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A heavy sleepiness tugged at her, and Luke yawned. It was customary for New Eden Citizens to nap in the afternoon.
“We’ll continue on in a few minutes,” he said, settling onto the ground.
Eve joined him and rested her head against her pack. This ground was lumpy and prickly, so different from the smooth, cool grasses where she often napped with others after a noon swim.
She fell into a restless sleep and awoke feeling muzzy and disorientated. Countless thick trees surrounded her. The sun trickled through in deep gold rays, flecked with floating dust specks.
Alarm pulsed through her.
“Luke!” she urged, shaking him. He blinked sleepily up at her. “We’d better hurry if we want to make it back in time. Look at the sunlight. It has to be late afternoon.”
They both scrambled to their feet.
“Which way were we headed?” Eve asked as a horrible feeling wormed through her stomach.
Luke turned in a circle, studying the map. “I-I’m not sure…but the sun seems to be dipping in that direction,” he pointed, “so that has to be west. That’s where the settlement is supposed to be.”
Anxiety filled her. “It’s going to be dark soon. We should just head back and try this another day. After all, if we miss supper, everyone will get suspicious.”
Luke breathed in a deep sigh and slumped his shoulders. “I suppose you’re right,” he said after a long pause. “Let’s go back.”
He started to head in the opposite direction he had pointed. Eve followed as a nagging feeling tugged at her. For some reason this direction didn’t feel right. The surrounding trees and scattered boulders seemed slightly different than the ones they had passed earlier. Did Luke get turned around?
Her stomach churned with uneasiness, and bitter bile rose into her throat. What if they were lost? She never had to worry about such things in New Eden, where paths were clearly marked and drones clipped the trees and raked up the debris. Here in the hills, in this forest, everything was confusion… Chaos. She clutched Luke’s hand for reassurance. His palm was sweaty, as was hers.
Her unease gradually turned to panic as the sun’s rays dimmed from gold to red and threatened to fade. The lingering light dyed the surrounding tree trunks an ominous shade. No. This was wrong. Very wrong.
Eve’s stomach began to flutter with that hollow, empty feeling, and her dry throat burned. These discomforts increased as she realized supper would be served soon. Sharp twigs and needles brushed against her as she stumbled beside Luke in the rapidly increasing darkness. She glanced at him. His hair was mussed, his face red and sweaty. Even if by some miracle they made it back in time, they wouldn’t be able to explain their current condition.
About Donna Marie Robb
