Growth
Chapter 14: Cuba

“I hope you are ready for the coming storm,” Amaris said to Clare, having snuck up on her.

“Gah! Don’t do that,” Clare responded. “What storm?”

“You will see, my future apprentice.”

“Quit saying weird things.”

“I am a witch. It’s what we do.”

The boat pulled in and docked. When the women strolled around on dry land behind the other three Initiates, Clare noticed that base was loaded with far more Protectors than Clare expected. The dock reached capacity with the arrival of Captain Rogers’ passengers. They had said quick goodbyes to the Captain before he returned to his duties. He mentioned that there were a lot of guns that needed unloading.

“So what’s next?” Clare asked the Initiates before her.

“They told us to replace the building closest to the far gate,” Rachel said.

“They’ll give us food and beds and point us in the right direction tomorrow,” said David.

“Well isn’t that nice of them.”

“Why’d you three become Protectors?” Clare asked.

The others looked at each other with stoic faces, almost begging another to start with their story.

Max started. “Dead family with nowhere else to go. I’m only eighteen so I guess I wanted the security, too. I managed to get here with what little I inherited and trust me, it was not much.”

“He actually had to borrow from us,” David added.

“It’s true.”

“What happened to your parents?” Clare asked.

Max sighed. “Since we’re fellow Protectors, I guess I can open up a little. I killed them, but the circumstances were… what they were. It needed to be done.” Max looked away.

David spoke up to prevent further inquiries toward Max. “I was more or less abandoned by my family. They never really payed attention to me, even when I’d be gone for days at a time.” He rubbed his head. “I just up and left one day. Didn’t have a reason to stay. I chose to join the Protectors because one had been the talk of the town around that time. When I heard about the good she had done, it gave me direction.”

He stopped speaking and everyone turned to Rachel.

“I had a good life. My parents were arms dealers and were well off, so I lived luxuriously in a Refuge. Then my older sister died. She was trying to get into the family business and my parents brought her along with them to a deal that obviously went south. We only realized that she was the keystone of our family after she was gone. Without her smile and her jokes and her good nature, my family fell apart. Everything was a reminder because she was such a big part of our lives. I needed to leave. I packed my bags and left. My parents actually offered me some money for the road but riches reminded me of home. I roughed it all the way down here with a backpack of basic supplies and a book on how to live in the wild.”

“Your turn,” David said.

Clare and Alice shared. The others were not shocked by their vague stories unlike how Clare and Alice had been upon hearing each other’s until the women got to the part about Primal and the run-in with the Crusaders.

“That’s rough,” Max said.

“I’m glad I haven’t bumped into any of those freaks,” David admitted.

“It’s been a long road for all of us, hasn’t it?” Alice said. She focused on something in the distance. “There’s the wall. Is that the place we’re looking for over there?”

She pointed and the others followed her gaze.

“Looks like the right place,” Rachel said.

“It fits the description.”

The group continued on and went into the establishment Alice spotted. It was essentially another hotel. They were given rooms for the night and food would be provided for free. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner. There was one Protector in charge of the little group. She ordered them to their rooms to unpack, forced lunch into their bellies, and then gave them instructions about tomorrow’s dragon hunt.

It was simple: go out the gate and good luck. The immediate area was dragon-free due to the Protector presence and lack of tree cover. The group would have to trek much farther inland to the Cuban jungles where the dragons roamed. One dragon over ten feet in height would provide enough hide for their armors. And of course, they were to watch each other’s’ backs. Without good teamwork, things would definitely get ugly.

Dinner. Clare and Alice decided beforehand to share the story of their earlier dragon kill that they had neglected to mention when asked about their journey. It had everyone’s full attention, eavesdropping instructor at the next table included. They focused less on fantastic storytelling and more on the dragon’s movements, strengths, and possible weaknesses. It was a game plan more than anything.

After dinner was not bedtime but they did have to go stay in the hotel under the instructor’s orders. Her tone and facial expressions were all the convincing the Initiates needed to overrule sneaking out. They spent time in the boys’ room, telling stories and getting better acquainted. Clare and Alice went back and shared the juicy details of their journey together, so it was natural that the others do the same.

“I found Max first,” David said. “That was in Phoenix, New Mexico. We were both heading east. And then it was somewhere in Texas that we met Rachel.”

“It was Houston. The largest city in the state,” Rachel said.

