Southern Stars

by Melissa Good

  For once, it seemed that the entire group, leaders, passengers and crew were in total agreement.

  THE ONLY BRIGHT spot to be found was the rain stopped. They gathered at the base of the avalanche, where the path had started to even out and provided a flat space for them to stand.

  The clouds lifted and they were splashed with random sunlight as they stood in a rough circle of mounting consternation.

  “So now what are we supposed to do?” Marcia asked. “Do we go back?”

  Janet shook her head. “It’s flooded back there, and I don’t know if the raft is even still there after that storm.”

  “What choice do we have? Sit here and starve?” Rich said. “Seriously?”

  Dar was half ignoring the discussion, her eyes studying the mountain of debris blocking their way. “Can we climb this?”

  Todd tilted his head back and looked up. “Too loose,” he said. “End up bringing down crap on everyone and falling on our asses.” He hopped up onto a bit of the rock and immediately jumped clear as it detached itself and came out from under him, tumbling a few feet down the path.

  Kerry had gone to one side of the wall and experimentally pushed one of the rocks with her boot, sending it rolling downward. “Can we move it?”

  Dave picked up a rock and threw it. “We can’t move a lot of that, too heavy.” He pointed at one slab of debris. “Take a backhoe.”

  Dar sat on a rock and braced her elbows on her knees. “Anyone got any other ideas? If not, we pick the best of the worst of them.” She eyed them all. “The worst of the worst being just sitting here doing nothing.”

  Kerry walked over to a relatively flat piece of rock and regarded it. “So what do we have to work with?” she said. “Let’s see what we’re all carrying.”

  Grudgingly the group surrounded the rock and started putting things on it, emptying packs and pockets randomly onto the damp surface, except Pete, who was sprawled over another large rock, with Don checking the injury on his back.

  His shirt was stained with blood and pus, and his face showed pain and exhaustion, having stumbled and fallen running from the avalanche. PJ sat next to him holding his hand in sympathy, her bandaged foot likewise tattered and stained.

  Janet upended her pack, dumping a tattered and much folded map, a camp fork and spoon, a set of keys, and a compass.

  Dave pulled out his hygiene kit, a book, the pack of cards, stained brown, and a small set of binoculars. “All great stuff to carry on the raft, and fegging useless here.”

  They had their canteens, and packs filled with water from the morning. “Save it,” Amy said. “If it doesn’t rain again we’re going to run short.” She put down another compass, and a large handful of carabiners and other climbing gear, along with a tightly wound coil of rope.

  Dar’s pocketknife joined the collection, and Kerry half shrugged as she put what was in her pack down, a pair of sunglasses, a safety pin, a towel, and a piece of black plastic she found in the bottom of it.

  “Hey.” Janet limped forward and picked up the plastic. “Where did this come from?” She stared at Kerry intently. “Where did you get this?”

  Kerry frowned and her eyes unfocused, as she tried to recall. “Not sure I remember,” she said.

  “You picked it up near the shack,” Dar said mildly. “You had it in your pocket after that.” She regarded Janet. “What is it? Piece of something?” She rested her wrist on Kerry’s shoulder and peered at the item.

  “It’s the battery from the sat phone,” Janet said. “Now if we only had that. Holy shit, I wonder if the phone was out there too.”

  Everyone stared at the module, resting silently in Janet’s hand. Then Todd snorted. “Wouldn’t do a fucks worth of anything this far down in the canyon. They’d never hear it. He turned and went over to the far wall, examining it thoughtfully.

  ”˜That’s true.” Janet put the battery back down. “Anyway, Amy’s right about the water. Looks like the weathers drying out.” She looked up at the sky that showed patches of clear blue past the clouds. “Of course, since we need water.”

  “We should set up some shelter anyway,” one of the crew said. “If we’re not going to start back, I mean.” The man pointed down slope. “Should we?”

  Dar folded her arms and stood in perplexed silence for a moment. “How long will it take for the flood to drain out?” She asked Janet.

