August (The Year of The Change Book 2) (5 page)

“We’re not going to be eaten?”

“No, not today.”

She vaguely nodded as my words sunk in. With a deep breath she relaxed a little. Soon, my breathing returned to normal and my heart found a healthier tempo. I was too out of shape. It had been less than two months since my last swim practice. I could feel myself getting soft all over.

Thankfully, Destiny calmed and looked to be somewhat normal again. She blushed and giggled, now self-conscious about her fit of hysteria.

"Whoa!  A wolf, really?" Tim’s eyes and grin fought for dominance of his face.

I nodded my head, but my attention was with Destiny. She jerked her head up, just now aware of the two tagalongs.

"Hey, Tim, let's go back and find the wolf!" Eddy got my attention.

"Yeah! Let's do it!" Only my brother.

I grabbed Tim's pant leg. "Hold on, you two. You're not going back to find the wolf."

"Ah, Sylv, I wanna see the wolf."

Not letting Tim out of my grasp, I stood. If he took off I'd never catch him while dragging Destiny.

"I know you want to see the wolf, but it’s probably miles from here by now." It had been miles from here to start with. I would explain this to him when we were alone. "We've made too much noise, he's long gone."

With all of Destiny's screaming, I doubted there was even one critter left in the area.

"Can't we go back to make sure?" My little brother wasn't about to give up.

"No, we have to figure out where we are." A quick glance around and I noted what looked like four different trails. Human or animal, I wasn’t sure.

"Do you guys remember which trail we came down?" The boys studied the area as I helped Destiny up.

Eddy wandered a few feet down one of the paths. "This kinda looks like it, but I'm not sure."

Tim tried to walk away from me. "Nah, this trail looks more like it." He tugged against my hold. "Let go so I can look."

Reluctantly I released him. "Don't go far."

He huffed at my concern. "You sure are a nag."

I threw a pine cone at him. "Nag? Where'd you pick that up at?"

Tim glanced sideways at Eddy before he grinned and stepped around a tree before I could throw anything else at him. Argh! Just what I needed, Tim to pick up another bratty behavior.

"I don't nag!" I yelled after him.

"Welcome to my world." Destiny dusted off her jeans. "Eddy picked that up from Richard."

Hmm. Richard had a chink in his armor?

I had to do something. "Okay guys, get back here!" The boys raced to my side. "If we go east we should end up somewhere near the main road and we can walk back to our bikes."

Everyone agreed and we took off down what looked like a reasonable trail. I peered in every direction. Nothing looked familiar.

The boys talked on and on about how to tell which way was north by looking at the moss on the trees and many other things they’d learned in Cub Scouts. After about thirty minutes, the trail curved and the sun looked to be in the wrong place. I stopped and looked up and down the path. There wasn’t another trail that we could’ve gotten off on. According to the boys and the moss on the trees, we were now headed north … maybe … if the trees weren’t lying.

I wasn’t sure since the sky was so cloudy and my dad did call me Wrong-Way Sylvia. He called me that just because I always get turned around, no matter where we were. To me, north was south and south was north. Once, I made a mistake that I’ll never live down. Sue was going to be late picking us up, so I’d decided to walk home from the movies. The idea was that Sue would see us along the way and wouldn't have to go as far. I was trying to earn some brownie points. I just knew that if I saved her time she would be happy with me. Unfortunately, I ended up on the opposite side of Midwest City. She may not have noticed I was missing if the twins hadn’t been with me. By the time I figured out we were lost, I couldn't find a telephone we could use. To top it off, we ended up in a bad part of town with the sun going down.

The twins were hungry and very cranky, not to mention scared out of their minds. A policeman found us huddled on a bench in front of a tattoo parlor. Sue had called them when we weren't outside the movie theatre, so they were looking for us. She was furious when she arrived and took us out of the policeman's warm patrol car.

Now, whenever she drops me off somewhere, her last words are, “Meet me right here and don't go anywhere.”

