Heartwood Box by Ann Aguirre

Author:Ann Aguirre
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Tom Doherty Associates

28

I’m lost.

I couldn’t expect Dr. Perry to give me directions or guide me out of the woods, so I feigned confidence when I said bye, and that isn’t working out so well. It’s getting dark, and while I haven’t fallen into the swamp, I can smell it to the east, feel traces of it when the ground becomes marshy beneath my feet. I veer west, according to the compass on my phone, but that isn’t helping a lot.

It’s cold too. Not enough for me to suffer from exposure, but chilly so that I’m shivering and feeling sorry for myself as I creep through the trees. The very air feels oppressive, heavy in my lungs, and I know that’s just my imagination, lingering fear from being hunted before.

Regardless, I’m probably never going to like the forest.

Think. Is town north of here? My head is scrambled, and I can’t visualize where it should be. Plus, it’s not like I’ve memorized any local maps.

I am not prepared for any of this. Really, I could crouch, curl up in a ball, and cry, but that would be an open invitation for any guards who might still be patrolling the woods. There may also be scientists scanning after dark, like they did before.

In my panic and because of the gloom, I nearly trip over a person sprawled at the base of a tree. As I kneel, Logan stirs and grabs my hand; his skin is alarmingly cold to the touch, and his eyes won’t focus.

“What happened? Did they do something to you?”

For a few seconds, he struggles to speak, but no sound comes out. Then he manages, “Lights.”

“The ghost lights?” Shit, this can’t be good. “What do you mean?”

With him clutching on to me, I haul him upright, but he’s heavier than he looks, and his legs can barely hold him. I step under his arm and take his weight. I’ll carry him if I have to.

“It’s hard to…” He wheezes, like his lungs can’t get enough air. “Almost got me.”

“The lights did?”

He nods in the direction we need to take, but that gesture is affirmation as well. “Give me a bit.”

“It’s fine, I’ve got you.”

This the least I can do, considering I talked him into this. With unerring instincts, he leads us back to the tree house, but he doesn’t attempt to climb, just collapses at the bottom like he might not stand again. I sit beside him and wait for his breathing to steady.

It’s late enough that I need to call my great-aunt, but I’m not sure what to say. Finally, I ring the house, and she picks up on the second beep. “Araceli, where are you? The streetlights have been on for almost an hour. I didn’t think you had dance practice tonight.”

“Yeah, sorry, I got caught up working on a project with Logan.” Not a complete lie. “We’re about to eat dinner. I’ll be home before bedtime, don’t worry.”

“If this happens again, I think I need to speak to your parents about basic consideration between housemates,” she says, her tone sharp with disapproval.

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