  Janet looked thoughtful. “Depends. If we don’t get more rain, maybe a couple days. But let me look at the map and see if we have any alt routes, even if they’re not great.” She spread the map out and studied it.

  “Might as well.” Rich indicated the tarps. “We’ll help. C’mon, Dave.” He and Dave went over to the unpacked shelter supplies, most of the tarps tattered and torn, and the poles all bent and in two cases, cracked in the center. “Not much to work with, but maybe we can...do we have any tents left?”

  “We can set up what we have,” Janet said. “Flat enough here.”

  “Get the bag over there.” Sally went toward the pile of gear they’d dragged up, and retrieved from the headlong rush down the path from earlier. “There, with the stakes. I think we can get them.”

  Kerry handed Dar her pocketknife. “How in the world did you remember when I grabbed that?” She asked. “Holy pooters, Dar.”

  Dar smiled. “I always pay attention to you.”

  Kerry looked at her in mild exasperation. “You pay attention to what I put in my pockets?”

  Dar winked at her. “I do.”

  “And actually I remember where it was now, in the cave I got the pot of water from before we left the shack,” Kerry recalled. “Wish we were back there now.”

  “Me too.” Dar slid the knife back in her pocket. “Let’s go help.” She indicated the pile of canvas bags. “We’re going to be here for a little while at least I guess.”

  IT WAS ONE of those few times in her recent life that Dar acknowledged she was really hungry. She and Kerry lived in a world where the longest wait for food was the drive to and from work, and it was only in dim memory of her younger years that lack of food had been a problem.

  And that only voluntary when she’d been out on hikes in the sawgrass and learned the hard way to take snacks with her instead of relying on the other kids, or on scrounging.

  Dar studied the little encampment, sad and ragged in the brisk wind swirling through the now closed canyon, and shook her head.

  She could see to the bottom of the path, and the moving figures that were the rest of the party scouring the area for anything useful.

  They had set up the four remaining tents, and two tarps that were fluttering harshly in the breeze, along with a rope clothesline that held a variety of sleeping bags and clothes drying.

  There was nothing organic visible. The rain and the floods had stripped out any vegetation. The crew climbed back down the path to find anything that might have gotten caught and left, with a hope of some wood to burn for heat.

  Kerry was nearby, talking to Janet. She had her waterproof jacket tied around her waist and her arms folded. Her blond hair was in ruffled disarray and Dar watched her profile shift as the muscles in her jaw tensed and squared.

  Resolute. Dar smiled to herself as she stood up and flexed her hands. She walked to the side of the avalanche and examined the debris and wondered if putting the shelters that close was really a good idea. It provided a wind break, but what if another storm hit?

  Todd wandered over and kicked one of the stones at ground level. “This sucks,” he said to her. “I thought it sucked before, but this is another level of suck.”

  Dar nodded. “I’m trying to decide if there’s any option that doesn’t have””we’re screwed””written on it in ten inch high letters.”

  He reached out and put his hand on a bit of the rock. “Best idea was climbing out over this.” He said. “But it’s unstable. You can feel it.” He pushed gently. “Maybe me and Amy could get partway up, but not this bunch.”

  Dar glanc
ed at him. “You could?”

  He shrugged. “Maybe.”

  Dar turned to face him. “Why don’t you go get help? Climb over this and go to the ranger station? Can’t you do that?”

  He stared at her, eyes narrowing a little. “You don’t know a fucking thing about it.”

  “No, I don’t. I live in South Florida, where the highest elevation that isn’t a garbage dump is six feet,” Dar said. “But you do.”

  For a long moment Todd just stood there. “Too vertical,” he finally said. “This stuff’s too soft, too few places to hang onto. Probably end up taking a header. You saw this thing come down.” He picked up a piece of rock and slammed it against a second.

  It cracked and powdered in his big hand.“See?”

  Dar observed it. “So,” she looked at the rock walls, “wrong kind of rock.”

  Todd nodded. “That’s why this thing came down so easy,” he said. “Stuff crumbles.”

