Council’s been trying to starve us out. And it’s been working …”
“Pete,” Ret asked, “do you believe in miracles?”
Chapter 17
FRAN
She woke with her tongue stuck to the roof of her mouth, and her throat burned for a drink of water. Fran reached for the container she kept next to her bed, “just in case,” Mom had said. Of course at the time, she wished Mom would dial-down the hovering, but now she welcomed the cool water at her fingertips. A yelp flew from Fran’s lips as she rolled to her side, and her flesh met the soft padding of her bed. She reached down to touch the tender spot and felt a bump the size of a large pebble. Whatthe…?
She lifted her hand to grab the container, and noticed her arm, also spotted with similar lumps. They had all crusted with scabs and a tender red ring encircled each one. She had flashbacks of scratching her flesh throughout the night and remembered the pesky mosquitoes from the night prior. Had she really scratched herself raw?
She sat up to take a drink. Her head felt big and puffy. And hot . After taking a lengthy swallow of water, she flopped back down onto the bed and closed her eyes. The room spun in slow circles. Her eyes shot open, and she grasped the edges of the bed. Had she fallen back into a horrific detox fever? Could it come back like that? Fran closed her eyes and tried to ride the slow spinning motion into sleep.
Chapter 18
RETTER
“Miracles?” Pet asked.
“Sure.” Ret nodded. “Like seeing things that go beyond reasoning.”
“I’ve seen plenty of things that don’t make sense,” Pete responded. “If that’s what you’re calling miracles.”
“Good. Just keep an open mind then.” Ret tapped the light. “So, which way do we go?”
“Actually, we need to go back from where you just came.” Pete pointed toward the darkness at Ret’s back.
“I mean, I suppose we could go the other way …” Pete looked over his own shoulder and assessed the tunnel before shaking his head. “No. We should definitely take the shortcut.”
“The shorter the better,” Ret agreed. “Lead the way, Pete.”
Pete shimmied up next to Ret. “Sure. I’ll just …” He flattened himself against the bulwark and attempted an awkward stretch around Ret’s shoulders. Is he trying to move around me? Ret pressed his own body into the far side of the vent to give Pete more space to pass.
“Hang on. I got this,” Pete said while repositioning himself.
Pete rolled onto his back and rested his weight onto his shoulder blades. He pedaled his feet through the air trying to catch the sidewall . Is he trying to roll over me? Ret folded into a ball and listened to Pete grunt and wheeze while attempting to propel himself up and over his human blockade. After landing with an unsuccessful thump, Ret peeked out from beneath his forearms and saw Pete lying in the tangle of dirty blankets.
“Here.” Ret handed off the light gadget. “If you can keep the light shining in front of me, I can lead. Just let me know which way to go.”
“Great idea.” Pete agreed, while snatching the light.
Ret moved forward with Pete at his heels. Pete struggled, holding his load of blankets and the light and as the beam hopped from left to right, Ret wished he would have manipulated the light on his own.
“Hey, Pete. I can hold the light,” Ret offered.
“Oh, that’s alright,” Pete laughed. “No offense, man. I’m just a little more agile at tunnel trekking.”
Pete labored behind him, and the erratic movement of light triggered a dizzying headache. Ret paused and closed his eyes until Pete’s coarse wheezing neared.
“Hey, Pete. Hand me the light,” Ret said.
Pete laughed. “No worries, man. I got it.”
“Sure, I know. But I have another idea.” Ret torqued his arm behind him and waited until he felt the device in his hand. He yanked a leather cord from his belt and fashioned a headband before tucking the light into its
“Pete,” Ret asked, “do you believe in miracles?”
Chapter 17
FRAN
She woke with her tongue stuck to the roof of her mouth, and her throat burned for a drink of water. Fran reached for the container she kept next to her bed, “just in case,” Mom had said. Of course at the time, she wished Mom would dial-down the hovering, but now she welcomed the cool water at her fingertips. A yelp flew from Fran’s lips as she rolled to her side, and her flesh met the soft padding of her bed. She reached down to touch the tender spot and felt a bump the size of a large pebble. Whatthe…?
She lifted her hand to grab the container, and noticed her arm, also spotted with similar lumps. They had all crusted with scabs and a tender red ring encircled each one. She had flashbacks of scratching her flesh throughout the night and remembered the pesky mosquitoes from the night prior. Had she really scratched herself raw?
She sat up to take a drink. Her head felt big and puffy. And hot . After taking a lengthy swallow of water, she flopped back down onto the bed and closed her eyes. The room spun in slow circles. Her eyes shot open, and she grasped the edges of the bed. Had she fallen back into a horrific detox fever? Could it come back like that? Fran closed her eyes and tried to ride the slow spinning motion into sleep.
Chapter 18
RETTER
“Miracles?” Pet asked.
“Sure.” Ret nodded. “Like seeing things that go beyond reasoning.”
“I’ve seen plenty of things that don’t make sense,” Pete responded. “If that’s what you’re calling miracles.”
“Good. Just keep an open mind then.” Ret tapped the light. “So, which way do we go?”
“Actually, we need to go back from where you just came.” Pete pointed toward the darkness at Ret’s back.
“I mean, I suppose we could go the other way …” Pete looked over his own shoulder and assessed the tunnel before shaking his head. “No. We should definitely take the shortcut.”
“The shorter the better,” Ret agreed. “Lead the way, Pete.”
Pete shimmied up next to Ret. “Sure. I’ll just …” He flattened himself against the bulwark and attempted an awkward stretch around Ret’s shoulders. Is he trying to move around me? Ret pressed his own body into the far side of the vent to give Pete more space to pass.
“Hang on. I got this,” Pete said while repositioning himself.
Pete rolled onto his back and rested his weight onto his shoulder blades. He pedaled his feet through the air trying to catch the sidewall . Is he trying to roll over me? Ret folded into a ball and listened to Pete grunt and wheeze while attempting to propel himself up and over his human blockade. After landing with an unsuccessful thump, Ret peeked out from beneath his forearms and saw Pete lying in the tangle of dirty blankets.
“Here.” Ret handed off the light gadget. “If you can keep the light shining in front of me, I can lead. Just let me know which way to go.”
“Great idea.” Pete agreed, while snatching the light.
Ret moved forward with Pete at his heels. Pete struggled, holding his load of blankets and the light and as the beam hopped from left to right, Ret wished he would have manipulated the light on his own.
“Hey, Pete. I can hold the light,” Ret offered.
“Oh, that’s alright,” Pete laughed. “No offense, man. I’m just a little more agile at tunnel trekking.”
Pete labored behind him, and the erratic movement of light triggered a dizzying headache. Ret paused and closed his eyes until Pete’s coarse wheezing neared.
“Hey, Pete. Hand me the light,” Ret said.
Pete laughed. “No worries, man. I got it.”
“Sure, I know. But I have another idea.” Ret torqued his arm behind him and waited until he felt the device in his hand. He yanked a leather cord from his belt and fashioned a headband before tucking the light into its
Similar Books
