“We let our guard down. I'm sorry, gang. That was too close.” Lark was evidently blaming himself for almost being caught.
Domino gave him kiss on the cheek. “Don't. We needed to have a bit of fun.”
“I feel so much better after a wash off,” I replied.
“And Braven and I learned to swim,” exclaimed Vega. “Something I never thought I'd do. Even though I was better than Braven.”
Braven's mouth dropped open.
“Sorry Braven, she's right. You were pretty hilarious.” Fletcher gave him a playful punch in the arm.
“Whatever, at least I tried.” Braven returned the favour.
“What now?” asked Maya looking to Lark.
“Back on the road, I'm afraid. I'd say they're trying to track us. I think we need to reroute. Let's head further west before we cut down towards Eden. We might get lucky and find some dwellings still standing.”
Shelter. Now that was a nice thought.
“Everyone set?” he asked.
“I'll take the water,” said Vega.
“I'll make the path,” I said.
“Looks like I'm bringing up the rear,” added Braven, and we all filed out and away from the waterfall into the dense rainforest.
* * *
When Lark had said we might find our way out of the rainforest, I'd expected it to be sooner. Two days later we were still trekking through the thick growth of vines, trees and plants. My feet throbbed in my boots and my arm ached in its sling. My muscles screamed at me to stop and lay down, but Lark insisted it wasn't much further.
The rain had set in halfway through the day before making the forest floor muddy and hard to walk through. The mud latched onto my boots, making every step that much harder. My wet hair clung to my face so I did my best to push it into my ponytail, but with only one hand it was hard to do. My stomach cramped with hunger, and it didn't seem to matter how much water I drank; my mouth was still dry and sticky. The wash off we'd had near the waterfall was long forgotten, and my clothing was once again damp and sweaty. The raindrops frustrated me, as they blurred my vision. I had to either wipe my face every few steps or look down at the ground.
“Are we there yet?” groaned Fletcher.
Maya had grown in strength and was able to walk on her own, which meant we had more people to rotate through for carrying the water and bags and clearing the path. I was on my break, but Fletcher was hugging a full bottle of water.
“Nearly, I swear. Once we get over the next ridge, the trees should start thinning out. We might even see grass,” he replied.
Grass. I couldn't wait to be in an open area again. The greenery in the rainforest was so dense, at night time I had to take deep breaths to stop panic with the feeling the trees were closing in on me. The noises didn't help either. Not the croaking of the frogs or the chirping of the other bugs and beetles, no. It was the random rustling in the bushes and trees, the cracks of twigs, or the crunch of leaves that had my eyes straining to see through the pitch dark and my ears listening for any animals that might try to eat us. With the memory of the huge cassowary lingering in my thoughts, most nights I was lucky to get a few hours of sleep.
Getting comfortable was nearly impossible; the ground was damp and dirty and my left shoulder was sick of taking up the slack for my bad right shoulder. My neck and back ached from the weight of my arm in the sling, but anytime I tried to do without the support, my shoulder would ache and I'd slide it back in.
Lark picked up speed as he jogged up another ridge. How far we'd walked over the last few days I had no idea. One had been steep on the other side and we'd all slid down on our butts, making our pants all muddy. If I'd known, I wouldn't have let Maya bother washing them at the waterfall.
At the top, Lark turned to us with a smile. Grass, I thought to myself, picking up my pace to make it to the top of the hill without having to use my hands.
As I reached the top, I lost momentum and my feet slipped out. Reaching out with my good hand I caught Lark's, and shot him a smile as he hauled me up the hill.
“Thanks, I'm pretty sick of being muddy,” I replied.
“You and me both. But looks like we might have a chance to get out of this rain for the night.” He pointed down the hill.
I followed Lark's outstretched finger to spot a wooden dwelling at the bottom of the hill we stood on.
“Is that …?” asked Vega as she arrived beside me panting.
“An Earthling house. Let's go check it out,” said Lark.
