what do we do?”
“Nothing.” Richard continued to roll up Rowena’s bag, pausing as he felt her eyes bearing down on him. “What can we do? That could have been caused by any number of things. Maybe even one of our feet.”
“And the slimy stuff?”
“Someone could have stepped in something. I don’t know.”
Richard pulled the elastic straps at the bottom around the bag and walked it over to the jeep. He turned and waved Kelly over, but she shook her head. She couldn’t pull herself away from the print. It was too wide to be a human, yet it did look human. A normal person’s foot would have to have stepped in the dirt and then flattened out, like a foot made of Jell-O. It was highly unlikely that her friends were taken away by a giant monster made of gelatin. Kelly finally stood, her hands shaking. She couldn’t stop thinking about how close it had come to being her. She could be dead right now. Her friends could be dead right now. Lying in the woods with their stomachs torn open while some creature ate their intestines like sausages. The realization was too overwhelming, gripping her mind and shaking it like a baby’s rattle. She stood there, unable to move, her body trembling. Kelly looked Richard directly in the eyes and began to cry, unable to control the floodgates. He took hold of her and wrapped his arms about her, placing a hand to the back of her head while guiding her face to his shoulder. He held her, allowing her to cry for as long as she needed.
Used to be that this was a huge turn off for Richard. Back in high school he’d dated this beautiful cheerleader, perfect face and body, but the stupid bitch was always crying. She got a bad grade, she would cry. Someone thought she looked fat and out came the waterworks. Most of their relationship had been spent with her head on his shoulder, tears soaking into the expensive fabrics of his letterman’s jacket. He wouldn’t be at all surprised if his sleeve had a permanent imprint from her cheek. But it was different with Kelly. Maybe it was because he was older or their environment was so different, or maybe it was because he loved her. The last was one he wouldn’t admit to, not now anyway. He knew he cared for her a great deal, but the L word was not ready to be said. Richard felt there was too much importance centered on a single word; especially when one little word could never describe such an emotion.
“I’m sorry.” Kelly pulled her head from his shoulder five minutes later, wiping her eyes with the back of her hand. “It’s just so heavy, you know?”
Richard nodded. A lot had happened to them in just a few short days. He imagined his rage toward the portly ass if Doug were to come stumbling out from the woods with a few bruises, claiming he’d been a drunken moron and got lost. He’d probably knock him a good one and then squeeze him tight. But no one came walking out of the woods. It was just them.
Richard kept his arm about her shoulders and led her back to the jeep. He took his last look at the campsite, now empty except for a few wrappers and a box of crackers. They left the site and headed back to the ranger station, thankful some old dip-wad was there and that alcoholic was out patrolling. They filled out all the necessary forms and filed an official report. Richard handed the papers over to Andy and watched for a moment as the man turned and set them on top of a thick stack of papers. He shook his head and left the office. Richard knew that Mayberry moron was never going to get through that pile. Even if he did, what good would a report filed seven years down the road do them? But he kept his annoyance to himself as he drove back to the Inn, parking at the west side of the parking lot with the shortest distance for Kelly.
“Are you going to be okay in there?” Richard put a warm hand to her cheek.
“It’s boring, but it at least gives me something to do.” Kelly smiled. “Better to be in there than in my cabin
“Nothing.” Richard continued to roll up Rowena’s bag, pausing as he felt her eyes bearing down on him. “What can we do? That could have been caused by any number of things. Maybe even one of our feet.”
“And the slimy stuff?”
“Someone could have stepped in something. I don’t know.”
Richard pulled the elastic straps at the bottom around the bag and walked it over to the jeep. He turned and waved Kelly over, but she shook her head. She couldn’t pull herself away from the print. It was too wide to be a human, yet it did look human. A normal person’s foot would have to have stepped in the dirt and then flattened out, like a foot made of Jell-O. It was highly unlikely that her friends were taken away by a giant monster made of gelatin. Kelly finally stood, her hands shaking. She couldn’t stop thinking about how close it had come to being her. She could be dead right now. Her friends could be dead right now. Lying in the woods with their stomachs torn open while some creature ate their intestines like sausages. The realization was too overwhelming, gripping her mind and shaking it like a baby’s rattle. She stood there, unable to move, her body trembling. Kelly looked Richard directly in the eyes and began to cry, unable to control the floodgates. He took hold of her and wrapped his arms about her, placing a hand to the back of her head while guiding her face to his shoulder. He held her, allowing her to cry for as long as she needed.
Used to be that this was a huge turn off for Richard. Back in high school he’d dated this beautiful cheerleader, perfect face and body, but the stupid bitch was always crying. She got a bad grade, she would cry. Someone thought she looked fat and out came the waterworks. Most of their relationship had been spent with her head on his shoulder, tears soaking into the expensive fabrics of his letterman’s jacket. He wouldn’t be at all surprised if his sleeve had a permanent imprint from her cheek. But it was different with Kelly. Maybe it was because he was older or their environment was so different, or maybe it was because he loved her. The last was one he wouldn’t admit to, not now anyway. He knew he cared for her a great deal, but the L word was not ready to be said. Richard felt there was too much importance centered on a single word; especially when one little word could never describe such an emotion.
“I’m sorry.” Kelly pulled her head from his shoulder five minutes later, wiping her eyes with the back of her hand. “It’s just so heavy, you know?”
Richard nodded. A lot had happened to them in just a few short days. He imagined his rage toward the portly ass if Doug were to come stumbling out from the woods with a few bruises, claiming he’d been a drunken moron and got lost. He’d probably knock him a good one and then squeeze him tight. But no one came walking out of the woods. It was just them.
Richard kept his arm about her shoulders and led her back to the jeep. He took his last look at the campsite, now empty except for a few wrappers and a box of crackers. They left the site and headed back to the ranger station, thankful some old dip-wad was there and that alcoholic was out patrolling. They filled out all the necessary forms and filed an official report. Richard handed the papers over to Andy and watched for a moment as the man turned and set them on top of a thick stack of papers. He shook his head and left the office. Richard knew that Mayberry moron was never going to get through that pile. Even if he did, what good would a report filed seven years down the road do them? But he kept his annoyance to himself as he drove back to the Inn, parking at the west side of the parking lot with the shortest distance for Kelly.
“Are you going to be okay in there?” Richard put a warm hand to her cheek.
“It’s boring, but it at least gives me something to do.” Kelly smiled. “Better to be in there than in my cabin
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