Raised voices

Jason lifts his head from where it had been resting on his knees. He could feel movement. The only way he could describe it would be to say it was like he was a paperclip that was held in place, and a magnet was moving around him. It wasn’t a bad feeling…it wasn’t even a strong feeling. It was just…there.

Glancing around, Jason spots a figure down a ways from where he was sitting. Though he wasn’t close enough to make them out with his eyes, he didn’t have to. Someone else with just as much turmoil on their mind was walking the morning air as he had.

Letting out a long sigh, Jason returns his chin to his knees, squinting in the now-risen sun. He couldn’t remember everything that had happened last night, or everything that had been said. He vaguely remembered words of reassurance that this thing wasn’t a curse. But he had other ideas about it.


Camryn lies on her back, staring up at the ceiling of the tent. She absentmindedly twirled the ring on the finger of her left hand. There were so many thing running through her mind, and most of it she didn’t even want to think about. This could be overcome…couldn’t it? She loathed the doubt in her mind. Yet…hadn’t there been doubt from the beginning? She loved Jason. There was no question of that. She’d fallen for him the first time she’d seen him on stage and had been determined enough to pursue him, then more than thrilled when he had returned her affections. She wanted this. She wanted her future with him so much.

So why now were there tears threatening to fill her eyes again? Why did she have the pangs of guilt for things that she’d implied she’d done but hadn’t because she’d been afraid of the results? Why was she trying so hard not to look too deeply, for fear of finding more than she wanted? Wasn’t love enough? Wasn’t it enough to overcome these other things?


Jason walks slowly back to the campsite, favoring his knee. Last night’s episode hadn’t helped it much, that was for sure. As he approaches, he sees Katie sitting on a log, and he pauses for a moment. He thought this was hard on him…what was it doing to her? He still remembered his conversation with Aerith that seemed ages ago now. She’d reminded him that this whole thing was more than just about him…Katie was suffering too, and knowing that was killing him. If he could take on her pain along with his, he would do so gladly, just to know that she was no longer hurting. But he couldn’t. And that was the greatest curse of all.

In his bare feet and still in his damp shorts from his brief dip in the lake, he comes up slowly, quietly behind her. He knew good and well that she would know he was there, but he still remained quiet.

Letting the breeze come through his wet hair, the morning felt good on the outside. If only the peace could be applied to the inside.

Slowly, Jason’s hands come to rest on Katie’s shoulders…just resting…just trying to convey that he was grateful she was there…that he was thankful for her help…that he was hurting for her too.

“Man, Jason, I thought you slept walked away from us!”

At Kyle’s loud voice from the tent, Jason’s hands slip from Katie and he walks past her towards his other friend. “Sorry. I didn’t want to wake you guys.”

Kyle stands and crosses his arms, his tone serious. “How you doing?”

“I’m okay.”

“You sure?”

“Yeah.”

Kyle cocks his head at Jason’s attire. “A bit cold for swimming.”

“You think?” Jason forces a grin. “It was a little chilly.”

Kyle laughs. “Yeah, well, Phil and I were just talking, and we don’t mind taking our time to hike back down today. Stopping a couple places along the way, then getting back in town later tonight.”

Jason’s eyebrows rise quickly. “What happened to four days out here?”

Kyle knows he’s in for a fight, but goes ahead anyway. “You’re in no shape to stay out here.”

A new angry frustration rises within Jason. “Look, I’m fine. I just told you that.”

Kyle hooks his thumbs in his pockets and looks to the ground. “We don’t want you pushing yourself, Jase. Not with your mind the way it is, and not with that knee of yours.”

“You weren’t worried about my knee yesterday,” Jason snaps.

“You weren’t favoring it this much either,” Kyle counters. “We just…”

“I’m not letting you all cut your trip short because of me,” Jason interrupts. “I don’t care how much it hurts to walk, I’m not letting you quit because of me.”

Kyle shakes his head. “We care more about you than this vacation.” He tries to convince Jason of that truth. “I know you say when a nightmare is over, it’s over and you can move on, but…don’t push it, huh? You need rest. You just had a night of heck, and I know good and well you’re not up to par.”

Jason grits his teeth. He couldn’t believe this was happening. The argument pauses for just as moment as he tries to collect his thoughts.

Scott emerges from the tent, witnessing the tension, and looks between Kyle and Jason for a moment before seeing Katie a short distance away. He was sorry she had to be going through this…in all honesty he really didn’t know what to think. He didn’t know what to do…he didn’t know how to react. He’d been praying every time he’d woken up in the night, and was still without answers.

Jason keeps himself from glaring at Scott. Scott didn’t deserve his ire, and neither did Kyle, but that didn’t keep him from getting upset. “Just…can’t we finish out this hike? We’ll go on, and I’ll be slower, but I’ll be fine.”

Kyle shakes his head. “I don’t think it’s a good idea, Jase. What if it happens again?”

That was the last straw. “What if it happens again?” Jason throws his arms in the air. “What if it happens again on the way home? What if it happens again when I’m in the grocery store, or out to eat? What if it happens when I’m making out with Camryn in my own house?!” His words were thrown out carelessly, driven by his anger, not by caution. “What if, Kyle! What do you want me to do?”

“I don’t know!” Kyle’s own voices rises. “I don’t know, alright?! I just think it would be best to cut this trip short. Phil and I both do.”

“And my opinion doesn’t count?”

Phil is next to emerge from the tent, having been listening from inside. “How about we just calm down, have some breakfast and think this over?” He looks to Jason gently but sternly. “You haven’t had anything to eat since last night, and that’s not helping your thinking any. Now come on…both of you cool it for just a while, eh?”

Jason’s hands are on his hips and he lets his head hang. Finally without another word, he walks away to find a solitary place to sit in the grass. Arguing with Kyle was something new and it didn’t feel good.


Camryn stands at her own tent, watching her fiancé. Her heart ached. She wanted to go to him…put her arms around him and tell him that it would be okay. But she knew he was not approachable right now. She could just wait in tortured silence until he was willing to talk.


Scott lets out a long slow breath and looks to Kyle, then Phil, no words being spoken. Finally he goes to Katie. He doesn’t know what to do. He doesn’t know what’s best. He just wanted to protect her. “I need to get you home,” he suggests quietly. “You alright for the hike back? You want to eat something first?”