The Tear Collector by Shawn Burgess

Author:Shawn Burgess [Burgess, Shawn]
Language: eng
Format: epub, azw3
ISBN: 9781949398083
Publisher: Rhetoric Askew, LLC
Published: 2019-12-02T07:00:00+00:00

Chapter 31

Ghosts from the Past

“WE GOTTA GO in that direction.” Robby points in the direction of a thicket of hardwoods.

“Surprised we didn’t run into Cam, Seth, and Shane.” Tee lands wide eyes on me.

I shrug. “They’re out here somewhere. They left their bikes back there.”

“Let’s go gentlemen!” Devin starts hustling down the hill.

“Wait up, Dev.” Robby trudges through the underbrush after him.

Tee looks at me with wavering eyes and shrugs his shoulders before following behind Devin and Robby. Our pace slows as we descend the ridge, each step growing steeper beneath our feet. Robby and Devin ease their way around a jagged rock outcropping that springs out from the hill before dropping out of sight behind the giant rock. I clasp the sun-warmed boulder, following Tee’s lead while steadying my footing as we inch our way around it.

“Shit!” Tee’s feet slide.

“Tee!”

Tee’s fingertips brush my outstretched hand as he falls. He lands on his butt with a thud, bounces once, and begins sliding. I scurry around the boulder, my fingers gripping the rock tight, clinging to the patches of bright green furry moss that cover it. Tee comes to a stop in a patch of ferns at the bottom of the hill. Robby runs over.

“Tee! You okay, man?”

I stay low to the ground, scampering down the hill.

“Told you this was a bad idea!” Tee’s tone is scalding.

Devin helps him to his feet. Tee sweeps his hands across his shirt and pants, brushing away decaying leaf debris, dirt and underbrush.

My eyes meet his. “You okay, man?”

Tee inspects the fresh scrapes on his elbows and palms. He dips his head and shakes it while letting out a simmering sigh through his nose.

“Yeah, I’m alright.”

“Dudes, not far from here, I think.” Robby points to the steep embankment that lies before us. “Over that ridge.”

I narrow my eyes on Robby. “We don’t have to do this. Tee could’ve really been hurt.”

“We stick closer together. Be more careful.”

“I was bein’ careful, Dev.”

“Sorry, Tee. I didn’t mean it like that. I just meant we can just help each other. Stay close together’s all.”

“Quit the bickering, Sally’s. And let’s get a move on.”

Tee eyes the embankment. “You sure that’s the right way?”

“Should be going north-northwest the way I figure it. Which should be that way.”

I draw the corner of my lips. “Should be? Or is that way?” My tone reflects my growing frustration with our endeavor.

“I don’t know, man. I mean, I think so.”

Tee flashes a big grin and grabs the canteen off Robby’s hip. “Okay dum-dum, let’s see what your compass says.”

Robby gives Tee a playful shoulder shove. Tee holds the canteen, and we all gather around as the fluttering compass needle begins to settle on due north.

“Told you guys!” Robby trumpets as the needle verifies his proposed direction as correct. Devin points to the compass.

“Dude, look at it. That thing’s broken.”

The compass needle resumes its movement, a slow spin at first, moving like the second hand of a timepiece. Tee hits the canteen as if to reset it, but the spinning needle accelerates.

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