Total pages in book: 33
Estimated words: 31025 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 155(@200wpm)___ 124(@250wpm)___ 103(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 31025 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 155(@200wpm)___ 124(@250wpm)___ 103(@300wpm)
Now, she was able to see what he meant. There were several backpacks, and Jaxson was already opening them. He pulled out an apple, and as if right on time, her stomach decided to start growling.
“Food,” he said.
She took the apple from him and had a large bite. She was starving. Calliope looked back to the edge of the water.
“What did you see?”
“Did you notice how that ogre roared when we had an argument?” Jaxson asked.
“Yeah, so. Isn’t that the point of this place, to test us?”
“That’s the point,” Jaxson said. “I know how freaked out you are by the water and what could be lurking beneath. Even though it scares you, you’re always watching those kinds of movies, and well ... something was in the water.”
“It was?”
“Yeah, and I have a feeling this place is a combination of challenges and manifestation.”
“Did anything in the water attack you?” she asked.
“No, nothing, which is why I think it’s all connected.”
“But while we were arguing, I didn’t think of an ogre? Did you? Did you think I was being an ogre?” She didn’t know if she should be insulted or not, instead, he chuckled like it was the funniest thing he had heard.
“No, I didn’t think you were an ogre, but it was a distraction—which is what I meant by a combination of challenges and manifestations.”
“If I opened my eyes, would I have been attacked?”
“I honestly don’t know. They were just there.”
“They were?” She felt the fear starting to tangle up inside her.
“Yeah, there were mermaids, sharks, and a couple of octopuses, other bits that clearly freak you out. So, we’re going to avoid the water, that way we don’t have to deal with your fear manifestations.”
“That sounds like a good idea. I like this plan,” she said.
She’d never been one who needed to swim. Not even in the height of summer. She was perfectly content to enjoy some ice cream and complain about the weather.
“What do we do now?” she asked.
“We ... make it work.” He finished his piece of fruit, and then dived back into the bag, holding out a cheese and pickle sandwich for her.
“How do we do that?” she asked, taking the sandwich from him.
“Simple, if these are challenges and manifestations, we focus on being friends. We were once, so that would be easy.” He took a large bite out of his own sandwich.
“And what do we do about your manifestations?” she asked. Hers were all horror related, but she knew when they were kids, he feared being thrown out of the pack, tossed aside as if he wasn’t good enough.
“I’ll handle them. I have a feeling they only work if you and I are arguing.”
“I don’t know,” Calliope said. “This sounds a little too easy. Don’t you think?”
“Right now, it is all we’ve got to go on.”
She couldn’t argue with him and took another bite of her sandwich.
****
It had been freaky as fuck.
The mermaids in the water, as well as a couple of giant white sharks, some killer-looking octopus, and there may have been some kind of alien. Again, Jaxson wasn’t sure, but he knew it was Calliope’s imagination running wild. That had to be part of the challenge of this place.
“It’s getting dark,” he said. Only a moment ago, it had been lighter.
“Can we find somewhere else to sleep that is not next to the water?” Calliope asked.
“You’ve got it.”
He didn’t know how long they had been in The Hunt. There was no time limit, unless it was due to death, or mating.
The bag had more food inside, and he wasn’t going to let that go. They needed sustenance. Zipping it up, he slid it onto his shoulder and then reached for Calliope’s hand, which she did hesitate to hold.
“Come on, the last few hours haven’t taught you anything? We’ve got to make this work.”
She slid her hand into his. They used to hold hands all the time. It hadn’t been a big deal then, but clearly it was a big deal now. He tightened his hold on her, and they made their way further inland, away from the water’s edge. Once again, the landscape became the same, and they didn’t know if they were getting closer to the forest, at the edge, or what.
All too soon, it was dark and they came to a stop. His sight was perfect, being part wolf.
“Are you okay?” he asked.
When they were kids, Calliope had been afraid of the dark. He didn’t know if that had changed in recent years.
“I don’t have much choice. I’m okay, but I don’t like how quickly it got dark.”
That was his answer. There was no glare of the full moon. Nothing.
He was more than able to see her wide-eyed stare as she looked back at him. “It’s going to be okay,” he said.
“You don’t know that.”