-12 Getting Through the night
Hawkeye helped Margaret up and looked her wrist over.
"Does it hurt?" he asked.
"Yes," she said.
Margaret didn't like this at all. She knew that there was some one there with her. What else could it have been? There was no other explanation to what could have happened to her wrist. She wouldn't do that to herself. She'd also remember that happening if it was an accident from earlier. Her wrist felt like it did have a burning feeling. The room felt very weird to her. She could still feel a presence there with her. She wiped off her face and looked over at Hawkeye who was still looking over her wrist. BJ came over and started to look at it. BJ looked up at her with confusion.
"Do you remember doing anything to it?" he asked.
"No, all I can remember was feeling some one grab it," Margaret said.
"Does it feel like it's broken?" Hawkeye asked.
"No," Margaret said.
Hawkeye sighed.
"Well, come on, you can stay with us tonight. There's an extra cot," Hawkeye said.
Margaret really didn't want to stay in a tent with three men out of fear of what the others would think. On the other hand she really didn't want to be alone in that tent.
"Thank you," she said.
They all three went to the swamp. Once they got there they went to their separate cots. BJ looked over at Frank and noticed that he was watching Margaret.
"We've got a roommate tonight Frank," BJ said.
"A lady can't stay in the same tent with three men. You know what people would say?" Frank asked.
Margaret honestly didn't care about the others right now. Just as long as she was with other people.
"You mean to say that there's a third man in here Frank?" Hawkeye asked.
"We can't have men sneaking into our tent like that. It might start to drive frank crazy," BJ said.
Frank just glared and then turned over to go to sleep. Hawkeye looked over and noticed that Margaret was still nervous.
"Now Margaret, there is absolutely nothing to be afraid of. You've got three," Hawkeye started but then looked over at Frank.
"Two other people here with you," Hawkeye said.
"I think you forgot someone," Frank said with annoyance.
"Who?" Hawkeye asked.
"I think he's talking about that man that snuck in here earlier," BJ said.
"Right, and that man who snuck in," Hawkeye said.
"Wise apples," Frank said.
"Well, let's all try and get some sleep," BJ said.
"Alright," Hawkeye said as he turned the light off.
The tent was dark and silent. Suddenly there was a crash. Margaret jumped up. Hawkeye turned on the light.
"Oh come on," he whined as he discovered that the still had fallen over and shattered as it hit the ground.
Margaret got up and went over to look it over. Once she got there all she could do was stare at it.
"Margaret, this had nothing to do with you," Hawkeye said.
Margaret just backed up and hit the helmet that they kept their water in. She jumped and then turned around.
"Thank God," she said once she saw that it was only the helmet.
She laughed a bit out of nervousness as she looked at herself in the mirror. Her smile faded as she saw a hand come up from behind her shoulder and grab her. Quickly, Margaret turned around, but saw nothing.
"Did you by any chance see that?" she asked.
"See what?" Hawkeye asked.
"The hand. You didn't see anything?" she asked.
"Sorry Margaret," BJ said.
"Oh come on Margaret, there was no hand," Frank said.
"You're right. I'm probably just a little over excited," Margaret said.
Margaret walked back to her cot in a daze trying to convince her self that it was all a coincidence. No matter how hard she tried, in the back of her head she knew that some thing was going on and that there was some one out to get her. Now she wasn't even sure if it was some one that was out to get her. Now it was more like a some thing. Now there was an even bigger question. She knew that the mark on her wrist was real and that the still did truly fall, but what about the hand? Maybe she was over excited. Maybe her imagination just getting to her. Why not? She had just been terrorized. It was normal to feel paranoid after something like that. There was no actual answer. No one could come out and tell her what was real and what was in her head. She laid down.
"Good night Margaret," Hawkeye said.
"Night Margaret," BJ said.
"Good night," she said still in a daze.
The tent was quiet and dark. Something about this setting bothered her. Being with others did make her feel more at ease, but still. The whole thing disturbed her. She had never felt this uneasy. It made her feel like a little child afraid of the monster in the closet. Margaret closed her eyes and tried to calm herself and then slowly dozed off.