{"id":376,"date":"2011-07-04T00:00:07","date_gmt":"2011-07-04T04:00:07","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/awakenings.embklitzke.com\/?p=376"},"modified":"2011-07-04T00:00:07","modified_gmt":"2011-07-04T04:00:07","slug":"day-3-chapter-7-09","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/awakenings.embklitzke.com\/?p=376","title":{"rendered":"Day 3 – Chapter 7 – 09"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Kellin was at the rim of the ravine as they scrambled onto higher ground.\u00a0 Her eyes widened as she caught sight of their generally disheveled appearance, the mud and water spattering all three of them from their wild dash.\u00a0 Drew struggled to catch his breath, feeling like his heart was going to pound right out of his chest.\u00a0 \u201cDon\u2019t stand there,\u201d he said hoarsely.\u00a0 He could see J.T. jogging up from the direction of camp.\u00a0 \u201cGet back.\u201d
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cWhat happened?\u201d\u00a0 Kellin caught Marin as she stumbled, then let go of the other woman, eyes popping wider with shock as Marin went to her knees, breathing heavily and shivering.\u00a0 \u201cBy every god and demon, Mar, you\u2019re like ice<\/em>.\u201d
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cShe got jumped by the grays.\u201d\u00a0 Rory cleared the edge of the ravine fully and glanced back, squinting.\u00a0 He glanced at Drew and shook his head.
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Hopefully that means we lost them, at least for the moment.<\/em>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cGrays?\u00a0 Like aliens?\u201d
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Kellin ignored Brandon\u2019s question as he approached and began to overhear a conversation he couldn\u2019t possibly understand.\u00a0 She stared at Drew.\u00a0 \u201cI thought you said they weren\u2019t dangerous.\u201d
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cI said they weren\u2019t aggressive<\/em>.\u00a0 I never said anything about dangerous.\u201d\u00a0 Drew started shepherding them away from the ravine. \u00a0He couldn\u2019t sense the grays near, but he wasn\u2019t keen on taking any chances.
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cThey seemed pretty aggressive to me, Drew,\u201d Rory said, looking and sounding exhausted.\u00a0 He nervously flicked his knife partially open and closed again.\u00a0 \u201cI think the end of the world pissed them off.\u201d
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cMaybe,\u201d Drew agreed.
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cEither way, those wards just got a lot more important, Kel.\u201d\u00a0 Marin leaned against J.T., who loomed protectively over her, tucking her under his arm and against his side.
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cWhat the hell were you doing down there by yourself in the first place, Mar?\u00a0 You know better than that.\u201d\u00a0 Drew frowned at her as they made their way back to camp.\u00a0 Hell.\u00a0 You\u2019re the one that made that rule after what happened to you and Thom and I down there that night.<\/em>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cI don\u2019t want to talk about it, Drew.\u00a0 It\u2019s between me and him and I just needed to get away.\u00a0 I already told you more than I should\u2019ve.\u201d\u00a0 She rubbed her face.\u00a0 \u201cAnd now I want to get warm and I want to sleep.\u00a0 Arm hurts like hell, though.\u201d\u00a0 Marin cradled her left arm against her belly, the sleeve of her sweatshirt slightly discolored.\u00a0 She was also favoring her right foot, the foot she\u2019d kicked at the grays with, but it didn\u2019t seem to be bothering her as much as her arm.
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cLeah\u2019ll look at it,\u201d Kellin said.
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cLeah?\u201d\u00a0 Drew frowned.\u00a0 \u201cNot Jac?\u201d
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Kellin grimaced.\u00a0 \u201cJac\u2019s sitting with Thom.\u00a0 She\u2019s worried he\u2019s got some kind of head trauma they couldn\u2019t pick up when they looked at him originally.\u201d
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Marin growled.\u00a0 \u201cThe only head trauma he\u2019s going to have is going to come from one of us knocking sense into him.\u201d\u00a0 She looked at Kellin.\u00a0 \u201cHe had a vision and fell over.\u00a0 Then he lied about it.\u201d
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cWhat are you guys talking about?\u201d\u00a0 Brandon asked.
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Drew grimaced.\u00a0 Like some kind of lost puppy, following us and asking questions like a kid getting curious about what his folks talk about after dark.<\/em>\u00a0 \u201cJust take a breath and settle down, Brandon.\u00a0 Either it\u2019ll make sense or it won\u2019t.\u201d
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cEither way, Leah\u2019s looking at your arm,\u201d Kellin said firmly.
