Chapter 19: Rogues

Summary: Dakota meets a new person in the woods. He finds they have many things in common.

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Dakota kicked the icy water and felt around for a stone. After David left, he had pondered for a long time, then got out of bed and walked to the woods. Here, he played in the creek trying to get his aunt's death out of his mind.

It only dragged his mind back to Julia.

His hand found a smooth stone. Straightening up he prepared to skip it, but his emotions got the best of him. He threw the rock so hard at a thick branch that it snapped and fell beside the creek.


"Wow, good arm."


Dakota spun around and lost his balance on the slippery stone. The water bit in to him through his pants. He sprung back up, scrambled to the shore, and looked up at the voice.

A young woman, not much older than he, stood before him. Her white brows pushed together in a concerned look and she bent down to him.


"I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to, make you do that," she said.


Dakota studied her for a moment before he answered. His mind felt her out and her whole life flashed before his eyes. She held it completely open to him. She's safe, he thought.

"It's OK, I probably shouldn't be standing in the middle of a creek in this weather anyway," he replied.


"I'm Sharla," she extended a small hand to him.


"I'm Dakota." He replied. "Sharla huh? I think I heard Stephanie mention your name, you sing at that coffee house right?" Dakota said.


"Yeah, my family and I just moved here," she smiled. "What about you? I've never heard Stephanie mention your name before."


"That's because I just moved here and I just met her last night," Dakota said.


For an instant Dakota's mind reached into hers.

/Are you hiding something too? /


/Yes. /


He looked her directly in the eyes. She too could talk telepathically.


/You're hiding? /


/Yeah. /


/Is this safe? /


/Maybe not. Anyone could be listening. Someone powerful enough could catch our thoughts a mile away if they were listening for them. /


"Is there anywhere safe?"


Her voice sounded loud outside his head, and the secure feeling depleted. "No."


For a moment they looked at each other in silence, exchanging unsaid words. Their thoughts could no longer mingle.


"I have to get to work," Sharla said. She stood, still holding his eyes.


He stood to. "Maybe we can talk sometime, you know, about...stuff."


"Sure." She dug through her purse, pulled out a piece of paper, and wrote something down. "Here's my number." She handed it to him. He ripped the paper in half and wrote his down for her.

Sharla then leaned close.

"We fugitives should stick together."


Then she faded into the woods. Dakota stood for a long time after going over their conversation in his head.


Dear God please help that to not have been a mistake.