Imagines (Imago, Book Two) by N.R. Walker

Author:N.R. Walker [Walker, N.R.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2017-04-07T18:30:00+00:00

CHAPTER TEN

Jack

Sweet mother of God, he felt good. And that filthy mouth of his was my undoing, again. I wanted to stay inside him forever. I wanted to keep him in my arms forever. The rain got heavier and the sound of it, the warmth of Lawson against me, was lulling me to sleep. The rainforest sang a different song in the rain. Fewer birds, more frogs, drumming out a tempo that was oddly soothing.

Through the tent I could see the campfire become dimmer as the rain doused its flames and little by little our only light was gone. I closed my eyes and I remember thinking I’ll just snooze for a moment. I’ll just close my eyes for a second before we go out looking for cane toads in the rain.

* * *

I woke up with a fright. It was dark, and something was wrong. I was alone. Lawson. Where the hell was Lawson? Then I noticed how heavy the rain had gotten outside, thumping down on the canopy tarp above the roof of the tent, and I had no clue what the time was. I fumbled in the darkness for a lamp and switched it on. Lawson was most definitely gone. So were his boots, the second lamp, and one of the tubs.

Shit, shit, shit. I didn’t mean to fall asleep.

“Lawson?!” I called out.

I checked my watch. 11:47 p.m.

“Lawson?!” I yelled, pulling on my boots and a poncho raincoat. I pulled the hood over my head and went out into the torrential rain. “Lawson?”

“Yes, I’m over here,” a voice called out.

I turned to the sound and could see him then. Well, I could see the light of the lamp through the dense trees. Pure relief washed over me like the rain. “What the hell are you doing?” I yelled out and walked toward him.

He grinned, wearing a rain poncho, but was still soaked to the bone. “Taking samples. Toads love the rain.”

Jesus Christ. I called out, “Please tell me you’re wearing gloves.”

He held up his free hand. “Of course I am.”

I pulled on the hood of my poncho so it shielded more of my face. “It’s pissing down.” I slid in the undergrowth on my way towards him; a mix of mud and dead leaves made for slippery footing. Eventually I got to where he was and I didn’t have to yell. “Why didn’t you wake me?”

“You were sound asleep. I could hear the toads, so I thought I’d get up and take a look. I haven’t been out of eyesight of the tent.”

I knew he wasn’t foolish. He was a competent hiker. “Well, I’m out here now. What are we doing?”

His smile became a grin. “I want to go further up this trough, follow the edge of the creek.” He pointed north. “I didn’t want to get too far from camp, but now you’re up…”

“Want me to head south?” I asked. “We’d cover twice the ground.”

“Sure.” He opened the tub and gave me two specimen jars. “Don’t go too far.

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