to begin with.”
It was tough to imagine why Geoff nurtured a grudge against Ishmael when he was in the company of a much worse person.
“I don’t see why he’s upset with you. He gave up, right? It’s not like you pushed him over the edge.”
Ishmael dropped his hat, and cursed under his breath. “Can we drop this? He’s just kinda crazy from this place, all right? He has an agenda against me. Maybe he feels like I failed him, and Eric has probably goaded him in some way. Eric and I are not on friendly terms. He’s…hurt someone I care about before…This is all beside the point.”
She was, again, confused as to why he was so angry with her for asking him pertinent questions. He grunted and stood, brushing off his hat and jeans.
“What matters is, they’re trying to get into your head and you can’t let them. No matter what.” He knelt and placed a hand on her shoulder. “Promise me.” He studied her eyes. “Promise you won’t let them get to you in any way.”
Abigail flipped her hair away from her eyes, “You must think I’m a sucker. I promise, okay? Nothing they do or say will get me to give up my goal. I’m going home. No matter what.”
“I don’t know about Geoff, but be especially leery of Eric. His tactics are always unpleasant, especially with pretty women.”
She blushed at the offhand compliment, but was also proud of herself for reading Eric correctly. Ishmael was still gazing into her eyes, his lingering stare causing the hair on the back of her neck to rise.
She closed her eyes to shut his out and to warm herself with something less gloomy. She thought of her husband’s beautiful half-moon eyes, full of intelligence and laughter. His laughter itself was rich and sparse, and always made her feel as though her troubles were weightless, like they’d float away in a comfortable breeze. She thought of the way her daughter’s whole body smiled when she was happy. The memories invigorated her.
She stood. “What are we doing sitting around? Let’s keep going. The more distance between us and them the better, right?”
“You must have something good to look forward to. Your positive energy is very annoying.” His words didn’t reach his face which was amused.
“You don’t think I’m annoying. You think I’m wonderful, and I am.” Abigail playfully punched his arm.
He put his hands up in mock defeat, his reluctant smile almost reaching the deep black of depths of his irises. She continued. “And, yes, I do have something good. Something great. I guess I just didn’t realize it until now.”
“We should stay to the woods a bit longer, but don’t worry, I know where I’m going. I just wanted to take the time to tell you what we’re up against. You warned me against holding out, and I didn’t want to be on the other end of your wrath.”
His face was bemused and not at all frightened of the prospect. He might actually be frightened if he ever saw me truly angry. But, for the first time since she arrived here, she didn’t think to doubt his intentions, and was surprised to feel she was beginning to trust this strange, sad man.
As they made their way through the eerie, steel blue forest, she felt her heart stir for him. She wanted to make it through this bleak place for her family, sure, but blood rushed through her veins when she looked at Ishmael. An old emotion warmed her body, and pulsed color into her cheeks. Staring at his tense back as he walked through the gloom, she realized she already cared about her Guide. It might be silly, but she wanted to make it to the border for him, too. She would not add to his defeat.
CHAPTER 5:
A Like Mind
THE DARK TREES lost their silvery sheen as they moved further into the woods. Whatever the dim light that touched their smooth trunks, and from wherever it came, it didn’t reach them this deep into the forest. Abigail felt her skin crawl and jumped with every crack of a twig, so resounding against the eerie silence of the
It was tough to imagine why Geoff nurtured a grudge against Ishmael when he was in the company of a much worse person.
“I don’t see why he’s upset with you. He gave up, right? It’s not like you pushed him over the edge.”
Ishmael dropped his hat, and cursed under his breath. “Can we drop this? He’s just kinda crazy from this place, all right? He has an agenda against me. Maybe he feels like I failed him, and Eric has probably goaded him in some way. Eric and I are not on friendly terms. He’s…hurt someone I care about before…This is all beside the point.”
She was, again, confused as to why he was so angry with her for asking him pertinent questions. He grunted and stood, brushing off his hat and jeans.
“What matters is, they’re trying to get into your head and you can’t let them. No matter what.” He knelt and placed a hand on her shoulder. “Promise me.” He studied her eyes. “Promise you won’t let them get to you in any way.”
Abigail flipped her hair away from her eyes, “You must think I’m a sucker. I promise, okay? Nothing they do or say will get me to give up my goal. I’m going home. No matter what.”
“I don’t know about Geoff, but be especially leery of Eric. His tactics are always unpleasant, especially with pretty women.”
She blushed at the offhand compliment, but was also proud of herself for reading Eric correctly. Ishmael was still gazing into her eyes, his lingering stare causing the hair on the back of her neck to rise.
She closed her eyes to shut his out and to warm herself with something less gloomy. She thought of her husband’s beautiful half-moon eyes, full of intelligence and laughter. His laughter itself was rich and sparse, and always made her feel as though her troubles were weightless, like they’d float away in a comfortable breeze. She thought of the way her daughter’s whole body smiled when she was happy. The memories invigorated her.
She stood. “What are we doing sitting around? Let’s keep going. The more distance between us and them the better, right?”
“You must have something good to look forward to. Your positive energy is very annoying.” His words didn’t reach his face which was amused.
“You don’t think I’m annoying. You think I’m wonderful, and I am.” Abigail playfully punched his arm.
He put his hands up in mock defeat, his reluctant smile almost reaching the deep black of depths of his irises. She continued. “And, yes, I do have something good. Something great. I guess I just didn’t realize it until now.”
“We should stay to the woods a bit longer, but don’t worry, I know where I’m going. I just wanted to take the time to tell you what we’re up against. You warned me against holding out, and I didn’t want to be on the other end of your wrath.”
His face was bemused and not at all frightened of the prospect. He might actually be frightened if he ever saw me truly angry. But, for the first time since she arrived here, she didn’t think to doubt his intentions, and was surprised to feel she was beginning to trust this strange, sad man.
As they made their way through the eerie, steel blue forest, she felt her heart stir for him. She wanted to make it through this bleak place for her family, sure, but blood rushed through her veins when she looked at Ishmael. An old emotion warmed her body, and pulsed color into her cheeks. Staring at his tense back as he walked through the gloom, she realized she already cared about her Guide. It might be silly, but she wanted to make it to the border for him, too. She would not add to his defeat.
CHAPTER 5:
A Like Mind
THE DARK TREES lost their silvery sheen as they moved further into the woods. Whatever the dim light that touched their smooth trunks, and from wherever it came, it didn’t reach them this deep into the forest. Abigail felt her skin crawl and jumped with every crack of a twig, so resounding against the eerie silence of the
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