Where They All Go

~Chapter nine: More pain and a confession~

I glance around as an uncomfortable silence falls. It's weird that there was no one else. Maybe they were smart and left as soon as they could. Maybe the world has fallen to pieces and we're left to put them back together.

"So are you guys..." Blake points at me and Swazi and makes a gesture that I hope isn't what I interpreted it to be.

"Are we what?" I ask.

"Are you guys like siblings, girlfriend and boyfriend, or just friends?"

Swazi makes a choking sound and spits chunks of half-chewed apple all over me.

"W-what?! Boyfriend!" she stutters out. I couldn't tell if she was laughing or not.

"No, we're not related or in any relationship. We just... know each other," I say, wiping the bits off my face.

"Oh," Blake says.

Why would she even ask a question like that? Why did she want to know? Why are women so hard to read sometimes?

"Well, I'm tired! So we should all go to sleep, but I'm not sleeping out here in the cold; let's go back into the cabin!" Greta declares loudly and suddenly. She jumps to her feet, a huge smile on her face, and offers Swazi her hand. She takes it and Greta pulls her to her feet.

"C'mon! It's going to rain soon!" Greta says, gesturing randomly at the sky.

Blake sighs as she gets to her feet and puts out the fire.

"Fine," she says through clenched teeth.

Greta's smile increases and she pulls Swazi in the direction of where the cabins used to be and they limp off into the darkness.

"You coming?" Blake asks. I look away from the girls to see her holding out her hand to me.

"Yeah, sorry." I take her hand and she pulls me to my feet. I sway for a moment, dizzy.

She picks up her bags and places a hand on the small of my back. "I got you, don't worry," she says and guides me in the direction the girls went.

There's a pounding in my head, drumming its way through my thoughts and scattering them in all directions. I'm exhausted, that's for sure, I could probably sleep for a month if I want to.

We reach the cabin and Blake helps me through the door. It's warm inside, so much warmer. I close my eyes and trust that Blake will lead me where I'm supposed to go and not into a wall.

"Here, rest," she whispers and I'm laid onto a bed. I sink into the soft mattress and a blanket is thrown over my body. I feel like I'm floating and the darkness behind my eyelids darkens and my mind slips into a peaceful slumber.

~~

What woke me up? I frown and open my dry eyes. Someone is stumbling around the dark cabin and swearing softly. It sounds like... a guy? That can't be right. I sit up slowly, ignoring the pain splicing through my limbs.

A dark figure is standing over one the beds nearby. Someone lets out a yelp of surprise and the figure stumbles backwards, hit by something.

"Stupid girl," the figure growls.

I slide out of bed. "Swazi? What's going on?" I call out.

"JAC! HELP!"

I squint in the darkness, my heart starting to beat over time.

"Is this my replacement? You should've known better Swazi, you can't replace me," The figure snarls, yanking Swazi out of bed. I launch myself at him, colliding into from the side and sending us flying away from her.