26

Avery

Luca’s arms went up in the air like a cartoon character as his body plummeted into the sand. It covered him up to his chest, but at least the fall had left him with his arms free.

“Is that quick sand?” Benny’s panicked voice reminded her of why everyone avoided him back home.

“We have to get him out of there,” Avery said. “Luca, give me your stick.”

He held it in his hands still, which was a huge plus. His eyes had widened. Swallowing hard, he reached the stick toward her. He reminded her of one of the deer he was always hunting—trapped.

“We’re going to help you,” she said way more confidently than she felt. Her heart thundered as she moved into position. “You guys, grab on to the stick behind me.” She stepped as close to the sand as she dared, giving them room to line up behind her and take hold.

Benny stepped up and put his hands on the stick, but June was looking around, frowning. “I see fruit trees over there,” she said, pointing to their far left. “Why are we going this way?”

“Is this really the time?” Avery snapped. “We have to get Luca out!”

June spun back to them and grabbed the stick. “I’m ready.”

“OK. On three. Hold on, Luca. One-two-three!”

Avery pulled with every ounce of strength she could muster.

Luca slid up two inches. Maybe.

Panic threatened at the edge of her mind. Getting Luca out was priority. “Harder!” The thick branch cut into her skin and she gritted her teeth against the pain.

They pulled again, and he slipped up another inch.

Her arms went limp and she panted. “OK, break.”

“He saw this.” Luca’s voice came out weak, like he was fighting for air.

Which she guessed he was with tons of sand pressing against him.

“That’s why he hadn’t gone further.”

It was as if he read her thoughts. Of course Daddy saw it. He’d taught her to recognize dangers in the wild when she was just a little girl. He’d probably spotted it a mile back.

She, on the other hand, had spotted it just before Luca stepped in. Another fail on her part, and one that might cost Luca his life. Just when she thought she was getting the hang of this place, it laughed in her face.

“What are you talking about?” Benny asked. He wiped sweat from his head.

“Nothing.” Avery stood and took hold of the stick again. “We have to keep trying.”

“He barely budged,” Benny said.

“So you think we should leave him here?” She didn’t mean to snap at him, but really, what other choice did they have? She wasn’t leaving Luca to die. They would never make it to the camp for help and get back in enough time.

“Fine,” Benny grumbled.

They stepped back to the stick and everyone tightened their grips on it. “Ready? Pull!” She heaved with everything in her. More than everything in her, apparently, because Luca moved out to his waist.

“Whoa, good pull!” Benny said.

Luca’s face was pure white, like the rare snows in Alabama, but he managed a smile. “That was good, guys. Maybe I’m not going to die today.”

“Of course you’re not going to die,” June said.

“Let’s go again.” Who knew what had come over her a moment ago, but she hoped it happened again. They lined up and she gave the signal, then they all tugged.

Strong arms wrapped around her waist and she leaned into whatever force was aiding her.

Luca moved up to his shins.

“Can you move your feet?” June asked. “Maybe you can help yourself get free.”

“If he moves around he’ll sink farther,” Avery said. She shouldn’t gloat about besting June, but she kind of did. “He has to stand still.”

“How do you know so much about this stuff?” Benny asked. They stepped to the walking stick again.

“My dad’s been working in the area my entire life. I know a lot of stuff.”

They pulled again, and this time Luca broke free of the sand and fell face forward.

Avery quickly latched on to him and helped him scratch his way to the safety of solid ground.

He fell on top of her with a thud.

They heaved together, tangled up on the jungle floor.

“Get a room,” Benny muttered.

Avery’s cheeks burned, embarrassed by Benny’s annoying words. She wiggled away and stood to get her bearings. Whatever had helped her get Luca out, she was grateful.

“If you know so much, then where are we?” Benny asked. “You saw that map on my phone. Do you recognize where we are?”

She hadn’t expected anyone to ask her that. Glancing around, she saw that all eyes were on her. Great.

“I noticed a few things, yes, but I’m no expert.”

June frowned and stepped forward. “What do you mean? You noticed enough to make an educated guess? That doesn’t sound good. It sounds more like we aren’t where we’re supposed to be.”

Not good at all.

Avery unscrewed the lid on her water bottle and took a long drink. Finally, she sighed. “I noticed we were a little, well, a lot off course. That’s all.”

Luca frowned at her now.

He was going to stop trusting her altogether. “What do you mean, Avery? Where are we?”

“I don’t know. I promise you that. I know we’re nowhere near where we started. That’s all I could say for sure.”

“So something really did pick us up and move us off the road.” Luca’s statement felt like concrete in her heart, weighing her down. It confirmed what she’d been feeling for days; that something was seriously off. And they were in big trouble.

