Ultraviolet: Episode One by Jessica Sorensen

Author:Jessica Sorensen [Sorensen, Jessica]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2015-05-24T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter 6

We hike down the dirt road with nothing but my phone to light up the way as the last of the sunlight slips away. Novela aims her can of pepper spray in front of her and continuously looks around at the shadows of the trees bordering the road. Finally she takes to humming again, but other than that, it’s unnervingly quiet, as if no living creatures are around.

“I wonder if they’ll bury us in the woods,” Novela mumbles, rubbing her hand across her arms, “or just leave us here on the road to rot.”

“No one’s going to kill us,” I say, trying to ignore every twig snapping and bush rustling. “We’re going to be fine.”

“This is how most horror movies start, you know—two stupid girls all alone in the middle of nowhere.”

“We’re not two stupid girls. If anything, I’m the stupid one. I made us come here when I knew the place was … sketchy.”

“You were trying to be a hero.” She skitters to the side and targets the can of pepper spray at the trees as the branches move with the wind. “I can’t hate you for that.”

I keep my eyes trained on the city lights flickering in the distance; otherwise, I’ll pay way too much attention to the trees and absence of life around us. Then I’ll start thinking all sorts of crazy stuff about how my mind and body really might belong to the dirt and how, even though I’m freaking out right now, I still feel a connection to this place.

“You can hate me for trying to make you my hero sidekick,” I say, kicking a rock down road.

She jabs a finger in my direction. “Hey, I’m definitely not sidekick material. I like being the center of attention way too much.”

A soft laugh escapes my lips and some of the tension between us alleviates as we exchange a smile.

“Remember when I entered the eighth grade talent show, and you tried to talk me out of it because you knew I was going to end up flashing the entire class when I fell offstage during my solo?” She giggles at the memory.

“It wasn’t funny then,” I remind her, sweeping the light from side to side.

“You were so upset when I still entered it.” She momentarily pauses as she casts a quick glance behind us. “You even cried.”

“I didn’t want you to get embarrassed,” I explain, noting how quiet it has suddenly gotten. Even the wind has stilled. “The thought that you were going to get hurt scared me.”

“But I rarely get embarrassed.”

“I know that now, but back then … I just knew, if it was me, I’d get embarrassed.”

“When I actually fell off the stage, do you remember what I said to you?”

I nod with a sigh. “That I was stuck with you now because there was no way you were ever going to let our friendship end.”

“That’s because I knew how great you are,” she says. “You risked looking insane and crying in front of me, all so I wouldn’t get embarrassed.

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