2 weeks, 1 day
She was passed out next to the fifth stone, curled around it.
The evening was falling quickly, and the setting of the sun cast a warm golden light on the camp. It was beautiful, if he didn’t look directly at the bloodstains, but the landscape did not take precedence over his Guardian.
He hovered warily over her, watching her chest rise up and down. Up, down. Up, down. That’s all he wanted.
The ground started to shake very very lightly. After a few seconds, it was picking up in speed.
“Cal, come on. Wake up. Wake up now. Wake up!”
Her hand twitched slightly, but she showed no progression of consciousness. The ground shook even more.
“Come on Cal, PLEASE!” His voice rose in panic, the shadow of the ship entering his peripheral. “WAKE UP!”
Her heart rate tick inside his shell started to pick up the pace, but not nearly fast enough. They would see her. And she’d be the sixth grave.
“Come on, comeoncomeoncomeON.” In a final moment of conviction, he sped himself towards her face, slamming into her cheek hard. “CAL!”
She startled awake, hand flying to her cheek. Her head turned wildly trying to understand her surroundings.
“Back into the trees! Now! Get up!”
She scrambled to her feet, hopping over the stone and crouching in the underbrush. “I passed out.” It was more of a confirmation.
“Shh.”
The ship passed over them at its meandering speed, the now-defining smoke trail settling over the camp. She leaned on the tree next to her to watch it pass. When the rumble started to fade, she let go of the breath she was holding.
“That was too close.”
She knew he was right. “I could’ve played dead.”
“Or they’d shoot you for good measure and you’d be dead anyway.”
Also right.
“We’ve…” She tried to drain the fear from herself. “We’ve got to go. Further. I’ll...see if I can’t find something from the camp I can use. Then we’ll go.”
“Cal...take a minute. Just hang on.”
“I took several minutes. It almost got me blown up.”
Argo appeared in front of her, tilting his shell the way he always did when she got scared. “You’re okay. We lived. Just breathe for a second.”
She put her hands over her face. “I’m sorry.”
“No, it’s okay. Don’t cry. I’m okay. You’re okay.”
“I just wanted to be good.” She kneeled down to the ground, trying hard not to cry too loud. “I don’t want to die.”