Never having been more scared in my life, we walk in the direction of the forest where the outlaws Avery and Nick live. The entire capitol, that being the city, the suburbs, and the slave territories, is quiet. Only a few guards are out, and Jamie makes sure we steer clear of them.
After a few minutes in the suburbs, Timberlake starts bleating, so Carrie hands me her pack, scoops up the goat, and carries her while holding her mouth shut. Timberlake continues struggling, and I watch on in worry as they try to keep her still. She pulls her snout out of Carrie's hand and starts bleating loudly. I cover my ears, although it doesn't hurt my ears and I don't know what help it is. Knowing that hardly anyone lives in the suburbs anymore, Jamie opens a door and we walk inside a house. Carrie sets Timberlake down and calms her, while Jamie paces.
"That goat is more trouble than she's worth." Jamie says.
"We're not leavin' her." Carrie says.
"No, we aren't." Jamie replies. "We'll see her again." She grabs a long strip of fabric out of Carrie's bag, takes the lead off Timberlake, and ties the fabric around Timberlake's neck.
"What are you doing?" I ask.
"Sending a message to someone." She replies, opens the door carefully, and watches Timberlake walk back towards the city. "Let's move."
With the Timberlake thing leaving me more confused now than ever, I trail slightly behind the cousins, thinking about Gorgol, which leads to thinking about that big room, then being dragged there by Jeb, and finally Melvin. If we're heading north, will I ever see him again? Will I ever get to say goodbye to him if that's true? Or will I leave my only real friend alone in the world, like he always has been with Jeb as his master?
When we reach the wheat fields of a slave owner, we walk cautiously on the edges, hidden slightly by outer stalks of wheat. At the end of his field, we meet the edge of the forest. The dark, terrifying forest that Avery and Nick somehow manage to live in.
"Ready?" Jamie puts a hand on my shoulder, and I look out past this field, to where I can just see the tops of the peach trees where less than a week ago, I was listening to terrible quality music, then was busted for trespassing by Melvin. Over to the suburbs, where I have faint memories of being told stories by Howard that only he could know, because they were so outrageous. And finally stare at one house, that seems too familiar for me to not be connected to it, in some way. With it's broken porch with an area underneath, as I look at it, I hear thunder crack in my head. That house is bad. But somehow, I don't want to leave it. I don't want to leave everything I've ever known for northern territories. But I have no choice. So I tell a lie with one word. One syllable. One confirmation.
"Yes."
We continue until half an hour before sun high, when Jamie and I are exhausted. I haven't been this tired in a long time. Carrie is tired, but she's been sleeping better than Jamie and me. Still in the forest, we're anxious about stopping, but too worn to continue on. I sit down on a rock, wondering if I'll ever be able to get up again.
"We just have a little longer until we reach the place where I know we'll be safe, at least for a night." Jamie says, rubbing her eyes.
"How much is a little?" I ask.
"It's really only about five minutes walking." She says. Carrie grabs my arm and pulls me up as I groan. We continue, until we reach a large tree that fell, but is leaning on another, stiffer, tree.
"This is safety?" Carrie asks. "'Cause it looks to me like a dead chunk a wood leanin' against a live one." Jamie shoots her a look.
"We're just meeting someone here, Carrie." She says. I sit on the ground, not caring about my pants getting filthy, or the icky bugs that might crawl on me. I lean against a tree and start to fall asleep, until a hand shakes me awake, my eyes snap open, and Jamie is there.
"Norma, I'd like you to meet-" She motions to two people I already know.
"Nick and Avery." I finish her sentence. "I know these guys!"
"Y-you do?" Jamie says, surprised.
"Yeah, I'm just wondering how you do." I say.
"When my parents died, Papa Yearwood looked after us." Nick says. I nod.
"Well you guys look worn out." Avery says. "What do you say we rest until morning, then you guys can be on your way?" Jamie nods, then Avery and Nick lead the way to their cave. Nick already has some food prepared, probably so we won't have to have smoke while here. But I don't even want to eat. I just lie down, and hope that when I wake up, the past few days have been nothing but a horrible dream.
When I do in fact wake up, that hope has kicked the bucket.
I suppose I should be happy. I think as Jamie wakes up Carrie. I mean, I've been wondering about what lies beyond the Capitol. And if we do end up fighting for our freedom from Gorgol, won't it be a good thing if we win? But what about the safety of Melvin, Carrie, and Jamie, the only three people I know well enough to love? Will they be safe?
"Remember, you can always ask for help from us." Carrie tells Avery and Nick.
"Same to you." Avery says. "We owe it to your father."
Even though Jamie promises it won't be long, we leave at sunrise and don't stop until noon, and that's only to eat. Jamie hands us each some cheese, and Carrie decides that while Jamie and I eat, she's collecting pine nuts.
"Why?" I ask.
"They're edible." Carrie says. After she's done removing the seeds and shell, she hands one to Jamie, who just looks at it, then at Carrie. "Come on."
"I can't believe I'm doing this." Jamie says, then bites it. Off the bat, it's obvious she doesn't like it, but she chews it quickly then swallows. I pass on the pine.
It's past sunset when we reach what is apparently our destination, several abandoned cabins near one large abandoned building. We walk up to one of the cabins, all of which have red roofs and green walls, both covered in moss and weeds. Jamie peers inside the window, then opens the door. Inside, separate from 6 bunk beds, a counter with two worn out sinks in it, and a toilet room, a girl is sitting on a bed, then jumps up when she sees us. Carrie is surprised, not knowing who she is, and I smile because she looks friendly enough.
"Girls," Jamie says. "This is Rayna Klaga."
A/N: I know! but don't worry. explanations next chapter, i promise!
also, I have a question for you guys: how would you feel about some Scentern 2 later on? And I want everyone to give me their opinion, because I have more followers on this story than reviewers so I don't know if you like what I'm doing.