“What if someone lives there?” asked Fletcher.
“Don't be stupid. All of the Earthlings died, remember?” said Braven.
“Yeah, well, we also thought there were no more helicopters, and we couldn't survive on Earth,” replied Fletcher.
“Touché.” Braven nodded in agreement.
“Fletcher's right, we should scope it out before we all go running down there. Braven, Vega, Domino and Maya, come with me,” Lark instructed.
“What about us?” asked Fletcher.
“You need to watch our gear. We can't be sneaky carrying all of our crap, can we?”
They all crouched down and descended the hill while Fletcher and I found a comfy spot to sit down with our pile of equipment.
“Do you think they'll ever trust us?” Fletcher watched them as they disappeared in separate directions.
“Probably not. We're the babies of the group, plus we're pretty new to this stuff,” I replied.
“We might be new, but we've been thrown into the worst of it and come out the other side. Plus how, old do you think Vega and Braven are? They can't be much older than us, can they? Maya's only twenty-one.”
“Braven said he was seven years older than us. So twenty-three. I'd say Vega's around the same age.”
“Should've realised you would've already worked out how many years there were between you and muscle man.” He nudged me with his shoulder.
“Why are you so obsessed with his muscles? Are you jealous, or do you have the hots for him?” I quipped.
“Very funny. I guess I find guys like him intimidating. If it wasn't for being an Elite's son, girls wouldn't have looked twice at me on Utopia,” he said, pushing his fringe out of his face.
“You're a good-looking guy, Fletch. Sure, being an Elite's son makes you more interesting to some girls, but they wouldn't want a bar of you if you were butt ugly,” I said.
“Good looking, hey? Better than Braven?” He wiggled his eyebrows at me.
I rolled my eyes. “Really? Drop the Braven thing, okay? It's getting old. Besides, he's not my type.”
“What is your type, then?”
I thought on it for a moment. Did it matter anymore? I'd never had anyone interested in me before, so I'd never let myself think of the other boys at school as more than annoying. Now we were hiking through the rainforest on Earth, and I wasn't sure if I'd ever meet another guy again.
“I don't know. I know it's not Braven. He's flirting with me to upset Vega. Those two are weird.” I shook my head.
“Coast is clear,” Lark's voice called from below us.
Chapter Twenty-Four
Lark informed us the dwelling wasn't the normal type of home Earthlings had lived in. Instead, it was a small cottage they used for trips away. The fact people could own more than one home surprised me. Why would people need more than one dwelling to live in?
Once inside, Domino checked us all over, putting ointment on our sore feet and other scratches and bites to fight off infection and covering bigger ones with plaster or bandages. We'd all shed our clothes and lay them out to dry as Vega had discovered some blankets in a cupboard in one of the small bedrooms. The cottage was built from wood and was raised up on stilts so we had to ascend four stairs onto the small porch before making our way inside.
The house consisted of a small bathroom, two bedrooms, a kitchen, and a tiny living area, much like our homes on Utopia. Each room held a double mattress and a chest full of blankets and other variou
s items. The kitchen was stocked with pots and pans, and there was a useable toilet in the bathroom. It was nice to have something resembling the amenities we'd had on Utopia.
Lark said he was surprised how well preserved it was after all of the natural disasters it'd been through, and proceeded to tell us about the giant waves washing in from the ocean and wiping out much of the coastline. His stories were much like my father's had been growing up. Dad had explained the fear and panic as he tried to keep his pregnant wife safe during the final days. How mum had wanted to give birth on Earth so her daughter had at least some connection to the world they'd fled. Lark had been on Earth when the fires began spreading throughout the country. He'd left when the fires came.
“Is that when my parents left? The same time you did?” I asked.
“I was evacuated before your parents. They didn't leave until the floods came. They wanted their child to be born on Earth,” he smiled at me.
“Dad always told me mum wanted me to be born on Earth,” I said. “But I'm not sure how true that was now I know I'm not their real child.”
