us.”
Morgan had been picking at the dried blood on his face. He flicked a scab off into the air. “You said it, man. Beth was practically asking to be eaten.”
“Beth said that nobody should go off alone. We all agreed. And where was she? Right at the edge of the woods by herself. If we’re going to come up with rules, we have to stick to them.”
Callie put her hand over her face. She could see where this was going. She was used to Hank’s matter-of-fact pronouncements. For him, it was simply about learning from mistakes. He didn’t realize how it made him sound sometimes.
Morgan nodded. “Yeah. It’s a good thing, too. We’re all a lot safer now that she’s gone.” Morgan reached up to scratch the back of his head. “Wait. I think I’m mistaken. I think maybe you’re actually an old jackass for suggesting that what happened to Beth was her own fault.”
Hank puffed air out his nostrils. “I’m trying, Morgan, to come up with ideas to keep us alive.” His voice rose as he spoke.
“No. I’m still mistaken. You’re not an old jackass. You’re a shit-brained, girly-pants-wearing son of a bitch.”
Hank stopped walking and yelled, “I don’t have to take this from you, you goddamn punk!”
“Punk?” Morgan blurted. “Is that the best you can do?”
William stood with his arms crossed. “Hank? What were you saying about making loud noises?”
Hank pressed his lips together and tromped off in front of the group. Callie followed a few steps behind, hoping he would calm down on his own. Most of the time, people looked to him for leadership. If he were wearing one of his nine-hundred dollar suits today instead of his silly jogging outfit, he would probably be in charge here.
The group walked on. Morgan finally broke the silence. “So that was a dog back there, right? A real, normal dog? Please tell me I wasn’t high.”
William chuckled. “Never mind the dinosaurs. You see a brown mutt and that’s what makes you think you’re high?”
“Maybe Beth was right,” Lisa said. It was the first time she had spoken the girl’s name since she died. “Maybe what happened to us happened all over. Maybe the dog came from another group somewhere.”
“ No, no, wait a minute,” Morgan said. “I think I saw that dog before. Was it on the sidewalk earlier?”
Hank clenched his fists and spoke in a low voice to Callie. “He’s the quintessential unreliable witness. Half of my job is keeping assholes like him off the witness stand.”
Callie unfolded one of the fists and laced her fingers between his. She gave him a look that said, let it go . If Hank stayed angry, he would not be able to think straight. He nodded, understanding. She felt a rush from their simple exchange. It amazed her that two people could understand each other so well.
“Hey, listen,” Tim said. The sound of rushing water came through the trees. They caught a few glimpses of the river ahead. Turning to the right, they followed it downstream. Soon they arrived at the clearing.
William stopped the group at the tree line. The café was still there, sitting on the edge of the river. They saw no dinosaurs on either side. A thin grey wisp rose from Helen’s fire.
Callie studied the jagged walls above the café, looking for Tim’s mystery woman, but she saw no signs of life. Three dark shapes circled in the sky high above. “Are those buzzards?”
“Pterodactyls maybe,” said William. “Come on. The coast is clear.”
Halfway across the mudflat, they were greeted with a bark. The dog ran to meet them, wagging his tail.
Helen stood on the sidewalk. One hand held onto a parking meter and the other formed a fist on her hip. “So, can I expect you people to abandon me again at the next sign of trouble?”
Callie climbed up and gave her a hug. “I am so sorry. We had to run. Are you ok?” Helen accepted the embrace and the attention, which Callie assumed was all she really wanted.
“I’m fine,” Helen said. “I
Morgan had been picking at the dried blood on his face. He flicked a scab off into the air. “You said it, man. Beth was practically asking to be eaten.”
“Beth said that nobody should go off alone. We all agreed. And where was she? Right at the edge of the woods by herself. If we’re going to come up with rules, we have to stick to them.”
Callie put her hand over her face. She could see where this was going. She was used to Hank’s matter-of-fact pronouncements. For him, it was simply about learning from mistakes. He didn’t realize how it made him sound sometimes.
Morgan nodded. “Yeah. It’s a good thing, too. We’re all a lot safer now that she’s gone.” Morgan reached up to scratch the back of his head. “Wait. I think I’m mistaken. I think maybe you’re actually an old jackass for suggesting that what happened to Beth was her own fault.”
Hank puffed air out his nostrils. “I’m trying, Morgan, to come up with ideas to keep us alive.” His voice rose as he spoke.
“No. I’m still mistaken. You’re not an old jackass. You’re a shit-brained, girly-pants-wearing son of a bitch.”
Hank stopped walking and yelled, “I don’t have to take this from you, you goddamn punk!”
“Punk?” Morgan blurted. “Is that the best you can do?”
William stood with his arms crossed. “Hank? What were you saying about making loud noises?”
Hank pressed his lips together and tromped off in front of the group. Callie followed a few steps behind, hoping he would calm down on his own. Most of the time, people looked to him for leadership. If he were wearing one of his nine-hundred dollar suits today instead of his silly jogging outfit, he would probably be in charge here.
The group walked on. Morgan finally broke the silence. “So that was a dog back there, right? A real, normal dog? Please tell me I wasn’t high.”
William chuckled. “Never mind the dinosaurs. You see a brown mutt and that’s what makes you think you’re high?”
“Maybe Beth was right,” Lisa said. It was the first time she had spoken the girl’s name since she died. “Maybe what happened to us happened all over. Maybe the dog came from another group somewhere.”
“ No, no, wait a minute,” Morgan said. “I think I saw that dog before. Was it on the sidewalk earlier?”
Hank clenched his fists and spoke in a low voice to Callie. “He’s the quintessential unreliable witness. Half of my job is keeping assholes like him off the witness stand.”
Callie unfolded one of the fists and laced her fingers between his. She gave him a look that said, let it go . If Hank stayed angry, he would not be able to think straight. He nodded, understanding. She felt a rush from their simple exchange. It amazed her that two people could understand each other so well.
“Hey, listen,” Tim said. The sound of rushing water came through the trees. They caught a few glimpses of the river ahead. Turning to the right, they followed it downstream. Soon they arrived at the clearing.
William stopped the group at the tree line. The café was still there, sitting on the edge of the river. They saw no dinosaurs on either side. A thin grey wisp rose from Helen’s fire.
Callie studied the jagged walls above the café, looking for Tim’s mystery woman, but she saw no signs of life. Three dark shapes circled in the sky high above. “Are those buzzards?”
“Pterodactyls maybe,” said William. “Come on. The coast is clear.”
Halfway across the mudflat, they were greeted with a bark. The dog ran to meet them, wagging his tail.
Helen stood on the sidewalk. One hand held onto a parking meter and the other formed a fist on her hip. “So, can I expect you people to abandon me again at the next sign of trouble?”
Callie climbed up and gave her a hug. “I am so sorry. We had to run. Are you ok?” Helen accepted the embrace and the attention, which Callie assumed was all she really wanted.
“I’m fine,” Helen said. “I
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