{"id":788,"date":"2011-10-24T00:00:03","date_gmt":"2011-10-24T04:00:03","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/awakenings.embklitzke.com\/?p=788"},"modified":"2011-10-24T10:10:37","modified_gmt":"2011-10-24T14:10:37","slug":"day-18-chapter-11-10","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/awakenings.embklitzke.com\/?p=788","title":{"rendered":"Day 18 – Chapter 11 – 10"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cNext time you volunteer us to go help look for someone, make sure you ask if they\u2019re in the ravine first,\u201d Davon grunted as he hauled Jacqueline up over the muddy lip of the ravine.\u00a0 \u201cAnd if they are, tell me before you volunteer us.\u201d
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cOh, stop whining,\u201d she grumbled as she dusted herself off as best she could and looked around at the thick mist surrounding them.\u00a0 \u201cYou didn\u2019t say no<\/em>.\u201d
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cNo, I didn\u2019t say no.\u201d
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Jacqueline frowned.\u00a0 She could hear something faintly beneath the rolling thunder.
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cBut I should have said no.\u201d
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cShh!\u201d\u00a0 She waved a hand to shut him up, squinting through the mist and listening harder.\u00a0 What is\u2014no.\u00a0 Oh no.<\/em>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 The air around her turned to ice and something swatted both of them down into the mud, she half on top of Davon.
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cWhat the hell?\u201d\u00a0 Davon shouted, mostly at her.
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Jacqueline scrambled to her feet.\u00a0 \u201cSomeone\u2019s screaming.\u201d\u00a0 She slipped in the mud as she pitched forward, stumbling the first few steps until she hit a dead run.
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cScreaming?\u201d\u00a0 Davon said, slipping as much as she was.\u00a0 She scrambled across the mud until she hit less sodden ground, working her way through the churning mist toward the tents.
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 It was like she couldn\u2019t move fast<\/em> enough, something urging her to get there faster, knowing in her pounding heart that something wasn\u2019t right.\u00a0 \u201cYes,\u201d she shouted back at Davon as she ran, \u201cscreaming.\u201d
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 After that, she saved her breath to keep on running.
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 She could almost feel a sense of oily blackness licking at the very edges of her perceptions, skin crawling, prickling as the mist writhed and churned around her.\u00a0 Those mists parted almost reluctantly as she dashed toward the blue and white tent, opening a clear path a few feet ahead of her at a time.
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Jacqueline tripped over a pile of rocks and went down.\u00a0 The feeling of pins and needles shot through her foot and calf as fell.
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 She blinked in surprise, glancing toward the now-scattered pile of rocks.\u00a0 I don\u2019t know what that was, but it was <\/em>something.<\/em>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Davon caught up with her and hooked his hands under her armpits, hauling her back to her feet.\u00a0 Jacqueline nodded her thanks and started running full-tilt toward the tents again.
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Someone screamed and she uttered a rare curse under her breath.
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 A man was shouting, too, among the screaming.\u00a0 Then there were other sounds, sounds she couldn\u2019t quite identify.
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Whatever they were, the sounded mean<\/em>.
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 And hungry.
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cWhat the hell is going on up there?\u201d\u00a0 Davon shouted.
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cDon\u2019t know!\u201d\u00a0 It was wasted breath, and she almost regretted it.\u00a0 They were so close now\u2026
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 A short, gray blur blindsided her, plowing into her hip.\u00a0 She stumbled sideways into the mist, half spinning around and going down to one knee.\u00a0 Behind her, Davon cried out and hit the ground with a thud, struggling against something she couldn\u2019t quite see.
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cGet off!\u201d\u00a0 Davon shouted as he struggled.
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 She couldn\u2019t see<\/em> anything there, and from the look in his eye, she could tell he couldn\u2019t see anything, either.
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Something clouted her over the ear so hard she saw stars.\u00a0 Darkness nibbled at the edges of her vision and something started trying to shove her all the way down to the ground.
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 The mists surged around them, shrieking.
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 The pressure vanished.\u00a0 She came to her feet again and pounded onward toward the tents.
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Huge, ugly shadows that felt wrong<\/em> were near the tents, moving with speed shadows never<\/em> had.
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 What are those?<\/em>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 She heard another scream, saw the source.\u00a0 Marin and Kellin were facing those shadows, just shy of the tent\u2019s perimeter, being slowly forced back to back, and surrounded.\u00a0 Kellin was yelling something to Marin that Jacqueline couldn\u2019t quite hear as she kept on coming.
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 More shouting came from the far side of the tent.\u00a0 Jacqueline could recognize J.T.\u2019s voice, now, along with Matt and Thom\u2019s and Carolyn\u2019s.
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Then one of the shadows struck Kellin.\u00a0 Her cry of pain and surprise ended in a gurgle.
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Everything went into slow-motion.
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Marin whirled toward Kellin as she collapsed.
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 J.T. came barreling toward the shadows, waving a claymore that once upon a time only saw the light of day during Renaissance festivals.\u00a0 Their circle scattered, though only slightly, refocusing on J.T. and the others running to the rescue.
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 And from the back came Jacqueline, breath burning in her throat and heart pounding so hard and so fast she thought it was going to burst right out of her chest.\u00a0 She skidded to a stop and dropped to her knees next to Kellin, whose shirt was already covered in blood, her mouth moving as if she couldn\u2019t draw air into her lungs.
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Marin\u2019s hands were plastered over Kellin\u2019s throat and her frightened eyes met Jacqueline\u2019s.
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Oh crap.\u00a0 Oh crap.\u00a0 Oh crap.<\/em>\u00a0 Blood welled through Marin\u2019s fingers.
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Kellin stared up at them both, panic and resignation in her eyes.
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 No.\u00a0 No, not here, not now, not when we still need you!\u00a0 So help me god, this isn\u2019t going to happen today.<\/em>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Jacqueline shoved Marin\u2019s hands aside.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ve got this!\u00a0 Go help the others.\u201d
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Marin blinked mutely at her for a moment, then scrambled to her feet and was gone.
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 The wound was deep\u2014she could feel that much under her hands\u2014and bloody.\u00a0 Whatever had cut it had gone deep.\u00a0 A killing wound, but not instant.\u00a0 Not deep enough for that.
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 A bleed-out, then, or suffocation.\u00a0 Whichever happened first.
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Jacqueline shuddered at her own clinicism.\u00a0 But it was forcing clarity on her, which she needed.
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Not on my watch.\u00a0 Please, God, help me now.\u00a0 I\u2019ve never asked for anything like this, so I hope you\u2019re listening now.\u00a0 Please help me do this.\u00a0 Please.<\/em>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Kellin\u2019s lips were moving now.\u00a0 Jacqueline strained to make out the words as she felt warmth growing inside of herself, from her heart and spreading out through the rest of her.
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cLet me go,\u201d Kellin was saying.
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cNot today, Kel,\u201d Jacqueline said as light chased down her arms toward her friend\u2019s slashed throat.\u00a0 \u201cNot today.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n

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\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cNext time you volunteer us to go help look for someone, make sure you ask if they\u2019re in the ravine first,\u201d Davon grunted as he hauled Jacqueline up over the muddy lip of the ravine.\u00a0 \u201cAnd if they are, … 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":[30,29],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-788","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-chapter-11","category-day-18"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p1EBlN-cI","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/awakenings.embklitzke.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/788","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=788"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"http:\/\/awakenings.embklitzke.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/788\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":796,"href":"http:\/\/awakenings.embklitzke.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/788\/revisions\/796"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/awakenings.embklitzke.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=788"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/awakenings.embklitzke.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=788"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/awakenings.embklitzke.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=788"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}