| |
The others rushed out of their tents to see what was happening. Eric questioned the validity of Jack’s assertion. “An arm? Honestly, Jack, if this is your idea of a joke?”
Jack, his trousers still down around his ankles, exclaimed. “I tell you, I saw something! I’m not exactly sure what it was, but it sure as Hell looked like an arm sticking out of the ground!”
“Don’t you mean it was something that resembled an arm?” Clarified Eric.
Everyone looked towards the woods where Jack had come from. “He probably saw a thick dead branch laying on the ground with a few smaller branches protruding upward,” said Curtiss. He slapped Jack on his back. “Your mind was playing tricks on you, that’s all.”
Cole removed his crossbow from his back and started in the direction where Jack had scurried and returned from.
“I’ll check it out.”
Lester scurried in front of Cole and cut off his movements.
“No need there, young fella. I’ll do it, as I’m most familiar with the area. You stay here and eat your dinner.” Lester hurried off. However, Cole seemed determined to start his own investigation and began to follow close behind. That is until Curtiss placed his arm in front of him to impede his movements.
“Please, let my uncle do it. He’s been a little antsy lately. It’ll do him some good to get moving around.”
Cole looked at Eric, who shook his head and indicated with his thumb to go back to camp. “Cole, I think we best allow Curtiss’ uncle to handle this situation. As Curtiss said, it’s probably just some dead wood.”
Cole scoffed, annoyed that he had been cheated out of his adventure. He wanted to go but ultimately took a step back.
Eric clapped his hands, rubbed them together, and announced. “All right, everyone, who’s hungry? I know I am. Get freshened up. Dinner won’t be long.”
They all started towards their respective tents except for Stacie, who slowly walked over to Jack and tried her best not to look down. “For God’s sake, Jack, pull your pants up.”
Jack looked below, not realizing they had been down all the time. Suddenly, he laughed out loud.
“Sorry, Stacie. Guess I messed it up for you and the others.” He finished zipping up his pants and began to walk away, “I’ll try to keep myself more level-headed before screaming like a child.”
Suddenly, he felt Stacie’s arm holding him back. She pulled him in closer. “Jack...” She looked all around to ensure no one was listening. “I need to know the truth.”
“Yes, Stacie?”
“You really saw something, didn’t you? And, it wasn’t a dead branch.”
Embarrassed, Jack looked down at his feet. He felt Stacie’s hand on his chin. She raised it until their eyes met. “I understand. Your reaction says it all.” Jack smiled as Stacie put her arm around him. “Come on, let’s get ready for dinner.”
Claudia looked behind her and saw Ed. “Sorry, it’s just me.”
“You’re ok. Thanks for letting me know it was you.”
Ed smiled, “No problem...say. I was wondering....”
Claudia smiled back, “I’d be happy to have dinner with you.”
“It’s a date, then.” A happy Ed said.
“A date? Out here in the middle of nowhere?” Claudia chuckled.
“Good a place as any.” Confessed Ed.
Cora neared her tent when she motioned to Eric to come over. “Yes, Cora. What is it?”
“You don’t think Jack actually saw an arm reaching out from the ground, do you?”
“Of course not! There are a few things I should let you know about Jack.”
Cora rolled her eyes. “You don’t have to. I’ve got a pretty good idea what those things are.”
Stacie was about to enter her tent when out of the corner of her eye, she caught a glimpse of Curtiss talking to Lester.
They were quite some distance away, so she couldn’t hear what they were saying, but she got the definite impression his uncle was scolding him. Lester waved his arms at Curtiss and walked away.
Curtiss turned around and saw Stacie standing nearby. She pretended not to have seen him and started to enter her tent. Curtiss hastened his steps to meet her. “Say! Say, Ma’am! Don’t pay him no mind.”
Stacie feigned ignorance as to what he was talking about.
“I’m not sure I follow you, Mister...?
“It’s Curtiss, and I think you do, Ma’am.”
“Look, Mister.”
“Please...just call me Curtiss.”
‘All right...Curtiss.”
Curtiss had a small stick in his hand. He fidgeted with it a bit.
“You see, Ma’am. My uncle’s never been partial to strangers.”
Stacie tried to ease the situation but remained firm, “Maybe, but that was an argument between an uncle and his nephew, not two strangers.”
Curtiss chuckled and tried to laugh off their argument. “Oh, that? That was nothing. We fight like that all the time.”
Stacie pondered whether or not she should say what she was thinking, but her curiosity got the best of her. “I can appreciate that, Curtiss. It’s just that your uncle was pretty adamant that something bad would happen to us if we stayed.”
Curtiss shrugged his shoulders. “As I said, he just doesn’t do well around strangers, that’s all. I promise you. There’s really nothing for you to be concerned about. I just wanted to clear that up.”
“But, he-”
“Sorry, ma’am, but if it’s just the same, I’ve got to finish preparing y’all’s dinner. So...If you’ll excuse me.” Curtiss hurried off.
Stacie turned around and opened her tent flap. She came face to face with Lester.
“He’s lying to you. It’s too late for the others, but I can tell it’s not too late for you.”
“I don’t understand....”
“You best leave this place. You’ve got a brain. Use it and get away while you can.”
“Sorry, I can’t do that - it’s our boss’s wish that we stay.”
Lester scoffed, “Wish? More like his order.”
Stacie began to see Lester in a different light. “You’re very perceptive. But, whatever it is you think might happen, it’s too late to do anything about it now, isn’t it? After all, we’re here, and there’s nothing any of us can do about it. These little excursions of our boss are all part of our job. So, we have to be here...I have to be here.”
Lester became visibly annoyed. “Haven’t you heard anything I’ve said? To ‘Hell’ with your job! I wasn’t kidding - you stay here, you’re going to die. Your boss is going to lead you down a path of destruction from which there’s no turning back.”
Lester took a few steps away and stared into the woods. He turned his head around. Anger left his face, replaced with a look of concern and sorrow. He stated, “The problem is, your boss doesn’t realize what’s really out there.” He shook his head and resolved himself to the inevitable, “Because of his blind ignorance, we’re all going to die.”