The Pearl

Stage 9: All's Confusing in Blood and Gore

We walk the dusty ground for what seems like hours until the sun finally sets and darkness settle around us. Jett, however, is still powering through and searching for the any of the three girls we're supposed to find.

"Jett I think we should stop," I say with a slight edge of concern. Amanda drops dead tired on the floor, not caring if she got dirty. I place my butt down as well and bend my knees in a position so that made me as comfortable as possible. "Or just rest for a while. We've been walking for ages. We can't go on forev-"

"I can," he grunts. "If there's a will, there's a way."

Still lying in her spot, Manda exasperatedly says,"Well then there isn't a way right now." She sighs. "I'm beat." I gently place a hand on his foot.

"You probably are too," I say softly. Angering him wouldn't be the best idea. He rolls his eyes but slowly comes down as well. Now we all rest in a little circle; Manda lying down, me upright with arms on bent knees, and Jett squatting on the balls of his feet. I pull his shoulder down so that he falls and sits like I do. "Rest Jett. You'll need it." I move away and lie on my back.

The next few minutes were of silence and calm.

Like I said, the next few minutes. After that...well. There was the sound of water yet again. Jett shoots up and growls. All of our heads whip around.

"What. Is. That." he grits through his teeth. Although I don't show it, my blood had frozen cold and my mind was racing with terrifying thoughts. Adrenaline pulsed through me as my frozen blood's replacement. Nausea was hitting me with a sledgehammer.

Despite all that, I say,"It's just some river." Yes, because a river on a dry, rocky steep would have a random river flowing down it. I fight down a shudder.

Manda slaps my arm, but not enough to hurt. "Stop lying to yourself. There's something out here and we don't know who or what it is. Hell, it could be one of the daughters. But they wouldn't know we're help, and might kill us because of that." She stops to make a cautious look behind her. "We all have every damn right to be frightened."

Jett cracks his knuckles. "You guys stay here and chit chat while I find out what's going on." Oh no, I think. We're all going to end up going aren't we?

To probe my assumption correct, Manda follows right behind Jett and says, "I want to know as much as you do, dickhead. Kei," she looks at me,"coming?" I force my muscles to nod and flash a semi-cocky grin.

"Bring it on." Please don't.

"Okay then, let's go. And walk quietly," Jett stage whispers to us. Manda scoffs and purposefully stomps on a twig.

"Excuse me, are we playing follow the leader up in here? Nope, and you aren't gonna fuckin' tell me what to do." She says this quietly though, still following Jett's command to stay silent. Jett and I share a knowing smile. My lips however, are quickly pulled down by the consistent sound of water flow. What in heaven and hell is it?

We all just cease our talk and scout around. We see nothing, and by the time the sun begins to make an appearance on the horizon, we've seen every nook and cranny of the cliffs. Well...

"We're going up," Jett says as he looks at the high ridge we avoided yesterday. Amanda glares at him.

"We should look around here some more. Let's just split up." She turns to me. "Kei, do you want to go with him," she sneers,"or me? Or you could just walk around somewhere else, maybe 'round our resting place? You could just guard it from any maniacal monsters." Jett fakes a pounce at me as Manda roars. I scream.

"Okay that was not cool guys," I say with a pout. Jett puts a hand on my arm and asks,"Do you want to just go with one of us? It's okay to be scared." My eyes dart between the two. If they can handle being alone, so can I. Right?