  “What the hell were you going to do with this op then?” Dar asked. “You wanted to use them to get you to some place to climb?”

  He tossed the rock aside and dusted his hands off. “Not here,” he said. “Not the slot canyons. There’s walls you can climb. Just not this.”

  Was it true? Dar studied his face. He had a flat profile, and what appeared to be a nose broken more than once, and very sparse facial hair, even after the guys had stopped shaving. She concluded silently it probably was true, if for no other reason than she figured he would enjoy lording it all over them otherwise.

  Damn. “Too bad,” she said. “Waiting it out for the flood and walking back is going to be a serious suck.”

  “Yeah.” he said. “Especially with this bunch of lame-o’s.” He turned and headed back across the loose surface to where Amy had joined the small group around the table rock.

  That left Dar by herself next to the debris wall and she went and sat on a rock. A beetle trundled past on the ground, making a detour around the toe of her boot. She watched it thoughtfully, wondering if her choice of letting the rabbit go earlier was as stupid as it felt right now.

  What were they going to do?

  BY DUSK THEY still had no answers. The weather was still clear, and it appeared they would have a dry night, but the whistling winds were chilly and everyone was hungry.

  They had enough to burn to heat some water, and they’d done that. They added three peppermint candies found in Rich’s pockets to add some taste to it.

  Dar was seated on their now dry sleeping bag tucked between two rocks, with one of the tarps wrapped around the back of the rocks to form a tent like shelter. It was preferable to arguing over one of the four tents. The tarp smelled of the river. It had come from the bottom of the sack they’d salvaged from the raft.

  There was room between the rocks for two people. With the tarp overhead, Dar figured it was about as good as it was going to get.

  Kerry came over and sat down next to her, the small day bag from the raft between her hands. “Dar.”

  “Yes.”

  “I have something terrible to tell you.”

  Dar’s eyes popped wide and she turned to look at Kerry in alarm.“What?”

  Kerry carefully looked both ways then leaned closer to her. “There’s one granola bar left in this bag.”

  Dar blinked. “That’s terrible?”

  “I don’t want to share it with anyone.”

  “That’s terrible?” Dar repeated, in a quizzical tone.

  Kerry tucked the bag behind them and leaned back against the rubble, her booted feet sticking out from their little shelter. “In Sunday school they taught us to share with everyone. Nothing there covered something like this though.”

  “No.” Dar snuggled in next to her and folded her hands in her lap. They both watched the group of people arguing around the table. “They still at it?”

  “I think the whole situation is getting to everyone,” Kerry said. “Everyone’s scared too.”

  “Are you?”

  Kerry pondered the question in silence for a minute. “I’m not, really.” She sounded surprised. “I’m worried, you know? About our family and the people at the office. I know they really depend on you and me. And I’m worried about the dogs.”

  “Mm.”

  “But as long as we’re together, it’s hard to really be afraid.” Kerry smiled a little. “I feel like it’s always been that way,” she added. “I remember how out of sorts I was, in Washington, until you got there. Then I was still freaked out, but I just felt like it was okay because you were there.”

  “Yeah,” Dar said. “I was scared because you were there where all the stuff was going down. Alastair knew. It was hard for me to concentrate on anything.”

  “Really?”

  “Really.” Dar gazed fondly at her. “C’mon, Ker. I left Miami without even my driver’s license, laptop, or anything. You figure my head was screwed on straight?”

  “Mm.”

  “So I’m not scared now. Just pissed off,” Dar said. “I’m pissed off that nature is kicking our ass, and that these people were not prepared, and that we made so many bad choices. We could have been at the end of the river by now, flying back and chilling in our RV.” She lifted her hands. “We’re here. We’re screwed. We have no plan on how to get out of here besides trying to hike back the way we came, with no supplies.”

  “Yeah.” Kerry sighed.

  “People have accused me of being a control freak.” Dar took a breath.

  “You?” Kerry’s brows lifted in mock surprise. “Really?”

  “But this is why,” Dar said. “I want to be in charge of everything so I only have myself to blame.”