That was three years ago and I figured I would hear the same thing for the rest of my life.

Frustration settled in along with fear. I didn't know exactly where we were. We couldn't keep walking – like I’d done in Midwest City – so I stopped everyone to have a powwow. They all looked to me as their great leader. Some leader. I was more confused than they were. The map wasn’t much help. We weren’t really sure how to read it since we didn’t know which of the squiggly lines was the right trail.

The only thing I could think of doing was to climb a tree to get our bearings. I looked up and considered which tree would be tall enough to see over all the rest. I cringed at the thought of how high they were. The last thing I wanted was to take my feet off the ground.

"I guess I could climb a tree and look to see where the main road is." I studied the lowest limb and hoped to find another way out.

"If you're afraid, I’ll climb it." Tim strode over to the closest tree.

"I'm not afraid." Of course I was afraid, but wasn't willing to admit it. "You're not climbing it, Tim."

Eddy stepped up. "I'm a real fast climber, Richard even says so." Eddy looked like he itched to scale the primordial tree.

Destiny pulled him back. "No way, Eddy, if the fall didn't kill you then Mom would."

It was very tempting to let the boys do the climbing, since they were so eager and all. But there was no way I would want to explain to Sue how Tim broke every bone in his body by falling out of a tree I should’ve climbed. No, I would climb the tree. It would be better if it were my bones that broke. I swallowed hard. Maybe I would fall not far from the ground and only break one bone. I shuddered, not at the idea of a broken bone, but at the idea of the fall. Ridiculous, I know. There was no avoiding it. In the light breeze, the low branch beckoned to me.

A pep talk was what I needed. My inner cheerleader stepped up and shook her pompoms at me.
Intellectually, you know you can climb this tree. You’re strong and agile. You go girl!

I was right, I
can
do this!

RAH!

I hoped.

My trembling legs moved me toward my doom. The others followed as I stepped beside the limb in question. I looked up the towering behemoth of a tree. How could such beauty be so terrifying?

It was then I remembered Tim and Eddy weren’t supposed to be here.

“Tim, didn’t I say you couldn’t come?” He looked down at the ground and his shoulders slumped. “Did you ask your mom?” He shook his head. He looked so pitiful I felt sorry for him. “She’s going to be mad at you. I hope she’s not looking for you right now.” That threat was enough to make a grown man quake if he knew Sue.

I didn’t get too worked up because they didn’t mean any harm. My ire came from having to figure out how to get them home safely. Besides, I was also stalling. It felt as though the tree grew substantially while we stood there. Another look up and my whole body trembled.

A rustle of the underbrush startled me. I grabbed Tim and pulled him behind me. If it was a wild animal, I’d fight to save my bratty little brother with the new bratty behavior. Destiny smothered a scream and I grabbed her wrist to keep her from running away, again. My heart beat wildly at the memory of the giant wolf. From the spot where the rustle came, there emerged two guys.

This was worse!

The first one tall was very muscular, and looked to be about twenty-five. The other was a head shorter with a more wiry build, who looked to be about eighteen, maybe nineteen. Both were Native American.

Destiny relaxed and smiled. This was her dream come true to be rescued by two gorgeous guys. I just hoped this
was
a rescue.

The taller of the two looked so familiar I did a double take. I knew him, but I couldn’t quite place him. His black shiny hair was styled shorter on top and long down the nape of his neck.  His high cheek bones accentuated the deep, dark brown, brooding eyes that glared at us. His muscular chest was bare and he wore hiking shorts with no shoes. He was definitely a jaw-dropper. I wasn’t sure I’d want to run from him. With his physique, I wasn’t sure it would’ve done any good to try. Here was a guy that might be able to outrun me ... maybe even after The Change. He stopped a few yards away and crossed his arms over his chest. He was amazing to look at. Better than any of the Greek statues of gods that I’d seen in all those library books I thumbed through when I should’ve been studying. He was better looking than any of the guys in magazines.