We sat on the timber floor of the lounge area with Fletcher and Maya. Domino had passed out the moment her head hit her makeshift pillow, and Braven and Vega were on the porch keeping watch.
His story had given me hope maybe everyone had been wrong. Maybe Dad's story was true, and I was their biological child after all.
Lark must've noticed my eyes light up because he was quick to squash my excitement. “Sorry Aurora, I'm afraid they aren't your birth parents, but they had to wait for you to be born before they could take you up to Utopia.”
My heart sunk, and Fletcher gave me a pat on the back.
“So, do you know who my real parents were?” I asked.
“I haven't got a clue. Your dad didn't tell Domino and me until a week before he disappeared.” His smile was sympathetic. “Feels weird saying 'disappeared'. For so long we thought he was dead, and now… can't imagine what you're going through. You've found out so much in such a short amount of time.”
“It's weird. I feel like I should be angry at them for not telling me, but it makes my life make so much more sense. My mum never made an effort to get close to me, so my dad overcompensated. I thought it was because he was always working, but now I think it's because he wasn't my real dad.”
Lark nodded.
“But he was your real dad, Rora,” said Fletcher. “You might not have been born with the same genes but your father loved you more than anything.”
“I wish I knew what your dad meant,” I pondered. “Where could he be? It must be somewhere hard to escape if he didn't come back for mum and me.”
“Maybe he thought you'd be safer. Alber blamed himself, you know…” started Lark.
“For what?” I asked curious.
“For them finding out you weren't Benjamin and Jenifer's biological daughter. Your father had asked him to swap out the blood samples when you turned sixteen. Officer Banks knew Alber and your dad were linked. He ensured Alber was busy and couldn't get anywhere near the testing. Alber felt horrible for letting you and Benjamin down. He would be proud to have lost his life saving yours.” Tears danced in Lark's eyes at the memory of his friend.
“Lark?” Domino's voice called from another room. “I'm not feeling well.”
“I better go see if she's okay. You look after this one, okay?” He looked to Fletcher.
“Yes sir,” Fletcher replied.
As Lark make his way to Domino's side, Vega stepped through the front door with a scowl on her face.
“Think I might go use the bathroom,” said Fletcher. “Will you be okay with her?”
“Sure.” I smirked at him as he wrapped his blanket tighter around his body and left the room.
If we were going to be enduring all of this together, it was about time Vega and I got over whatever her problem was with me. “Everything okay?” I asked her.
“That guy drives me freaking crazy. Stay single, Aurora, stay single forever.” She plonked herself beside me.
I was surprised at how open she was being with me. “I didn't realise you two were together. Domino said you broke up.” I hoped I hadn't dropped Domino in it.
“We aren't, and we did. At least a year ago now. But for some reason, we keep ending up in these sorts of situations together. Sometimes I think the universe is telling me to drop my guard and go out with the guy, then he says something douchey and I want to punch him in the face.” She smiled as she envisioned doing just that.
I laughed, surprised to be enjoying our conversation. “He's doing it to rile you up, you know. Same with the flirtatious things he says to me. It's all to piss you off and get your attention.”
“You see, sometimes I think he's trying to make me jealous. Then you and him get along so well, I think maybe it's more than getting my attention. Is it?” She looked at me waiting for my reply.
“With me? No way. I promise, I have no interest in Braven except to check out his muscles every now and then. He's totally into you.” I held up my good hand in defence.
She let out a loud groan. “His muscles are nice, aren't they?”
“Why did you guys break up? Did something happen?”
She thought on my words for a moment as though arguing with herself in her mind. Maybe she'd realised who she was talking to, the girl she'd hated days before. Or maybe I was being too nosey.
“Your dad happened,” she said.
My eyes widened in shock. “My dad? You and my dad?”
“Me and your dad? Elite's no, oh my, that's not what I meant,” she stressed.
I exhaled, my shoulders relaxing.
