Chapter 11
KARTER
Fifteen Years Old
I grunt as I pick up the duffle bag and somehow manage to get the straps over my shoulders. I take a tedious step forward, my arms pinwheeling frantically at my side as I stumble slightly but force myself to stay upright.
Pausing to take a deep breath, I count to ten before I try another step. This time, the weight shifts a little easier, and I’m able to walk a little more normal. I knew I could do it, I think proudly as I glance down the length of the building.
I have no idea where Harlan is or what’s taking so long, but if he doesn’t hurry up, I’m going to have to go on without him so I can get our new place set up, then come back and hope he doesn’t think that I’ve abandoned him.
I can’t wait to show him the place I found with Enya. We snuck out of the home after I had been there for a couple of months, and she was sure she could trust me. She took me through the woods that line the property, so far into the dark that I never thought we’d find daylight again.
And we didn’t.
What we found was an old, abandoned hunting lodge that was stocked full of pelts to keep us warm and a roof over our heads to keep us safe. Granted, to get there, we had to climb up the mountain that could barely be seen from any of the home windows, but it was definitely a fun trek. When we got back, Jessop laid into us for being gone all night. However, the only thing that I could ever really think about was going back out there.
Enya never wanted to, though. I think she got scared after a while, even though she didn’t really show it. But Harlan isn’t afraid of anything, and I’m sure he’ll think it’s as cool as I do.
I push my hair out of my face before gripping the straps again and kick the grass up with the tip of my sneaker. I’ve been sneaking out of my room late at night for the past year and a half, learning how to make different kinds of supper. It’ll be nice to be able to share some of it with someone else for once.
‘Course, my favorite things are what I’ve been hiding underneath the lodge. Those are the secrets that no one other than Harlan would understand or appreciate, and I’m more than happy to show him and explain why when I feel like he’s ready to see.
Ugh, this is heavy, I think impatiently as I cast another glance toward the front of the property. But then I find myself smiling when I see Harlan walking toward me, slipping his backpack straps over his shoulders.
“You ready, little wolf?” he asks as he stops next to me and grins. I nod as I shift the heavy bag on my back again and nod toward the tree line. “There’s something I wanna show you out there.”
“Hold on, let’s switch,” he suggests as he slips off his backpack and sets it on the ground. Reaching for my duffel bag, he maneuvers it until he can easily remove it from my back, then straps it onto his own. “You take this,” he says, leaning down to pick up his bag. I can see the notebooks he was holding onto in his room, peeking out the top of it now. I’m curious about why they’re so special, but I know I won’t ask to see. He’ll show me if he wants to, and that’s going to have to do for now. “And if I don’t pass out from exhaustion, I’ll be just fine carrying your bedroom.”
I snatch the bag from him and make a face, which causes him to laugh. Only this time, it’s different. It’s not the laugh of the mean boy who’s made my life miserable for five years. It’s the genuine laughter of what I assume a friend would really sound like.
A worstie.
Until the rivers run dry and the sun swallows us whole, I think as reach over, take Harlan by the hand, and lead him back into the wild.