“Yeah, that.”

“I’m from California,” Max explained. “It was a long walk through a lot of desert. My route took me through three of them.”

“But for that reason, it was dangerous. Max and I went through a lot in our short time together. It’s all about water when you cross the desert.”

“And avoiding rattlesnakes.”

“Money really goes out the window. Let’s say you get ambushed by bandits in Louisiana. They’ll take your money. But out there, they’ll take every drop of water you got and leave you to dry out in the sun like a raisin. But of course they aren’t called bandits out there. They call themselves ‘Banditos’.”

“They’d pillage and plunder with their armored vehicles, from motorcycles to hummers. Who knows where they get the gas to do that. They probably got their hands on a factory or something. Either way, they cause hell for the militia out there.”

“It’s the Wild West.”

Clare had questions. “What’s the desert like?” she asked.

The others were taken aback but remembered her closed-off origins.

“It’s nothing but dry land. No trees, no bushes, no grass. Just dirt and sand for as far as the eye can see,” David explained. “The animals are still big though. Unfortunately.”

“There are places to get water out there. You know, rivers and whatnot.”

“But it’s the long stretches between those places that get you. Plus, the wildlife likes having the water all to itself. And then there’s the heat! All sun in the sky, no clouds. Or maybe we just had bad luck the whole journey.”

“What kind of wildlife is out there?”

Max had all the answers. “Mountain lions, rams, rattlesnakes, prairie dogs, coyotes, bobcats, roadrunners…”

“And those fucking scorpions.” David shivered.

“Get to the part with me!” impatient Rachel cut in. But then she continued the story. “They found me drunk in a bar in Houston fighting off some thugs in an alley. I didn’t need their help but they came in swinging anyway.”

David shrugged. “She really may not have needed us,” he confirmed.

“I lived a sheltered life but I was still taught to fight. It’s arms dealing we’re talking about. So then they put me up in a motel that night, bless their hearts.”

“You just trusted strangers to do that?” Alice asked. “They helped you in your fight but still.”

“Hell no, I didn’t trust them. I may have been a little loopy in the head but I made them walk in front.”

“Lesson one,” Clare said to herself.

“But we got to know each other the next day over lunch and when they found out I was going to the Great Tree as well, we decided to stick together.”

David laughed. “We called ourselves the I-10 gang because we had taken the Interstate practically the whole time.”

“We met a group of Protectors in Baton Rouge and since we helped them out with their little issue, they agreed to get us the rest of the way to the Great Tree.”

“Little issue?” Max narrowed his eyes at Rachel.

“Okay, maybe it wasn’t so little.”

“It was a bomb plot.”

Alice put her hands behind her head and let out some air. “That’s one hell of a story.”

“We’ll tell you the details another time,” David said.

“Yeah, we can’t go spouting everything in one night. We could use a little conversation during our hike tomorrow.”

Max looked out the window. “Speaking of which, it may not be a bad idea to at least try to sleep.”

Clare and Alice stood up. “Good idea.”

Alice looked at Rachel. “Shall we? They gave us the big room.”

“Actually I think I’ll spend tonight with my boys.”

The women smiled at her. “We understand. Sleep tight.”

There was something off about the three that Clare could not pin down the next morning over breakfast.

“What’s going on with you three?” she spouted.

Alice raised an eyebrow and the others were taken aback. “What do you mean?”

“Who loves who in your love triangle?”

All three blushed. But then the instructor approached to save their day. “The real question is, are you ready to go?” Everyone agreed that they were. “Then what are you doing sitting here? Get your bags and meet me out front. Don’t take too long. A storm is coming.”

There was nothing more to it. The group was kicked out the gate and headed in the direction the instructor pointed, northwest. The air was warm and muggy with little wind to relieve the five. David started up conversation by complaining about everything. Clare and Alice followed up by describing what it was like to trudge through a swamp.

It took a while but jungle finally came into view. Seeing the shade from afar was the ultimate form of torture but the frustration of reaching their goal faded when they took their first minute out of direct sunlight. It was as good a time for lunch as any.

And then it was into the humid jungles of Cuba.

Wildlife was aplenty. Hummingbirds and parrots fluttered above, frogs croaked on trees, and a mongoose gave the group one look before skittering away into the bushes.

“Question,” Rachel said.

“What?”

“Where are we going?”

“We’re looking for a dragon.”