“What I mean was, your dad dying is what happened. Here one day, gone the next. My parents had died for the cause when I was young. I was raised by the rebellion, including your dad. I was closer to him than I ever was to my own parents.”
A pang of hurt gripped at my chest. She'd been close to my dad. He'd never mentioned her to me. Was he with her every time he wasn't with his real family… with me?
“When he died, it hit me hard. Why would I want to get close to someone if they were going to die like everyone else I'd ever cared about? So I broke it off with Braven and turned into a right bitch. I don't know why, but I thought if Braven cared about me, he'd wait for me to be ready for a relationship again. But then I was told about him and some of the girls he worked with. I was still at school, and you know what Utopia is like. Rumors spread fast.” She traced patterns in the wooden floor with her finger as she spoke.
“Boys. They have no idea,” I offered.
“Got that right. I was pretty upset at first, but then I decided I wasn't going to let him know I cared. Now we argue, try to make each other jealous, and a minute later we're comforting each other.” She buried her head in her hands.
“I wish I knew what to say. I'm the last person to offer relationship advice. The only guy I've ever been close to is Fletcher,” I confessed.
“What is the go with you two?” She glanced up at me.
“We've been friends for as long as I can remember. We grew up together. He's my best friend.”
“That's all?” she pried.
For some reason I was more comfortable talking about her private life than my own. Fletcher and I had always been friends, nothing more. Why did everyone always have to question it?
“Yeah, I think so.” I think so? I must've needed some sleep, my brain wasn't working properly.
I was sure Vega picked up on what I'd, said but she decided not to pry any further as Fletcher rejoined us.
“I'm off to get some sleep, I suggest you two do the same.” Vega rose from the ground and disappeared into one of the rooms.
“You two seemed chummy,” said Fletcher.
“You know, under all the hard-ass-bitch crap, Vega's a nice girl.”
“Okay, you need some sleep. You're losing your mind,” joked Fletcher.
I would've argued, but I decided he was right. I wasn't making
any sense. Maybe a good night's sleep would help.
“Keen to share a bed for old time's sake?” he offered.
“What about Domino and Lark?” I asked.
“They made up a bed on the porch. Domino needed fresh air.”
He held out his hand and I grabbed it so he could help me to my feet. When I rose, we stood face-to-face for a moment, our noses millimeters apart. I stared into his deep brown eyes. Could I ever like Fletcher more than a friend? I'd never entertained the idea before. No, we couldn't. We'd been friends for too long. I was letting the events of the week and the questions from Vega get into my head.
“Lead the way,” I whispered with a nervous smirk.
“This way, madam.” He turned and led me to the empty bedroom.
* * *
It was hard to tell how long I'd slept when I awakened with a start by a crack of thunder. Wind whipped at the side of the small cottage, making it creak and moan. Fletcher lay next to me on his stomach, his mouth partly open and a little bit of drool coming out.
The night before, I'd thought I could find him attractive. “Thanks for the perspective, Fletcher,” I whispered to myself.
I rolled onto my side, facing the wall in an attempt to ignore the flashes of lightning spreading light through the small room. There was no way I was going to fall back to sleep with the rush of the rain and loud rumbles of thunder. How Fletcher could sleep through it was beyond me. At least the storm had brought a reprise from the sticky heat. The air was much cooler, and the air smelt crisp and fresh from the rain.
It'd never rained on Utopia, though I'd learned about the bizarre weather on Earth leading up to the evacuation, and part of me thought Utopians were missing out if they'd never experienced the show the sky put on for a thunderstorm. Although it was a show I preferred to watch from the safety of a porch or window, they weren't so much fun when you were trudging through the rainforest.
Climbing from my bed, I pulled on my now dry, long pants and a singlet before padding out the door and down the short hall to the living room. Everyone apart from Fletcher was sitting in a circle, deep in discussion.
Utopia (Secrets of Aurora Book 1) Page 19