someone his size.

It’s all I can do to keep up.

Every sound we hear takes us in another direction. We’re chasing ghosts.

Another perimeter beep dings far ahead.

“Watch my six!” he growls back at me, his words barely intelligible as he barrels forward.

I snicker. “You’ve got a nice six!”

“Quit staring at my ass!”

Another perimeter beep goes off to the left, and we’re veering to intercept. Scuffles off in the brush echo all around us, creatures running for cover.

Gavin fires off two shots toward the sound, shouting, “HA! GOTCHA!”

Another sound to my right. I unload my clip.

He’s whooping and sprinting on, firing off shots in every direction now.

When we reach the fence, both of us slick and gasping, we about fall over laughing, our hands on our knees. Gavin kicks the dead raccoon over onto its back.

“We caught the bastard!”

“I think it was already dead…” I wheeze, and we erupt again, doubling over.

The walk back to the house takes way longer.

“I need a shower. You do too.” Gavin waves his hand in front of his nose.

“Buy me dinner first,” I joke, throwing a half-assed punch.

“I did! Got you drunk and everything. Least you could do is put out.”

“I got dibs on first shower!”

“Won’t matter! I don’t think there’s any hot water.”

“We could both use a cold shower…” I tease as we head inside.

When I finally collapse on the couch, I feel at ease. And hammered.

Tomorrow, I get to see Hellena.

I am finally ready.

12

HELLENA

“Day seventeen of total isolation. I'm starting to forget what the outside world looks like. What nature smells like.” I sigh, staring up at the ceiling.

“It's hard to even remember trees, the environment. What did fresh air feel like on my skin? Perhaps someday, I'll make it out of here. Or maybe I’ll die here, all alone, never to see the world again.

“Alone… alone… alone…”

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