Frenzy by Robert Lettrick

Author:Robert Lettrick
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2014-03-21T00:00:00+00:00

It was near four o’clock (judging by the sun, since ­Dunbar’s dunk in the river had rendered the only watch in the group useless) when they decided to push on. At Dunbar’s insistence they discussed trying to haul Sylvester’s body to Granite Falls, but in the end they agreed it was too dangerous. The effort would slow them down and the risk of not making it to town before dark was too great. Instead they secured him to the branch as best they could and said their good-byes. It was rough. Even Dunbar, who had called Sylvester a show-off at the archery range, couldn’t help but tear up during Emma’s eulogy. She was probably the last one who should have spoken on the group’s behalf. Besides Will, she was the coldest cube in the freezer, a comparison Heath’s dad used to describe the charge nurse who kicked visitors out of Heath’s room not a second past eight. Emma’s speech was clunky and quick, but still surprisingly touching, not the stoic words Heath had expected to hear. Emma showed she had a heart after all.

“He was a good dude,” Cricket said when she’d finished. “Really cool.”

“Amen,” Heath added in agreement.

Heath tented Sylvester’s cold hands over his still chest. Molly and Emily picked some flowers—purple foxgloves—growing tenaciously from a fissure in a boulder in the river and weaved them into his stiff fingers.

“We’ll tell the authorities in Granite Falls where we left him,” said Dunbar. “When everything goes back to normal, they’ll come get him.”

Back to normal. What was normal? Heath tried to remember. They’d gone maybe two miles, less than halfway there, and they’d already lost Sylvester. Dunbar was acting like someone—the mayor of Granite Falls, maybe—could flip a switch and it would be like nothing ever happened. Like the lights coming back on after a blackout. No, he thought. Things would never be normal again. Not for them, at least. Definitely not for Heath. The pain was back, gnawing at his body. He’d known worse, but, coupled with the onset of fatigue, it was making walking difficult. They still had at least three miles to go. For the first time since starting their journey, he questioned his ability to finish it, even if there were no more animal attacks to contend with.

Quilt Face growled hungrily from the shore. Heath met her determined gaze with his own. One mile. You were supposed to pursue for one mile and then give up. That’s what the expert on the nature show said. But that’s not your plan, is it? You’re coming all the way to Granite Falls, so you can kill us on the verge of rescue. But we’ve got something in common, Quilt Face—an early expiration date. Neither of us has much time left, do we? So if it comes down to it, then you and I are going to end each other’s misery. Better to finish things up on the shore of Granite Falls than to wither away in some hospital bed in Seattle.

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