Chapter 17

“Lost,” said Selene.

“The trees all look the same,” Abby said.

They wandered.

One thing for sure. You’re Already Lost ... wandering just makes it worse.

“I still needa pee,” Selene said.

“This looks like a good spot,” Abby suggested. She pointed at a particularly dry looking bush.

“That needs watering, I’ll be right back.”

“Nope ... I’m going with,” Abby said ... and she did.

They went around behind the bush ... and... “Would you look at that,” said Selene.

“It’s a potted plant.”

And it was ... a bush in a bucket. It had been trimmed to keep it away ... well ... out of the trail. A well used trail ... that went ... somewhere.

“If that doesn’t look suspicious,” Selene said, “I don’t know what does.”

“Right or left?” Abby asked.

“Rochambeau,” said Selene. She began to count.

“Wait,” Abby said, “Winner chooses?”

“Winner loses,” said Selene ... authoritatively.

“I’m the professor here, I say Winner Chooses,” Abby said.

“Okay ... but just to stop an argument,” Selene said.

“One, two, three,” Abby threw paper but Selene threw scissors.

“Two out of three?” Abby doesn’t like to lose.

“Nope ... wasn’t in the rules,” Selene said.

“What rules?”

“The ones made before we agreed.”

“We didn’t make any rules,” Abby whined.

“Exactly. Right.”

“A good Turk always turns left,” said Abby.

“I’m not a Turk ... and left it is.”

“That was quick,” Abby said.

“Someone is coming,” Selene said.

They stepped behind a tree on the other side of the bush.

A really big guy with a bucket of water watered the bush. He muttered, “Another missed bush. I gotta talk to the boss.” He moved on down the trail.

Abby made to move to the bush. Selene held her back. “Wait.”

Soon ... very soon ... the big guy came pelting back, muttering ... well ... talking to himself.

“There’s someone in the trap. The boy hasn’t been watering, there’s someone in the trap,” Over and over, as he sped out of sight, “Someone is in the trap ... the boy hasn’t been watering, someone is in the trap ... the boy hasn’t been watering.”

As soon as he was out of sight, Selene giggled. “Wanna bet?”

“Nope ... when he gets to the boss it’s going to be the boy is in the trap and someone has been watering.”

The girls crossed to the trail and turned to the left. They never did pee. Well ... not until they got back to the camp.

Six only nodded.

“What?”

“It’s too perfect,” He pointed at the camp site. Even the view beyond the waterfall was idyllic. A grand vista with the forest rising up to the next ridge, blue sky and a few puffs of white slowly moving over the ridge. “Of course it’s a trap. That’s why I stopped. Did you pee?”

When they got back, he asked, “What’s the main rule here?”

“When Attacked Never Leave Live Wounded Behind You.”

“Why not?”

“They tend to survive and they’ll hold a grudge if they do.”

“And the next?”

“Defend ... only defend.”

“Remember that tonight.”