Too Young (The Jewel Project #1)

Chapter 5.2 - Study Camp

God, why couldn't Alice just shut her mouth? Sam straightened the page he was reading and tried to understand the text. Alice's excited ramble filled his ears. She wasn't even put off by the fact that, in the seat next to hers, Jerry had sunk his face in his hands, obviously not listening.

Alice's words swirled around his head together with the content of the page and Sam found himself falling into an agitated sleep.

Tall dark trees surrounded him from all sides and dead vegetation crunched under his feet as he ran, trying to find a way out. Someone was watching him, chasing him, hunting him down. Storm clouds gathered over the sky in his dreams. Lightning bolts rained around him, paralyzing him with fear. And then it happened again. One of the bolts struck him, filling his entire being with dread.

Sam woke up, trying not to scream.

"Are you okay?"

Sam jumped. Kyle and Christine crouched next to his seat, worry on both their faces. Had he been talking or moaning in his sleep? Next to him, Alice and Jerry were asleep, Alice's head on his brother's shoulder. Sam straightened in his seat and pulled at his t-shirt, grateful that he at least hadn't screamed.

"I'm okay. It was just a bad dream." He looked from his brother to Christine. "What are you...?"

"Just wanted to check on you." Kyle stood.

The plane swayed dangerously and he grabbed on to the overhead compartments on the sides of the aisle. Christine fell over Sam's knees. The seatbelt sign turned on.

"Are you alright?" Sam asked, pulling her off him and trying to steady her on her feet. The plane shook again and she fell against him. His heart started beating wildly.

"I'm...fine." Christine spit a lock of hair out and looked at him, her eyes twinkling. "I'd better get to my seat." She lingered for another moment then got off him and headed for her seat.

Kyle punched his shoulder. "Nice one."

Sam smirked, grateful that the lights had dimmed and Christine couldn't see him.

The plane started its descent and landed in a matter of minutes. Once the bustle of recuperating their luggage was over, the group headed out of the airport and to a run-down old van. Sam did a double-take. That thing wasn't big enough for everyone to fit inside it. And again he found himself wondering where everyone else was. But he couldn't ask since Harris seemed to be on a roll and already moved toward the piece of junk.

Storm clouds covered the sky and lightning flashed, followed by the rumble of thunder. The wind blew hard, but it wasn't raining yet.

"We're taking this baby," Harris yelled above a rolling thunder. "We have to get to shelter before all hell breaks loose."

Sam jogged towards the van and got in the backseat. Outside the car, a staring match between Harris and Kyle ensued. Apparently, Kyle won because he snatched the keys from the professor and got behind the wheel. The rest of the group switched seats, trying to find the perfect combination which would lead to everyone fitting inside. Finally, Tina and Alice squeezed in the front seat while the rest piled in the back. In the meantime, Kyle adjusted the rearview and latched his seatbelt.

"Where are we going?" he asked.

Harris squeezed a map between the front seats and dropped it in Kyle's lap. He studied it for a second then rolled it up and started the car. It backfired, but once Kyle pressed the gas, it lunged forward.

Sam stared into the floor, wondering what time it was and how long it would take them to reach their hotel. He was incredibly uncomfortable squeezed between Jerry and Harris. To his utter surprise, they didn't stop in Cancun and continued going until they left the main road and started off on a dusty country path.