Thats what you get for trying to take charge, Hayley said.
No kidding.
We made it to a grassy clearing, but Corey was in a lot of pain. Walking was only making it worse.
Getting to a higher spot to look around is a good idea, I said after we sat him down. Well find a tree while you rest
Whoa, wait. Corey started struggling to his feet. Im okay. Ill be slow, but I can move.
He doesnt want to be alone, Hayley said. You know how he is. Leave him alone and he discovers hes not as much fun as he thinks he is.
Corey shot her the finger. She was right, thoughCorey really wasnt one for enjoying his own company. People seemed to feed his bottomless well of energy.
Ill stay with him, Nicole said.
Daniel nodded. Hayley and Sam, you guys should stay, too. Mayas going to be the one scaling a tree. Kenjii and I will stand point, but everyone else should rest. We wont go far. Plenty of trees nearby.
Hayley agreed to stay behind. Sam did not. Daniel seemed annoyed, but she didnt get the hint. In the end, it was easiest to let her come.
Theres something I need to talk to you guys about, Sam said once we were out of earshot of the others. About what happened on the helicopter.
You did an amazing job, Daniel said. If it wasnt for you
None of us would be here, I said.
She went scarlet at that, and trudged along for a few minutes before she continued, Its not that. Its about when the pilot was knocked out. What you did, Daniel.
Daniel didnt get within three feet of him, I said.
Thats what I mean. All he did was yell.
I must have startled him, Daniel said.
Except that Daniel had done the same thing when we were escaping the fire. Whatever it was, he hadnt just yelled loud enough to startle the men. Not when it happened twice. But Daniel stared at us with honest confusion.
Its not important right now, I said.
Actually, it might Sam shook her head. Youre right. It can wait.
SX
WE DIDNT GO FAR from the others. My sense of direction in the forest was uncanny, as my dad always saidalong with my ability to find my way back to a spotbut I wasnt relying on that now.
I stopped under a huge tree and said, Im going up. Ill look for lights.
Daniel boosted me to the nearest branch. Tree climbing here isnt easy. Many redwoods are like telephone poles vaulting to a canopy of greener limbs way over our heads. Its a matter of finding the right tree to shimmyup.
What made this climb difficult wasnt the tree itself. Id spent the last couple of hours trying to forget what happened on the helicopter. What happened to Rafe.
Thatd been easy when we had to keep everyone moving forward. But when I went up the tree, it reminded me of our climbs together. I could hear his laughter, feel that strange pulse, as if I could sense his heart beating. He seemed to be right beside me, and if I just looked over, Id see him there, grinning and
More than once, I almost gave up and slid back down. Told them I couldnt do it. I was too tired. The tree was too difficult.
I let a few tears fall. I caught my breath. And I kept going. Rafe had died to save me, and now I had to help save everyone else.
I climbed as high as I could, past the point where I heard Sam say to Daniel, Should she be going that high?
Near the trees crown, I looked out and my heart plummeted into my soaked sneakers. Trees. Thats what I saw. An endless expanse of inky black trees.
I stayed up there for about ten minutes, straining for any sign of light, even the flicker of headlights on a distant road. Then I climbed back down.
Its dark, I said, after I leaped to the ground.
Um, yeah, Sam said. Its night. How the hell you expected to see anything She stopped as she realized what I was really saying. Oh.
Ill try again in the morning.
But we all knew that if thered been any houses or inhabited cabins nearby, I should have been able to spot light.
We trudged back to the others and told them.
There must be people out there somewhere, I said when we finished. Were not in the middle of Alaska. The nearest house cant be more than ten, fifteen kilometers away.
Which Corey cant walk with his busted knee, Hayley said.
I know. Thats why well split up in the morning. I can move fastfifteen kilometers isnt even a half-marathon.
Ill go with you, Daniel said. I can keep up. For tonight, though, we need to get someplace more sheltered.
I nodded. Well need to find a stream, too. Fresh water.
You mean we have to go farther into the forest? Corey said. We got off that island for you, but Im not sure we should be hiding so far away that we wont see a real rescue team if they come.
And so it began. Round two of the great debate. Once again, we split along the same linesSam, Daniel, and I wanted to push on, while Corey, Nicole, and Hayley wanted to stay. Daniel could have swayed Corey. But he was injured and we couldnt bring ourselves to insist he tramp through the forest in agony.