“Yeah, but is just walking going to work?”

Alice looked up. The sky was dimming. “We don’t have to anymore today. It’s about time to set up dinner for the night.”

“Works for me!” Clare dropped her bag beside a log. “I’ll get some firewood.”

“I can help,” Alice volunteered.

Rachel pulled a worn book from her bag. “We’ll word on beds. From what I’ve read, we don’t want to sleep on the ground in jungles.”

“Bugs?”

“Bugs.”

They split up for a short time and then reunited. They were all fit but a little rest would do them some good. Sleeping was unique to say the least as a hammock arrangement had been prepared and formed a little pentagon with the small campfire in the middle.

And then dinner. They had only been supplied with canned goods but no one was about to complain when it came to eating and relaxing.

“When are we going to replace a dragon?” David asked.

“I’m sure they’re lurking around out here somewhere.”

“They aren’t nocturnal, are they?”

“I doubt it. They’re reptiles. They would be most active with sunlight.”

“So, we can sleep in peace? That’s what I like to hear.”

“Sure, if the bats leave us alone.”

The fire faded, and then the night. With so much tree cover, they did not rise with the sun. It was mid-morning before anyone crawled out of bed. Max was the first and reignited the fire for a quick breakfast.

While the others ate, Clare and Alice scouted around their campsite for relief and more firewood.

“I don’t know a damn thing about tracking,” Clare was saying.

“Me either.”

“I mean, where do we start? I hadn’t thought about this. Trouble usually comes straight to us and then we deal with it.”

“Not out here, I guess.”

“Wait!” Clare stopped and pointed. A unique footprint was in their path. “I spoke too soon.”

“Fuck me, that’s big.” Clare smacked Alice in the back of the head. “You know, that’s really supposed to be Alfred’s thing.”

“It’s mine until he comes back.”

Alice knelt down and examined the clue. “All I can tell is that it’s moving away from our camp. Come on. Let’s tell the others.”

They marked the location of their discovery and found the others finishing their food. The news turned heads so they cleaned up their campsite quickly. The boys did not know what to make of the footprint except for the direction in which it was heading. But Rachel had her books. She found the right one and knelt beside the footprint with it.

After some mumbling to herself she announced, “This is a day old. It should have passed through here about noon yesterday. We missed it by hours.”

“Aw, hell.”

“We can still follow it. I’m sure it made a few pit stops along the way.”

“Don’t we all?”

Alice started walking. “It’s our only lead. I say we take it.”

They marched onward.

They marched a few hours with small talk before David expressed excitement for the coming battle.

“Don’t get too excited,” Clare warned. “One teeny tiny slipup and a dragon will cleave you in half.”

“She’s right,” Alice said. She looked down. “Even Protector armor can only do so much.” Clare patted her back.

“But these weapons will put one in its place,” Clare said with a big grin.

“What about two?” David asked.

Rachel made a face. “Don’t jinx this. We are hunting one and that’s it.”

“I still can’t believe there are only five of us out here,” Alice muttered.

“We took the Elixir. We’ll be fine.”

Alice nudged Clare. “That and more.”

“What if we do replace two?” David continued.

“We won’t,” Clare assured. “I hear they’re solitary until… mating season.”

“If we replace two, then we kill two,” Alice said assuredly.

“Can we do that?”

“Anything is possible.”

“Yeah, in your imagination.”

Alice chuckled. “Realistically speaking, we should run away and hope one of them gives up.”

“Wishful thinking, from what Calvin and Raven told us.”

“They taught you well from what I understand from your stories,” David said.

“And from your fighting,” Rachel added.

“About that… That really was a good duel on the ship, Rachel, but there’s more to it than just training.”

“What do you mean?”

“They trained us to fight. We killed on our own.”

“Hey, I’ve killed before, too.”

“No, I don’t doubt it. It’s just… Let me think.”

“In the duel, you attacked without intent to kill,” Clare said.

“Yeah.”

“Well of course I didn’t! It was just a duel.”

“It just made you easier to read, is all. Oh, except for your sword swing along the deck. That was one hell of a move.”

Rachel blushed and forgot about the criticism. “I came up with that on accident. The attack really launches, doesn’t it?”

“I’m stealing it.”

“Hey!”

The tracks moved uphill. Clare stopped and looked up before continuing on. “Damn it.”

“Oh hush.”

