Song: Dirty Paws - Of Monsters and Men
My feet touching the forest floor was heaven literally on earth, solid ground underneath me I'd never take it for granted ever again. The journey from the canopy down the never ending trunk was hellish. My head spun seven different ways and I threw up in my mouth twice.
"How you feeling miss priss?"
My vision still adjusting I could see two of her holding back a smile. Assholes.
"Peachy just fucking peachy."
"Just don't fall on your ass, I won't get you up again."
She leaned me against the tree and began strapping the raft sized packs to my shoulders and back. I definitely could lift more but Jesus this was pushing it.
"I thought my days of throwing bales were over."
"Farmers daughter back in Kentucky were you?"
"Something like that."
She yanked the strap harder making it uncomfortable on my burns.
"That's too tight."
"Trust me it hurts now but it will be a thousand times worse if they're loose and rubs you the whole way. Did daddy never take you camping in the fields?"
"I've been hiking before. In the smokies."
"Pure back country bumpkin then?"
"You talk funny sometimes."
"Dad was from Seattle, Mom was from London."
"Makes sense, how did they meet?"
"At the hospital on shift."
"Romantic..."
"It was to them. He was wrist deep in someone's chest cavity and she was handing him graspers. He always said; 'He only ever saw her eyes but those were all he needed in that moment to fall in love.' She'd reply with: 'He should of been concentrating on the heart in his hands and not his own."
"That is truly terrifying."
"I think it's poetic."
"You're unhinged."
She appeared from behind the mountain of a pack now stuck to my back, and shimmied under my arm adjusting her bow on her back. Her little hands didn't quite wrap around my wrist as she braced my arm around her to lean on. Her head only just reached my chest. She had really impressive thigh muscles, they presented themselves as soon as she took my weight.
"You know this is the closest we've been without a weapon between us." I made a lame joke to break the awkward tension, it didn't work.
"Let's not make it a regular thing."
"Charming. Some girls would count themselves lucky to have my arm around them." This trip is going to be interesting.
"Some girls are dumb as fuck."
"Really killing the mood here pipsqueak."
"You haven't bathed in weeks and I'm stuck under your armpit for the next 80 miles."
"Stop trying to get me naked it's frankly immoral."
"Do you ever shut up?"
"I live to make you smile." I dripped with sarcasm and earned an eye roll.
"Your breath smells like vomit."
***
We kept a slow steady pace and the majority of the day had been spent, we were heading towards the late afternoon. A hike that would normally take me less than a day to cover was painfully dragging, we were roughly forty miles down, just over halfway to the next treehouse.
Henry's legs surprisingly were doing okay. I had cleaned and covered his thigh wound well with breathable dressings, his calf wound didn't seem to bother him at all. But every time we would hit uneven ground he tensed some and bit his way through the pain.
I knew he was trying not to pressure me with much body weight but he didn't have a choice. He couldn't do it on his own, not with the packs.
If I pushed him the whole way he might not be able to walk properly again for days. Then we'd be sitting ducks, not ideal.
He was coping by non stop chatter, I had a headache in the first ten minutes.
"It sure is beautiful out here I think I've seen every shade of green and brown."
"You never left the farm did you?"
"Of course I did."
"The mountains and lakes will blow your sheltered mind."
"Are they your favourite part?"
"It all feels the same now. I don't have the luxury of being a tourist."
"But it's beautiful out here! Even the sun filters through all pretty."
"It's not so pretty when it tries to kill you."
"The sun?"
"Life out here. You've only been out here a couple of days. If mother nature wants you dead the only way out of it is pure luck."
I'd killed his inner child, the smile and bright eyes faded and I finally got him to shut up.
"We're not going to make it to the treehouse today."
"Nonsense we have hours left and I can do this."
"No. No you can't Henry. Pro survival tip: pick your battles. Save your energy for another fight."
"Yes coach." He looked down at me from his towering height and it stirred something in me. Pretty boys jaw line looked sharp enough to cut from this angle.
"There's a network of small caves around this bend, we'll have to walk through some pretty harsh underbrush but it's got decent cover for the night."
"Ahh taking me to your lair how sweet. Do you know every hole and tree from California to Canada?" I know he meant it as a joke but the sad truth is yes, you have to if you want to live and I've been out here a long time.
"And beyond. Which is lucky for you chubs." I poked his side and his whole torso twitched.
"Cavewoman."
"Neanderthal."
YOU ARE READING
Evergreen
Adventure"It wasn't long now, time had ceased to exist. The world had become impoverished, crops have shrivelled to dust, wildlife slowly died out. There were only survivors now; groups of warriors scavenged to stay alive." My name isn't important, my stor...
