Snake In The Grass

I watch Isabella stand motionless while she watches me as I am about to disappear into the bushes behind the very far end of the camp. Just as we completely disappear, I turn to her one last time and mouth to her, 'I love you.' She waves at me, and seconds later, we are completely out of sight.

I feel my heart skip a beat at the overwhelming thought that it might have been the last time that I would see her. It is absolutely absurd; that is not even a thought I need to entertain, for I shall always return to her no matter the circumstances.

But I need to push this fear aside and focus on the mission at hand. So it is in absolute silence that we make our way into the forest, with Clark ahead scanning the floor and the surrounding to check for any fresh footstep. With each step, we are scanning every bush as we slowly creep our way past it.

With the sun hanging low, there is a warning of rain that should become in within the next hour; if the present situation is