“This jungle sucks. I just want to kill it already.”

“And we don’t?”

“You know I do,” Alice reminded.

“Are the tracks are definitely going uphill?”

“Yes.”

Rachel had her book out and stopped over one. “This is also from yesterday. We have some ways to go.”

Uphill they hiked. It was a pain for all but Clare was the only one who continued to openly complain. But the apex was not far off and the group was met with a surprise. The area had been cleared of trees and other foliage and the ground was scratched up.

“It slept here,” Rachel said for certain.

“No doubt. I’d recognize these claw marks anywhere.”

“They head off that way. Lunch first?”

And so they ate a most basic lunch. Immediately after the last impatient bite they got moving again. The tracks only went a short distance into the jungle before they were met with another pair of tracks.

“Fuck me, there are actually two,” David said.

“Not so fast,” Alice tried to comfort. “Maybe they ran into each other and started fighting up ahead. Let’s keep moving.”

They did, and Alice was right about one thing. They reached another unnatural clearing. Every tree had either been sliced in half, carved up, or just plain knocked over.

“Hey, it looks like they did start something here,” Clare noted.

“Good observation, Captain Obvious.”

Clare elbowed Alice. “I was just trying to calm them down,” she whispered to her. “Look, there’s even blood here,” she then said to the rest. “I’ll bet they tore each other apart.”

“I doubt it,” Rachel said.

“What makes you say that?”

She pointed. Resting on the edge of the clearing were three full grown sleeping dragons.

“Fuck me, there’s three,” David whispered.

Clare went ahead and smacked the back of his head.

“Ow!”

A dragon opened its eyes.

“Dude, shut up!” Rachel said to him.

Another opened its eyes.

David shoved Rachel back and she tumbled backwards without ceremony, crashing onto a branch and snapping it in half.

The third dragon awoke.

All voices finally became whispers.

“This is bad,” Clare said, carefully stepping backwards.

“What makes you say that?” Alice asked as she helped Rachel to her feet. “The death monsters over there?”

One stood up. Everyone unsheathed their weapons.

“Are you going to be sarcastic or are you going to shut up?”

“How about you both shut up?”

The second dragon stood. With its standing, everyone could clearly see the large egg behind it.

“Now I get why they’re all here.”

“Would you shut up?”

The third dragon did not aggressively stand like its kin but readjusted its positioning to put its head by the egg while simultaneously keeping its eyes glued to the interlopers. It left its supporters to their work.

“Two it is.”

The dragons attacked. By instinct the group scattered. Rachel took her men one way and Clare and Alice shot off another. The dragons pursued appropriately.

The chase lasted seconds, if that. In one mighty leap their dragon soared overhead and landed right in front of Clare and Alice while swinging its claws. The women dove and evaded certain death.

Clare acted first. She rolled toward the monster with her dive and was able to bring her axe down on the monster’s foot. It kicked her, sending Clare up into the branches of a tree.

Alice’s dashed in and set her claws upon the dragon’s legs, cutting them up in record speeds. It gave her a kick as well and she hit the base of a tree as Clare fell down beside her.

“This hurts,” Clare groaned.

“Well we slowed it down, if nothing else.”

But not enough. The dragon’s claws descended and the two quickly rolled out of harm’s way. Their evasion split them apart but that gave them the advantage of positioning the dragon between them.

The monster remained cautious. It calmed down and kept an eye on both, waiting for their next move. Clare and Alice were doing the same, switching between eyeing each other for a hint as to what to do and the dragon.

The dragon made the first move. It attacked Clare while it wildly lashed it tail behind it, trying to keep Alice at bay. Clare dodged around the lethal claws and Alice managed to close some distance by lopping off part of the dragon’s tail just as she had done on the ship. The dragon roared and turned around, making its first mistake.

The shortened tail was less of a threat to Clare and she could more easily attack. She ran, jumped, and struck the monster in the back, shattering spines and lodging her blade deep in the monster’s flesh. The dragon roared and started spinning around, trying to sling Clare off.

Alice, ignored, timed her strike. Clare remained steadfast on the dragon’s back with a hand on a spine and the other on her axe. Alice made her move for the dragon’s neck. The momentum of the dragon’s spinning and Alice’s strength made it easy. All four claws made it across the dragon’s throat. While its blood spilled on the jungle floor, Clare jerked her axe from the dragon’s back and backed away, as did Alice. The dragon did not last much longer. It did not know whether to attack Clare or Alice and in its indecision, faded away between the women.

