That said, he was a more laid back and calm professor. It was strange to see the serious expression etched into his features. He actually looked like a professor for once.
It made me scratch the back of my neck, to brush off something that wasn’t there.
Eventually, he nodded and kept walking to talk to the other professor leading the trip, as she reported what happened on her cell phone to emergency services.
Every once in a while she’d yell, “Hello! Can you hear me?”
But after she took a few steps, they seemed to hear her fine. I checked my phone realizing I only had one bar. That explained why some of the other students were complaining.
Burning hatred seared the side of my head, until I turned to find Shannon glaring at me with her pretty hazel eyes sharper than knives.
“Are you okay, Talia?” Her pretty face twisted into a sneer as she mocked Professor Gale’s concerned tone.
“Is there something I can do to help you?” I asked her. “You’re being more uppity than usual.”
“I’m tired of you getting to stomp on all the rules to get a leg up.” She stormed away to go sit on the suitcases and bags we could easily grab on the way out.
I focused on the professors talking to each other. Their body language relaxed as they got a plan together. The stress visibly melted away as they realized things weren’t as bad as they could be.
I’m glad they felt that way. I wasn’t so sure.
The wind blew around me like a cool caress that soothed my heated skin. I’d been right. The temperature was even worse out here.
The breeze carried a scent of dirt and sulfur over to me, making my eyes dart back to the water, like a reminder that it was there beside me.
Hope you didn’t forget about me.
I had to make peace with the water. It wasn’t going anywhere.
The professors approached us with smiles that didn’t suit the bus behind them and made me toy with the obsidian pendant around my neck.
Professor Gale ran a hand through his tousled black hair that was peppered with grays. Most people thought they made him look handsome, instead of older. It probably helped that his skin was perfect for a man in his forties. “Okay, team. Listen up.”
The water slunk closer to the edge as if it wanted to hear what he had to say.
The independent conversations surrounding me went quiet as all fourteen students gave the two elders their attention. Once Gale knew we were paying attention, he continued. “Professor Carter and I have spoken to the local authorities. They are aware of the crash, but since everyone is safe, they will not be coming to the scene. Something about it being too dark to come out.”
I looked up where the sun was hidden behind ugly storm clouds that threatened to pour at any moment. Sure the light was suffocated, but the sun hadn’t even hit its peak yet. I checked my phone to confirm it was only ten in the morning.
Why would the cops say it was too dark? “That doesn’t make sense.”
Professor Carter’s mouth opened, but she closed it with resignation that made my eyes study her closer. Discomfort tensed her mouth, creating wrinkles in the process.
“Local superstition, Talia,” Gale answered easily. “You know places like this have their own culture.”
I nodded my acceptance. We’d been on enough expeditions together to experience some of that. Still, the urge to run itched beneath my skin.
Where would I even go?
Something was thinly veiled beneath the surface of the water. I could just make out something sinking deeper. I stepped closer, hoping to get a better look at the threat lurking at us, ready to react if I needed to.
It was next to impossible to see, but as I moved closer, ripples pushed away. I must have scared whatever it was off.
“The bus driver will stay here with the bus for triple A, and the company will send us a replacement in the next few days. Since we have plenty of supplies until then, and our turn off is right there,” he pointed to a dirt road a few yards behind us. “We don’t see a reason to hold off our expedition. We’ll trek a few miles into our intended camping spot.”
Most of the students groaned, and I was mildly surprised that Shannon wasn’t one of them. Most of these students weren’t prepared for this kind of trek.
“Is that the best idea?” I asked myself as well as the professors. Maybe we needed to take our sign from the universe and go. But where did that leave me for the next month?