“Why didn’t you mention this before?” Luca said quietly.

She shook her head. “I don’t know.” But then she paused. “Or maybe I do know. I wanted to figure things out on my own. Prove myself, remember? I’m tired of everyone looking at me like I’m the plague.” There, she’d said it. She didn’t want to go crazy again. She hated the way people treated her, and she also hated that she let it hinder her.

Benny huffed and slid to the ground across the path from her. “Well, at least you went crazy for a good reason. My family doesn’t have one. I’ve got a granny who likes to throw glasses at my head and call me names. So what if you’re crazy, at least your dad still looks at you.”

Benny didn’t know Daddy very well.

“No one thinks you’re crazy, anyway, Aves.” Luca took her hand and squeezed, his face still white with fear.

Warmth erupted inside her.

“You’re one of the most level headed people we all know.”

Even June offered her an understanding smile.

Tiny slivers of glass began to crack around her heart. They didn’t judge her? Didn’t care that she’d been hospitalized for losing her mind after Mom left and Daddy didn’t even come home from his dig to check on his daughter? No one minded?

She swallowed hard. “Thanks, guys.”

Luca smiled at her and let go of her hand as he stood up.

When no one spoke for a few seconds, June turned to them. “So you guys never wanted to find the orchard at all, I take it? Why not just tell us?”

Avery heaved herself up and brushed off her shorts. “I’m sorry. We should have. My dad is coming this way, and we wanted to know why. But since the fruit orchard is over there, why don’t we take a look?” It sounded like a good idea, especially since she was starving.

Everyone agreed, so Luca stepped to the front and began beating a path toward the fruit trees. They drew closer and Avery studied the trees. Each one was different, and none of them were recognizable.

“What is this place?” she asked, stepping around the trees. They grew in no particular pattern, except that they seemed to form a circular grove. The overgrowth was less here, like it was used regularly. “Do you think it’s where Rae and his people get their food?”

“Rae and his people?” Benny asked. “You mean there are more of him?”

“You think one guy can live in the jungle alone? How would he get here?” Luca asked. He plucked an odd-shaped purple fruit from a tree and studied it.

“How did we get here, genius?” Benny said. “Who knows?”

Avery chuckled and grinned at Luca. “Benny has a point.”

When they’d each picked their fruit, they gravitated together to compare their odd choices. Who would be the first to try it?

“We should just do it,” Avery said. “Everyone at the same time.”

“Why? So we can all die?” Benny said. “No way. You go first. I’m waiting for everyone else.”

She managed a light laugh, but it was obvious he wasn’t trying to be funny.

Fine. She would do it. Raising the fruit to her lips, she took a tiny, tentative bite. The sweet fruit washed through her mouth and she gasped. “This is delicious!” She took another bite, not caring what anyone else did.

The others didn’t wait long, and soon they’d all devoured a few pieces of fruit from various trees.

“This place is really amazing,” June said. “I’m almost going to miss it. It’s like an adventure.”

Avery turned to June then froze. She stepped closer, frowning. “June, what color are your eyes?”

June’s eyebrows rose. “They’re green. Why?”

“This is going to sound crazy—sorry, it’s where my mind goes automatically—but they are blue. They were green when I first met you. Bright green. But they’re blue now. I promise you.”

“She’s right,” Luca said. “I noticed, too. They’re blue now.”

Luca had noticed June’s eyes? Avery was glad she faced away from Luca and he couldn’t notice how much that hurt. Taking a deep breath, she pushed the thought away.

June frowned and took a step back. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. I don’t know. Don’t people’s eyes look different in different light?”

“Not like this,” Luca said. He glanced around, a deep frown on his lips. “This place isn’t right. It’s no adventure. We need to get home as fast as possible.”

The realization that this place was messing with them put a somber blanket over the festive mood in the fruit orchard. “What do you say we head back?” Avery asked.

Everyone agreed, and they split up to take care of personal stuff.

But Avery grabbed Luca’s arm. “I need to talk to you.”

“More secrets?” His voice was soft, but definitely hurt.

“I’m telling you now, aren’t I?”

He sighed. “Fine. What is it?”

“Earlier, when I went to use the bathroom, I was gone for a long time.”

He frowned and swallowed hard. “Yeah, you said that. I believe you.”

“You don’t understand. I was gone for so long that for a while I was afraid I’d be lost.”

He took a deep breath and rubbed his hand over his face. “Man, I really dislike this place.”

She put her hand on his arm and shook her head. “It gets worse. When I was walking, I found a temple. An honest to goodness temple. And inside there was a book. It said a devil was here, and a battle was coming. Rae was there, and he kept saying I had to stop him, but he didn’t say who. Then he vanished.”

“What?” Luca’s eyebrows shot up. “Are you sure about this?”