Clare looked to Alice and she back to Clare. Then the other dragon roared in the distance. The two wasted no time in setting off through the trees to replace their allies. The other three were faring about as well as they could, considering the third dragon had joined the other. Clare and Alice arrived and saw one dragon with Max’s knives embedded in its head and covered with wounds but the other was in much better condition. It had likely only just joined the battle.

Rachel was in a tree, and certainly not by choice. David was on his feet, twirling his sickle and chain in anticipation. Max was not doing well. He had a deep cut stretching across his chest shoulder to shoulder and was slouched against the base of a tree with a look of understandable agony.

Both dragons noticed the new arrivals but the fresher was the one that attacked. The women were near to each other so it lashed with both hands at once. The women dodged left and right outside of the claws and then cut back inward and struck the dragon’s wrists with incredible power. Its hands were severed and it roared. Mostly defenseless, it met its end within the next few moments.

In the short amount of time it took the women to dispatch their foe, David had suffered a claw straight through his shoulder and Rachel hit her head falling from the tree.

No time to waste. Clare and Alice hurried to the rescue. They had the dragon’s full attention since its former prey was no longer deemed a threat. It started with a tail lash that Alice had grown all too familiar with, and the result was another disconnected dragon tail. And as Clare had learned to do, she dodged under the predicted claw swipe and followed with an axe attack to the dragon’s thigh, right into a previously inflicted wound from one of the others, deepening it and slowing the dragon’s speed to a hobble. But its arms were still fully functional and a quick slash at Alice cut her arm. Distracted by Alice’s injury, the dragon was able to hit Clare with an elbow. Clare was knocked to the ground where the dragon’s foot was about to plummet on her.

Just before the fatal blow, David’s chain and sickle wrapped around its ankle and pulled the foot away from Clare. The trio had gathered and jerked the chain back together with what waning strength they had left. Alice made a move and ran her own claws into the spine of the dragon’s lower back. The monster’s legs gave out and it fell. Alice pounced one more time, and brought her claws down into the dragon’s skull.

The three at the end of the chain released it with great breaths of relief and fell onto their backs. Clare and Alice ran to them.

“Are you ok?” Clare asked.

“No,” Max muttered.

“I’m missing some memory,” Rachel said.

“There’s a hole in my shoulder,” David pointed out.

The women fished through their bags for first aid supplies that had been generously provided by the Protector at the base. The women remembered what Gaia had taught them and did their best with David and Max. Rachel waited anxiously on the side, occasionally rubbing her bruised head.

When Clare and Alice finished their shoddy work, their patients admitted to actually feeling a little better. But still, they had it bad and camp would have to be made there for the day. Clare and Alice started by hauling the dragon bodies away lest they start rotting and stinking up the place. Rachel wanted to help but was made to sit and wait due to dizziness. She made a campfire instead.

The hunt was a success. Clare and Alice gave the others a quick checkup before returning to the dragon corpses. It was time to receive their prize. They picked out the largest one and started skinning it. It took hours and required borrowing the others’ weapons for parts of the process but they did it. They rolled up the hide, tied it tight, and dropped it back at the camp.

“I’ll be right back,” Clare said to them there. “I forgot one of Max’s knives.”

Clare returned to where they first encountered the dragons and immediately found what she had really been looking for: the dragon egg. It was heavy and incredibly hard, almost stone-like. But not heavy enough for her. She put it in her bag and returned to camp but not before retrieving Max’s knife that she had purposely left behind.

They spent the rest of the day around the small fire, keeping it lit for their rejuvenating meals. Night fell, they made it larger, and they fell into deep, much needed slumbers.

“You two were incredible,” David said the next morning, feeling better. He and his companions were forced into bedrest while under the watchful eyes of Clare and Alice.

“We fought one before.”

“But still.”

“You jinxed the hell out of it, David,” Rachel said.

“Hey, I said two, not three.”

“Close enough.”

“Rachel,” Alice said in a deep voice. “What did I say about concussions?”

“I know, I know.” She leaned back and relaxed her mind.

Max was on his back with stiches and a blanket over him. Clare lifted it for an examination. “Sloppy stitching but no infection.”

“It hurts.”

“I believe you.”

“Thank god for the Elixir.”

