Travelers by Alia Hess

Author:Alia Hess [Hess, Alia]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2017-11-27T22:00:00+00:00

December 27, 152—I still see that man’s throat gushing blood when I close my eyes. I know it was necessary, and I’m glad Trav is okay, but I wish that image would go away.

December 28, 152—I’m going to strangle Creek.

The next evening, they emerged from the inner city and stopped on the outskirts of the ruins. Owl would have preferred to walk for several more hours, but Creek kept complaining that she was tired. They camped in a mansion of sorts—a large, stately house overlooking a valley of destroyed skyscrapers and rubble. A swimming pool sat in the front yard, several inches of scummy water in the bottom. Palm trees arched over the house. A large sitting room occupied the downstairs, with ancient couches and an impressive fireplace. Paintings of serene landscapes hung crookedly on the walls, some warped from water damage, and a chandelier laced with cobwebs dangled precariously from above. The house held many bedrooms, but the ceiling had caved in on several.

Owl and Trav sat on a bed with a worn, red velvet duvet and an askew canopy over the top. Vines clung to the room’s window, and the floor was more grass than carpet. Creek had finally finished rambling about things and gone to bed in another bedroom.

Owl inhaled the dank smell of vegetation and leaned back on the bed. “How do you think that girl survived all this time?”

“I have no idea. She’s definitely not the smartest person I’ve ever met.”

She snorted. “That’s an understatement. And everything she does irritates me. Not to mention she almost got you killed.” An image of Trav’s purple, gasping face grazed her mind.

Trav cocked his head to one side. “Is that why you’re upset? That was my choice to help her. She’s not that bad. …Or are you just jealous?”

Owl scowled. “Jealous of what? How light her head must feel with no brain inside it?”

A smirk grew on Trav’s face and he pointed at her. “You know what I noticed today? When you frown, just like you are now, you get these cute little dimples in your cheeks.”

She batted his hand away. “I wish you would tell her to stop being so clingy on you. I’ve tried to bite my tongue since she’s been with us, because I know we can’t abandon her, and I don’t want things to get awkward, but it’s really getting on my nerves.”

Trav’s smile faded. “Okay, I’ll talk to her. I think it’s kind of cute that she has a crush on me, and harmless, but I didn’t know it was bothering you so much. And you know I’m not interested in her, right? Only you.”

Owl sighed and nodded. “Thank you.”

“You really are cute when you’re mad, though.” Trav practically purred as his hand crept to her knee and squeezed it once.

She was so much more at ease using their agreed upon signals. A squeeze of the knee meant: “yes/I want.” A squeeze on the elbow was: “no/stop.”

“So what makes you think I’d want to fool around right now?”

“Because you’re jealous.

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