One Way Ticket
Camp
Rachel was not in a good mood. She was tired, sweaty, and knew her feet would be covered in blisters. Turner had led them to the base of the cliffs where they decided to make camp as the sun was setting. They found a small clearing at the edge of the jungle where they gathered up some wood and branches to start a fire using a lighter.
She sat huddled close to the small fire with her arms wrapped around her knees. Taylor sat next to her, prodding the wood on the fire with a flimsy looking stick. Cian had wandered off without a word in where he was going, and Turner had gone to look for more wood and have a look around. Paige was the only one who remained optimistic.
"We'll find a way up tomorrow," Paige sounded almost cheerful as she sat down across from Rachel at the fire, taking a bite of a granola bar. "Once we get a fire started it'll be impossible for rescue not to find us."
"I don't have any water left." Taylor suddenly announced, holding up her empty water bottle and completely ignoring Paige.
"We'll find water," Paige replied after a short pause, although she looked a little unsure. "I don't have much left either, but we'll find a stream somewhere."
Taylor rolled her eyes and began writing something in the dirt with her finger. Rachel looked up when she heard someone approaching and spotted Cian coming towards them, looking tired.
"Where were you?" she asked, although it didn't really matter to her. If he had been wandering around, he might have seen signs of fresh water.
"Just looking around," Cian replied, eyebrows raised slightly as he reached for his backpack and took out some water and a couple of granola bars and trail mix that he passed around.
Rachel took a handful of the trail mix and started eating it; it was better than nothing. For a few minutes the group sat in silence as they ate until Paige spoke up again, in attempt to get conversation going.
"So are you guys from Australia?" Paige asked, tossing a couple more sticks on the fire. The dark of the night was coming quickly and the fire would be their only good source of light and heat.
"I went to stay with my cousins," Taylor replied though she sounded bored with the topic as she drew something in the dirt and erased it with a swipe of her hand. "I'm from Toronto, but my parents were moving across Canada while I was with my cousins."
"Where did they move to?" Rachel asked curiously, gazing at the flames flickering up from the fire, wondering vaguely if Turner had gotten lost.
"Calgary." Taylor said with a disgusted look on her face although no one noticed.
"I've been there a few times," Rachel replied conversationally. "I grew up around Vancouver but I've been going to University in Queensland."
"I'm originally from Oregon, just came down to stay with Rachel and fly back with her when she headed back home," Paige explained as she took a stick and prodded the fire to get it burning more.
The group fell silent; Cian offered no explanation on where he was going or if he was from Australia and no one asked. After awhile Taylor curled up near the fire and closed her eyes, while Rachel, Paige and Cian continued to watch the fire. As the night drew on it continued to get darker until they could hardly see around the clearing.
Suddenly Rachel heard some bushes rustling nearby. She opened her eyes and looked around, attempting to squint through the darkness but was unsuccessful. She glanced to the others, who were also alert apart from Taylor who had fallen asleep. Paige gripped the stick she'd been poking the fire with as if to use it to ward off any unwanted animals. Finally a tall figure stepped into the clearing and with relief Rachel realized it was Turner.
"Where were you?" she asked, unable to keep out the hint of annoyance.
"Just taking a look around," he explained. There was some light coming from his hand and she realized he'd been using a cell phone's back light to see. "I think I've found a way up, but it was difficult to see in the dark. It's not far from here."
"Any sign of fresh water?" Cian asked, speaking for the first time in over an hour.
"I didn't see any, but I saw some signs that there might be. It'll be easier to see when there's light," Turner explained as he broke a couple of branches and tossed them on the fire. "You should get some rest, we have some climbing to do tomorrow."
Rachel groaned inwardly, but felt better that Turner had returned. She laid down by the fire as exhaustion overtook her and closed her eyes, feeling the slight warmth from the fire as she drifted off into sleep.
She sat huddled close to the small fire with her arms wrapped around her knees. Taylor sat next to her, prodding the wood on the fire with a flimsy looking stick. Cian had wandered off without a word in where he was going, and Turner had gone to look for more wood and have a look around. Paige was the only one who remained optimistic.
"We'll find a way up tomorrow," Paige sounded almost cheerful as she sat down across from Rachel at the fire, taking a bite of a granola bar. "Once we get a fire started it'll be impossible for rescue not to find us."
"I don't have any water left." Taylor suddenly announced, holding up her empty water bottle and completely ignoring Paige.
"We'll find water," Paige replied after a short pause, although she looked a little unsure. "I don't have much left either, but we'll find a stream somewhere."
Taylor rolled her eyes and began writing something in the dirt with her finger. Rachel looked up when she heard someone approaching and spotted Cian coming towards them, looking tired.
"Where were you?" she asked, although it didn't really matter to her. If he had been wandering around, he might have seen signs of fresh water.
"Just looking around," Cian replied, eyebrows raised slightly as he reached for his backpack and took out some water and a couple of granola bars and trail mix that he passed around.
Rachel took a handful of the trail mix and started eating it; it was better than nothing. For a few minutes the group sat in silence as they ate until Paige spoke up again, in attempt to get conversation going.
"So are you guys from Australia?" Paige asked, tossing a couple more sticks on the fire. The dark of the night was coming quickly and the fire would be their only good source of light and heat.
"I went to stay with my cousins," Taylor replied though she sounded bored with the topic as she drew something in the dirt and erased it with a swipe of her hand. "I'm from Toronto, but my parents were moving across Canada while I was with my cousins."
"Where did they move to?" Rachel asked curiously, gazing at the flames flickering up from the fire, wondering vaguely if Turner had gotten lost.
"Calgary." Taylor said with a disgusted look on her face although no one noticed.
"I've been there a few times," Rachel replied conversationally. "I grew up around Vancouver but I've been going to University in Queensland."
"I'm originally from Oregon, just came down to stay with Rachel and fly back with her when she headed back home," Paige explained as she took a stick and prodded the fire to get it burning more.
The group fell silent; Cian offered no explanation on where he was going or if he was from Australia and no one asked. After awhile Taylor curled up near the fire and closed her eyes, while Rachel, Paige and Cian continued to watch the fire. As the night drew on it continued to get darker until they could hardly see around the clearing.
Suddenly Rachel heard some bushes rustling nearby. She opened her eyes and looked around, attempting to squint through the darkness but was unsuccessful. She glanced to the others, who were also alert apart from Taylor who had fallen asleep. Paige gripped the stick she'd been poking the fire with as if to use it to ward off any unwanted animals. Finally a tall figure stepped into the clearing and with relief Rachel realized it was Turner.
"Where were you?" she asked, unable to keep out the hint of annoyance.
"Just taking a look around," he explained. There was some light coming from his hand and she realized he'd been using a cell phone's back light to see. "I think I've found a way up, but it was difficult to see in the dark. It's not far from here."
"Any sign of fresh water?" Cian asked, speaking for the first time in over an hour.
"I didn't see any, but I saw some signs that there might be. It'll be easier to see when there's light," Turner explained as he broke a couple of branches and tossed them on the fire. "You should get some rest, we have some climbing to do tomorrow."
Rachel groaned inwardly, but felt better that Turner had returned. She laid down by the fire as exhaustion overtook her and closed her eyes, feeling the slight warmth from the fire as she drifted off into sleep.