“Keep resting, Max.”

“What about me?” David asked anyone.

Alice looked under David’s bandages. “You’re fine too.”

“That’s what I like to hear. But when can we get moving again?”

“You’ve healed, but not enough. Now stop asking stupid questions and rest.”

“You two must be bored.”

“Not with you people being… you,” Clare replied.

“I have a project in mind, though. We need something to help us transport that hide.”

Rachel pulled a book from her bag but Alice swiped it up. “No!” She flipped through the pages. “You were looking for this, right?” She reached a page with a picture of a stretcher. Rachel nodded in reply.

“May I?” Clare asked. Alice handed the book to her. Clare narrowed her eyes and practiced her reading. Alice left her to it for a little while before Clare hopped up. “OK! Let’s get to this.”

The project was not rocket science. The stretcher was a few branches, large leaves, and rope to keep it together. Gathering the right sized materials was the hardest part. Plus, it was not meant for a delicate injured human. It was low quality but it could carry the hide. They were going to toss it away anyway.

Another full day of rest. Fortunately waiting for the three to heal was not like watching grass grow. Their recoveries were swift and could be observed by a person of patience. Max could soon stand and David’s arm regained functionality. “I like the Elixir,” David stated.

Through the miracle of the Elixir, everyone was ready to go the next day. Rachel was more or less fully recovered but David and Max were still quite sore. Clare, Alice and Rachel divvied up their supplies to lighten their loads for the time being. With the egg in her bag, Clare did not like this but she had to keep her mouth shut and hide the extra effort. Easier said than done.

They set out right after breakfast. The timing was perfect as they were running low on food because of their extended stay in the jungle, which was at hot and humid as ever as they moved out. Clare and Alice hauled the stretcher with the hide.

“You never answered my question in the base,” Clare said.

“What was it?”

“Who loves who?”

The three turned red as the question sunk in.

Rachel’s awkward reply was, “I don’t think there’s an answer to that.”

“Well sure there is, unless none of you know what you want. Life is short.”

There was a brief silence of thought and then in one miraculous moment, all three shouted “I love you!”

Alice dropped the stretcher in surprise and Clare tripped over it and fell. Rachel was looking at Max, Max was looking at David, and David was looking at Rachel. It was absolutely terrible. Alice looked back at Clare with a face asking, “What have you done?” Clare shrugged.

Laughter. “Now that was entertaining,” an iguana said from a tree branch above.

“Humans and their drama,” said its companion.

“Mind your own business!” Rachel yelled up.

“Don’t be so angry. We all know you needed the comic relief.”

“We don’t need some comedian gecko,” David said.

“Now who’s cracking jokes?” an iguana called back down.

“You know we are iguanas.”

“And you know what else?”

“What?”

The iguana whipped its tail and stuck a branch, knocking a fruit loose. It fell and splattered on David’s head.

“I’m going to kill you!”

The iguanas laughed. “Another joke!” And then they scampered away.

“I hate it here,” David muttered, wiping fruit from his head. “You’re lucky I’m injured!” David called out. There was more snickering above.

“Want to hunt them down?” Alice asked.

“Let’s just go.” Rachel started walking. Everyone else followed in silence.

The final day of weary travel. At the end of it, the group stood on a hill, tired but alive and recovering. And down the hill was the base. They had made it. However, it was already nighttime. It would hopefully be there last night in the wilds of Cuba. A special campsite had been prepared, one that involved transforming the stretcher and hide into a tent. A storm was well on its way. Its cold winds shook their campfire.

“We shouldn’t be surprised,” Rachel said.

“I had almost forgotten what happens this time of year. I never had to know, being from the west and all.”

“What are you talking about?” Clare asked.

“A hurricane.”

“We don’t know if it’s a hurricane,” Max said.

David was about to say something but Rachel shushed him. “Don’t talk anymore. You’ll jinx it again.”

“If it’s not a hurricane, then it’s a tropical storm.”

“Yeah, maybe.”

“Tropical storm?”

“Tropical storms turn into hurricanes if they get big enough,” Alice explained to Clare.

“Look here.” Rachel handed Clare a book. It had pictures of the grand scale of hurricanes followed by their destructive capabilities.

“I don’t want this.”

“Who does?”

On cue, rain pattered on the hide above them as a night of thunder, lightning, winds and rains began.

“Fuck.”