No kidding.
We made it to a grassy clearing, but Corey was in a lot of pain. Walking was only making it worse.
Getting to a higher spot to look around is a good idea, I said after we sat him down. Well find a tree while you rest
Whoa, wait. Corey started struggling to his feet. Im okay. Ill be slow, but I can move.
He doesnt want to be alone, Hayley said. You know how he is. Leave him alone and he discovers hes not as much fun as he thinks he is.
Corey shot her the finger. She was right, thoughCorey really wasnt one for enjoying his own company. People seemed to feed his bottomless well of energy.
Ill stay with him, Nicole said.
Daniel nodded. Hayley and Sam, you guys should stay, too. Mayas going to be the one scaling a tree. Kenjii and I will stand point, but everyone else should rest. We wont go far. Plenty of trees nearby.
Hayley agreed to stay behind. Sam did not. Daniel seemed annoyed, but she didnt get the hint. In the end, it was easiest to let her come.
Theres something I need to talk to you guys about, Sam said once we were out of earshot of the others. About what happened on the helicopter.
You did an amazing job, Daniel said. If it wasnt for you
None of us would be here, I said.
She went scarlet at that, and trudged along for a few minutes before she continued, Its not that. Its about when the pilot was knocked out. What you did, Daniel.
Daniel didnt get within three feet of him, I said.
Thats what I mean. All he did was yell.
I must have startled him, Daniel said.
Except that Daniel had done the same thing when we were escaping the fire. Whatever it was, he hadnt just yelled loud enough to startle the men. Not when it happened twice. But Daniel stared at us with honest confusion.
Its not important right now, I said.
Actually, it might Sam shook her head. Youre right. It can wait.
SX
WE DIDNT GO FAR from the others. My sense of direction in the forest was uncanny, as my dad always saidalong with my ability to find my way back to a spotbut I wasnt relying on that now.
I stopped under a huge tree and said, Im going up. Ill look for lights.
Daniel boosted me to the nearest branch. Tree climbing here isnt easy. Many redwoods are like telephone poles vaulting to a canopy of greener limbs way over our heads. Its a matter of finding the right tree to shimmyup.
What made this climb difficult wasnt the tree itself. Id spent the last couple of hours trying to forget what happened on the helicopter. What happened to Rafe.
Thatd been easy when we had to keep everyone moving forward. But when I went up the tree, it reminded me of our climbs together. I could hear his laughter, feel that strange pulse, as if I could sense his heart beating. He seemed to be right beside me, and if I just looked over, Id see him there, grinning and
More than once, I almost gave up and slid back down. Told them I couldnt do it. I was too tired. The tree was too difficult.
I let a few tears fall. I caught my breath. And I kept going. Rafe had died to save me, and now I had to help save everyone else.
I climbed as high as I could, past the point where I heard Sam say to Daniel, Should she be going that high?
Near the trees crown, I looked out and my heart plummeted into my soaked sneakers. Trees. Thats what I saw. An endless expanse of inky black trees.
I stayed up there for about ten minutes, straining for any sign of light, even the flicker of headlights on a distant road. Then I climbed back down.
Its dark, I said, after I leaped to the ground.
Um, yeah, Sam said. Its night. How the hell you expected to see anything She stopped as she realized what I was really saying. Oh.
Ill try again in the morning.
But we all knew that if thered been any houses or inhabited cabins nearby, I should have been able to spot light.
We trudged back to the others and told them.
There must be people out there somewhere, I said when we finished. Were not in the middle of Alaska. The nearest house cant be more than ten, fifteen kilometers away.
Which Corey cant walk with his busted knee, Hayley said.
I know. Thats why well split up in the morning. I can move fastfifteen kilometers isnt even a half-marathon.
Ill go with you, Daniel said. I can keep up. For tonight, though, we need to get someplace more sheltered.
I nodded. Well need to find a stream, too. Fresh water.
You mean we have to go farther into the forest? Corey said. We got off that island for you, but Im not sure we should be hiding so far away that we wont see a real rescue team if they come.
And so it began. Round two of the great debate. Once again, we split along the same linesSam, Daniel, and I wanted to push on, while Corey, Nicole, and Hayley wanted to stay. Daniel could have swayed Corey. But he was injured and we couldnt bring ourselves to insist he tramp through the forest in agony.