Avery huffed and turned away from him. “Never mind.” This was exactly why she didn’t want to mention it. He thought she was nuts. Wacko. Crazy. Loons.

This time he grabbed her arm, gently. “I’m sorry. It does sound nuts, but so does everything else in this place. Please, tell me.”

She tried wiping the frown off her face, but it wouldn’t budge. “I don’t know what he was talking about, but he was in a hurry, almost like someone was following him. A twig snapped in the jungle just before he disappeared.”

“Can you show me where this temple is?”

Avery glanced down and began picking at a tear in her tank top. “It disappeared, too.”

He was quiet and she finally peeked up at him. A frown stretched his mouth down, but he did seem like he was buying it.

June and Benny returned, and together they moved to follow the path back to camp. They walked a few minutes in silence, but then Avery asked the burning question in her mind. “Do you think Daddy has found another way into that part of the jungle?”

“Could be,” Luca said. He seemed relieved to think about something concrete. “Maybe that’s why he’s making maps and all. He’s getting ready to head back in.”

“Should we try to find it?”

Luca shook his head. “After all that? No way. Maybe you should talk to him, Aves.”

She gnawed on her lip as she walked. “Daddy won’t listen to me. He never has.”

The realization wasn’t a nice one. He didn’t care what was best for anyone except himself, not even when it came to his own daughter. He wanted her going away, finding her own life, and he’d pay good money for it. If she stuck close to home, he’d feel responsible for her. She might expect things of him.

The truth hurt.

By the time they got back to camp, no one was speaking. The heat in the jungle had drained every ounce of their energy.

Avery took a bottle and poured the cool water over her skin, washing away the sweat and grime, then she moved to check on Erin.

The youth leader sat up in her shelter, drinking water from the creek and laughing quietly with the other girls. This was the Erin Avery knew and loved.

She couldn’t help smiling as she reached them. “Feeling better?”

“Much. I almost feel normal.”

“Do you think you’re fighting a bacterial infection? Maybe the antibiotics are working.”

Erin shrugged. “Must be. I’m glad no one is giving up on me.”

Relief burst through Avery. All hope for Erin wasn’t lost. She leaned forward and wrapped Erin in a hug. “I’m glad you’re OK. I’ve missed you.”

Erin smiled, and Avery moved to find Daddy. She just needed to see him. To make sure he was OK. To make sure he wasn’t gone.

“Hey, they fixed the van.” Luca waved her over and she smiled at a beaming Bradley.

“As soon as Chad gets back, we’ll be able to get out of here,” he said. “We got it all patched up.”

More good news. Forget about overcoming some demon in the jungle, Avery was going home. “I’m glad. Really glad, you have no idea.”

Even Sam seemed to glow as he climbed back under the van for something. He was a really nice guy, she could tell, even though she hadn’t actually talked to him.

She scanned the area for Daddy, but he wasn’t within sight. She turned back to the van. “Hey, have you guys seen my dad?”

Bradley frowned and looked around. “No, sorry. I guess I’ve been too busy to notice.”

“That’s OK. I’ll ask the others.”

“Mr. Miles?” Sam peeked out from under the van. “Yes, he went into the jungle about an hour ago. He said he wanted to wash up.”

“You let him go in alone?” Avery asked.

Sam’s eyebrows raised. “You wanted me to stop him?”

Her shoulders sagged and she sighed. “No, of course not. Thanks for letting me know. Sorry for snapping at you.”

He offered a small smile, paused, then climbed out from his spot in the sand. “You are troubled?”

Avery glanced around then back to Sam. They hadn’t actually spoken, unless she counted the day they arrived in the airplane and he’d offered to take her bags. She swallowed hard and nodded. “He has a habit of disappearing on me.”

Sam nodded solemnly. “I am sorry for this. Is there anything you need that I could help you with?”

She hesitated again. People being nice to her wasn’t exactly an everyday occurrence. But then a thought popped into her mind—a reminder about something she’d wanted from her luggage. “Actually, I need something from my bag. Do you think you could help me unload it?”

“I can most certainly help with that.” He vaulted onto the bumper and untied the luggage.

A moment later she pulled out her Bible. “Thank you, Sam.”

He smiled and replaced her luggage. “It has been my pleasure, Avery. And if I may say something else?”

She waited, but realized he was waiting for her to give him permission. She nodded quickly.

“You are doing a fine job here. You and Luca make an excellent team.”

Her eyes widened. If she’d expected him to say anything, it wasn’t that. She cleared her throat. “Thank you.”

She darted away, suddenly uncomfortable, and sat alone on an abandoned log. Now that she had her Bible, she might be able to find a few of the answers she was looking for. And hopefully, Daddy would actually come back.