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cAnd no one\u2019s going down into that ravine alone anymore,\u201d Drew added.
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cThom won\u2019t listen,\u201d Marin said.
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Neither did you, and it was your rule in the first place.\u00a0 <\/em>Drew kept his voice firm, but even.\u00a0 \u201cThen we\u2019ll make him listen.\u201d
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Marin just shook her head.\u00a0 J.T.\u2019s arm tightened around her.\u00a0 Drew tried not to sigh.
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Fantastic mess.\u00a0 Rory can stop grays that are suddenly aggressive but probably not in a way any of the rest of us could manage, Marin\u2019s fighting with Thom because he\u2019s being a stubborn bastard, most of the people around us are going to think we\u2019re batshit crazy until they start to see evidence of the shit we\u2019re dealing with\u2026<\/em>\u00a0 He took a deep breath and exhaled it slowly.\u00a0 Marin was seething again, but her heart wasn\u2019t quite in it.\u00a0 She\u2019d let go of it soon enough, hopefully before he got a headache.
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 God, but I should be so lucky.<\/em>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Kellin touched his arm.\u00a0 \u201cYou look like hell.\u201d
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cI feel like it, too,\u201d he mumbled, then scrubbed a hand over his eyes.\u00a0 They let the others outpace them a little.\u00a0 \u201cYou need to set those wards, Kel.\u00a0 Y\u2019should start now.\u201d
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cYou always told us the grays were just mischief.\u201d
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cThey used to be.\u00a0 Dangerous mischief sometimes, but down there\u2026that was malice, Kel.\u00a0 I don\u2019t know what flipped the switch, but something did.\u201d
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Kellin smiled wryly.\u00a0 \u201cEnd of the world?\u201d
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cMaybe.\u201d\u00a0 Drew exhaled.\u00a0 \u201cWe have to do something about Thom and Marin.\u201d
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cYou mean other than letting them work it out?\u201d
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cLetting them work it out could\u2019ve gotten her killed.\u201d
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Kellin grimaced.\u00a0 \u201cIt was that bad?\u201d
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cThey had her surrounded.\u00a0 She was starting to be in a bad way when I got to her.\u201d\u00a0 Could they have killed her?\u00a0 I don\u2019t know.\u00a0 I don\u2019t know what anything can do anymore.<\/em>\u00a0 He shook his head slowly.\u00a0 \u201cI don\u2019t know what Rory did, but it quite possibly either scared them or pissed them off.\u201d\u00a0 Either way, it hurt them.\u00a0 He could touch them.<\/em>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ll get the wards set,\u201d Kellin said softly.\u00a0 \u201cThe rest of you can dump energy into them later.\u201d
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Drew nodded, feeling drained.\u00a0 \u201cI think it\u2019s going to be an early night for most of us.\u201d
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 She patted his arm.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m starting to think you\u2019re right.\u00a0 Maybe we should reschedule the powwow.\u201d
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cMight be best.\u201d\u00a0 Drew scrubbed his hand over his face again.\u00a0 \u201cWorry about the wards.\u00a0 We\u2019ll see how everyone is at dinner.\u201d
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Kellin nodded in agreement.\u00a0 \u201cThat sounds like a plan.\u201d
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cGood.\u00a0 It was meant to be one.\u201d\u00a0 Drew squeezed her shoulder.\u00a0 She squeezed his arm and smiled.\u00a0 He smiled back, then took a deep breath.
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 At least Marin had given up her rage by the time they made it back to camp.\u00a0 That would help, at least, until the next time.<\/p>\n

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\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Kellin was at the rim of the ravine as they scrambled onto higher ground.\u00a0 Her eyes widened as she caught sight of their generally disheveled appearance, the mud and water spattering all three of them from their wild dash.\u00a0 … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[9,11],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-376","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-chapter-7","category-day-3"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p1EBlN-64","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/awakenings.embklitzke.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/376","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/awakenings.embklitzke.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/awakenings.embklitzke.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/awakenings.embklitzke.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/awakenings.embklitzke.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=376"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"http:\/\/awakenings.embklitzke.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/376\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/awakenings.embklitzke.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=376"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/awakenings.embklitzke.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=376"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/awakenings.embklitzke.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=376"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}