He was so familiar. Where in the world had I seen him? I searched my memory while I waited for my brain and vocal cords to connect.

The wind shifted, blowing from behind the two guys. It ruffled the taller one’s hair. He didn't seem to notice how it blew a lock onto his forehead. My whole body wanted to walk over and brush the hair back into place, any reason to touch him.

My heart revved, my palms were sweaty, there was heat pulsing through me and my knees were weak. I didn’t think I was coming down with the flu … it felt like it was something much more serious.

The need to be evacuated, immediately, pulsed through me.

I dragged my eyes away from the Greek god.

The shorter one had long, straight, dark brown hair down to his shoulders and a big sunny grin spread across his face. I forced myself to keep all my attention on the shorter one, a monumental task with overwhelming odds against my succeeding.

The shorter one stepped right up to us and introduced himself. “Hi, I’m Mike, he’s Eli. What are you girls doing here? Not many people hike this trail.” His casual stance and bright eyes made it easy to warm up to him and trust him. Something I knew I shouldn’t do.

The others looked to me. I still didn’t feel like much of a leader.

Nonetheless, I should speak. “We got lost and I'm not sure which trail is the right one.” Fidgeting with a lock of hair and tried not to look at the one called Eli.

“We came in on the Arrowhead trail, but I’m afraid we’ve gotten turned around somehow.” I glanced over at Destiny and she cringed a little, but not enough for her to stop staring at Mike.

Mike grinned even bigger, “That’s not a problem, we were headed that way. We’ll show you were it is. Isn’t that right, Eli?” He turned to the other guy, all the while keeping his eyes on Destiny.

I liked that name … Eli. Three Dog Night's song “Eli's Coming” played in my head.

They didn’t act affected. Not yet anyway. Whether they showed it or not didn’t matter. They were always affected.

The bigger man just grunted something unintelligible and turned for the trail. Not much for words. The thought of knowing him from somewhere niggled at the back of my brain. He occasionally looked back to make sure we slow pokes still followed. I couldn’t take my eyes off his back because the gnawing wouldn’t go away. I knew him from somewhere. Or did I just want to know him? I hummed Eli's Coming, to myself.

Every muscle in my body ached to be close to him, like they were made of metal and Eli was a super conductor magnet. Attraction and fear duked it out for dominance. By comparison, my infatuations before this moment were just mild crushes. Calvin had been the worst, but this was different. It was more intense, more like … I really didn’t have anything to compare it to. The aching could just be tired muscles pushed to their limit. Nah, it was definitely Eli.

Mike kept the conversation going as he walked beside Destiny, never forgetting I was behind him. He carefully included everyone, even Eli. Eli rarely said anything. When he did, it was short and to the point, or mumbled. What was with him, why was he so unsociable? He probably would’ve preferred being with Destiny, and worried he’d get stuck with me. I didn’t blame him. She was pretty with a great personality. He still didn’t act affected. Wouldn’t it be great if he wasn’t? No! Staying away from him was best until after The Change. Here was something else I had to give up, if I were that lucky. I had a feeling Eli would be worth giving up The Change for. He was too old for me, but that didn't matter, I didn't have a chance with him anyway. Well,
after
The Change I didn't have a chance. Right now I could have him with a smile.

STOP THAT, SYLVIA!
My grandmother’s voice snapped in my head.

Yes, ma’am
.

I didn't want anyone that was affected. I wanted a love like Gram and Gramps had. That was worth waiting for. But still, if he wasn’t affected –

A mental slap stopped that thought before it got out of the barn.

Looking back for the boys, I rerouted my brain waves. Tim and Eddy thought this was ‘
so cool’
. I could hear them whispering and speculating that Mike and Eli were real tribal scouts. They thought the guys were ‘
way cool’
. It was a good thing the two young men couldn’t hear the two younger boys as the talk got wilder and wilder.