them?”
Avery looked at June and shook her head again.
They reached the tree line and Luca flicked off the flashlight.
Some of the others had fallen asleep, but almost everyone waited for their return.
Erin stood near the tree line, her shoulders tensed and her eyebrows pulled together. When they stepped out and everyone saw Avery, Erin let out a pent up breath and put her face in her hands. “Thank God!” she said.
A few of the others rushed forward and hugged Avery. She smiled at them and let them touch her. They made a fuss over the cut on her cheek, which he hadn’t even noticed. It felt good to see they were acknowledging her, instead of acting like she didn’t exist. Avery never deserved the way the others had treated her.
Luca waited until the fuss died down, but he couldn’t wait any longer. As soon as he could, he pulled her aside. “So, what happened in there?”
7
Avery
Avery licked her lips and glanced around. Everyone was listening, even though Luca had pulled her to the side. They would hear if she admitted what she’d seen—what she thought she’d seen. She threw a look behind her, back to the jungle. No one lived in there. How could they? No one could live in a funky oasis in the middle of the Iraqi desert.
“I only went in a few feet. I could see the light from the desert behind me at all times, but then I got dizzy. I closed my eyes until the dizziness passed, but when I opened my eyes, the light was gone. I was somewhere deeper in the jungle, and I don’t know how I got there.”
Luca took in every word she said. He watched her closely; he was definitely taking her seriously.
A tiny flicker of relief sparked through her—he didn’t think she was crazy.
“That tells us how easy it is to get lost without realizing it. No wonder Gabby and Katelyn got turned around.” He turned to the others, who had all heard. “No one goes into the jungle without someone keeping watch, and only go in with a group. No exceptions.”
They nodded, a few wrapping their arms around their stomachs and stepping closer together. The anxiety in the air was thick enough to nearly choke her.
“Let’s get some sleep,” Luca said. “We’ll find Gabby and Katelyn first thing tomorrow, and the other van will either come, or we’ll get out of here in our own van.”
Bradley stepped forward. “We made a lot of progress today.”
Luca nodded and the others took it as their cue to move.
“Hey,” Luca said. “Let me take those things.”
Avery looked down and realized she still carried the sweatshirt, hat, and sunblock. She shook her head and handed him the sweatshirt. “Here, I got it out for you.”
“I am not taking your sweatshirt.”
“It’s yours. You left it at my house a long time ago.” She looked away hoping he wouldn’t ask why she'd brought it on this trip.
He didn't, only took it wordlessly as they began walking to the van together.
Avery clasped her hands and let her mind wander back to the jungle, and her memory of Rae's face. Was he real? She didn’t like this at all. How could she help anyone when she couldn’t trust her own mind?
She followed the others to the van and climbed into her seat. She unwrapped her sweater from her waist, slipped her arms inside, and sat back. Her eyes slid closed and she sighed.
Aches throbbed from the top of her head to the tips of her toes, and her hands burned from where she’d fallen. Even her cheek stung. When her stomach rumbled she didn’t think she’d ever been so hungry. No wonder she was seeing things.
Things would look better in the morning, and hopefully Daddy would be here soon.
She tried to stay awake, to keep one eye peeled for Gabby and Katelyn to come stumbling out of the jungle, but her eyes drooped, and she fell asleep quickly.
When she awoke the next morning, the sun had only just begun to rise on the horizon. She sat up and looked out the window, but there was no Katelyn and Gabby, and no rescue van. Everyone else
Avery looked at June and shook her head again.
They reached the tree line and Luca flicked off the flashlight.
Some of the others had fallen asleep, but almost everyone waited for their return.
Erin stood near the tree line, her shoulders tensed and her eyebrows pulled together. When they stepped out and everyone saw Avery, Erin let out a pent up breath and put her face in her hands. “Thank God!” she said.
A few of the others rushed forward and hugged Avery. She smiled at them and let them touch her. They made a fuss over the cut on her cheek, which he hadn’t even noticed. It felt good to see they were acknowledging her, instead of acting like she didn’t exist. Avery never deserved the way the others had treated her.
Luca waited until the fuss died down, but he couldn’t wait any longer. As soon as he could, he pulled her aside. “So, what happened in there?”
7
Avery
Avery licked her lips and glanced around. Everyone was listening, even though Luca had pulled her to the side. They would hear if she admitted what she’d seen—what she thought she’d seen. She threw a look behind her, back to the jungle. No one lived in there. How could they? No one could live in a funky oasis in the middle of the Iraqi desert.
“I only went in a few feet. I could see the light from the desert behind me at all times, but then I got dizzy. I closed my eyes until the dizziness passed, but when I opened my eyes, the light was gone. I was somewhere deeper in the jungle, and I don’t know how I got there.”
Luca took in every word she said. He watched her closely; he was definitely taking her seriously.
A tiny flicker of relief sparked through her—he didn’t think she was crazy.
“That tells us how easy it is to get lost without realizing it. No wonder Gabby and Katelyn got turned around.” He turned to the others, who had all heard. “No one goes into the jungle without someone keeping watch, and only go in with a group. No exceptions.”
They nodded, a few wrapping their arms around their stomachs and stepping closer together. The anxiety in the air was thick enough to nearly choke her.
“Let’s get some sleep,” Luca said. “We’ll find Gabby and Katelyn first thing tomorrow, and the other van will either come, or we’ll get out of here in our own van.”
Bradley stepped forward. “We made a lot of progress today.”
Luca nodded and the others took it as their cue to move.
“Hey,” Luca said. “Let me take those things.”
Avery looked down and realized she still carried the sweatshirt, hat, and sunblock. She shook her head and handed him the sweatshirt. “Here, I got it out for you.”
“I am not taking your sweatshirt.”
“It’s yours. You left it at my house a long time ago.” She looked away hoping he wouldn’t ask why she'd brought it on this trip.
He didn't, only took it wordlessly as they began walking to the van together.
Avery clasped her hands and let her mind wander back to the jungle, and her memory of Rae's face. Was he real? She didn’t like this at all. How could she help anyone when she couldn’t trust her own mind?
She followed the others to the van and climbed into her seat. She unwrapped her sweater from her waist, slipped her arms inside, and sat back. Her eyes slid closed and she sighed.
Aches throbbed from the top of her head to the tips of her toes, and her hands burned from where she’d fallen. Even her cheek stung. When her stomach rumbled she didn’t think she’d ever been so hungry. No wonder she was seeing things.
Things would look better in the morning, and hopefully Daddy would be here soon.
She tried to stay awake, to keep one eye peeled for Gabby and Katelyn to come stumbling out of the jungle, but her eyes drooped, and she fell asleep quickly.
When she awoke the next morning, the sun had only just begun to rise on the horizon. She sat up and looked out the window, but there was no Katelyn and Gabby, and no rescue van. Everyone else
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