  Kerry patted Dar’s thigh under its covering of cotton. She could see the group around the table rock breaking up now, and felt a sense of relief that they were not going to have to go over there and intervene. The crew all went over to one tent.

  “Cozy,” Dar commented.

  Eight squeezed into a tent made for four. Kerry was glad they were in their own little shelter, as the rest of the group split up into male and female clusters, and took two of the remaining tents. With a smirk, Todd and Amy took the third.

  Kerry shook her head. “Dudley Douchebag.”

  Dar hiked up one knee and circled it with her arm. “I think we should hike back tomorrow. Regardless of what these other people do.”

  “By ourselves?”

  Dar nodded. “Only one way back. I’ll rig what’s left of that raft and we can go down the river.”

  Kerry thought about that. “So just leave these guys behind?” She asked. “What if they want to go to, some of them?”

  Dar was saved the need to answer by a yell, and then a scream. They started up out of their little nest as Todd and Amy exploded out of their tent in a scramble of arms, legs, and debris. “Motherfucker!” Todd bawled at the top of his voice.

  The rest of the gang came pouring out of their two tents, but the crew flap stayed shut. Dar got to her feet and stood in front of their shelter, hands in her pockets, unsure of what was going on.

  Kerry stepped around her and went over to where Amy was slapping at her arms and legs. “What’s up?”

  “Ants!” Amy said. “Ow! Shit!”

  Todd was brushing himself off, so Kerry went over and started helping Amy out, since she was visibly covered by the insects.

  The rest of the gang, after watching a moment, went back inside. “Better check in here for them,” Don said in a philosophic tone. “Though with any luck the only ass with ants is that one.”

  Todd paused and stared at him, but Don just pushed aside the tent flap for Rich and Dave and ignored the look.

  Todd jerked back as Dar walked behind him, but she merely started to brush off the visible ants on his shirt. “Thanks,” he said, grudgingly.

  “Hard to believe a nest of ants lived through all that water.” Dar paused to peer inside. “Oh, crap.” She stepped back. “Its infested.”

  “Assholes had it in stora
ge.” Todd shook his arms viciously. “Fuckers.”

  “Bet they knew,” Amy said.

  Kerry glanced at the shut tent of the crew, and mentally acknowledged the truth of the idea. “I think I got them all,” she told Amy. “Sorry about that.”

  “Jerks.” Amy carefully stamped out all the live insects who scurried in all directions.

  After a moment, Kerry helped her, not wanting to lead them to their shelter. They were large, and dark colored, and had vicious jaws to bite with.

  Todd pulled the tent down and dragged it after him, heading a little ways down the path. Then he stopped, paused, turned around, and came back. He stopped next to the closed crew tent before he started shaking the infested one out.

  “That probably won’t do much,” Amy said. “Unless he cuts a hole in that canvas.”

  Kerry went back to their shelter, carefully inspecting the ground, and her boots, before she crawled back inside.

  Dar looked around the empty canyon, listening to the wind whistling down it and the soft clink of the rocks tumbling out of place in the landslide behind them.

  It felt barren and unsafe. She was unhappy being where they were, and she didn’t see the conditions improving in the short or long term.

  She was hungry and thirsty. She wanted some milk. Most of all, she wanted to be somewhere else. With a sigh, she rocked up and down on her heels and watched the pink of sunset painting the top of the canyon, the rest of it cast already in twilight blue.

  Amy came over and stood next to her. “Todd and I are going to hike out tomorrow morning. You and your SO want to come with us?” she asked. “Between us we have the best chance of getting out.”

  Dar regarded her somberly. “Leave the rest of them here?”

  Amy nodded. “If everyone goes, we’re going to take six forever’s to get out, if we even do. You know that. You’ve got brains.”

  It was true. She did know it. And after all, hadn’t she just been talking to Kerry about doing the same thing? It was also true that Amy and Todd, assholes that they were, had skills. “Yeah maybe,” Dar said. “Let me talk to Ker about it. We gotta get out of here.”