Page 24 of Ghostface Killer
“How long then?” I pry. Fair is fair.
“Long enough to know I like it,” he offers vaguely.
“Fair enough.” I won’t push. We all have secrets. It’s the reason I’m here.
The front window starts to brighten and once again my attention is pulled in a different direction. When I turn my head away from Baz, an early-morning light show is unfolding before me.
“Wow.” I unconsciously scoot forward in my seat as a brilliant, golden hue illuminates from behind the mountain range. “How beautiful,” I muse as the black sky is chased away by a surge of fiery oranges, blazing pinks, and flaming reds.
“Told you it was killer.”
Dear Lord, I wish he would stop using that word.
We drive a little while longer until we come to the base of a pass by the mountain. Baz pulls off the road and parks on the dirt path beneath some evergreens. At least I think they’re evergreens. Pines, maybe. Who knows.
“Ready to do this?” Baz excitedly reaches into the back seat and grabs his bookbag.
As I’ll ever be.
We climb out, he locks the truck, and we begin our climb up the trail. The morning air is chilly, and as we hike, the clear sky starts to roll over with grey clouds.
“Most of the trail is pretty easy,” Baz informs me as we navigate under the vibrant green, towering trees. The color of the needles is reminiscent of Baz’s keen eyes. “The hardest part is the last half mile. We’ll have to climb a few rocks to get to the spring, but it will be totally worthwhile. You good with that?” he asks with his hands clutching the straps of his backpack.
“I’m up for the challenge,” I assure him.
“I had a feeling.” He smirks, peering down at me.
“What’s that supposed to mean?” I question.
“Nothing. Nothing bad,” he clarifies. “You just seem like the kind of person who can rise to the occasion.”
“I am,” I confirm.
Baz’s smirk grows into a full-on smile.
I wish he wouldn’t do that. Enjoy being with me so much. It’s making it all the harder to do my job. Nearly impossible, actually.
Neither judge nor jury.
As we get deeper into the forest, my opportunity grows by leaps and bounds. It’s the perfect setting. Quiet, remote, isolated. He’d get picked apart by animals before anyone would find his body. My heart sinks at the thought, but I shake off the guilt. If Benny was here, he would whip my ass for letting a detestable emotion like remorse get the better of me. Allow it to make me weak.
“Keep up, slow poke,” Baz tosses over his shoulder as I fall a little behind.
“I’m right here with you,” I promise as I pull my backpack to the front of my chest.
Baz whistles the melody of the Audioslave song like he doesn’t have a care in the world—completely unassuming—as the sound of running water becomes increasingly louder.
The beat of my heart is literally as resounding as a gong as I reach inside my bag and grab for the gun. The cold metal grazes against my heated skin as I slip my fingers around the grip.
Just do it. Just do it. Just do it.I chant to myself like an annoying Nike commercial. I take a deep breath, and just as I go to pull the gun, Baz turns his head. “C’mon, you gotta see this.” The happy, boyish expression on his handsome face utterly destroys me. I release the gun as he raises an eyebrow questioningly. Caught red handed, I swiftly pull out a water bottle from the bag. His suspicions disappear as I unscrew the cap and take a hefty sip.
Waiting until I finish hydrating, Baz takes it upon himself to grab my hand and keep me next to him. “No more falling behind.” We walk at the same brisk pace as the sound of the running water becomes deafening. Taking a hard left, Baz leads me deeper into the forest, and before long, we come to a magnificent waterfall thundering off a sky-high cliff across a ravine.
Baz inhales the cleansing scent of nature wafting through the air, and a serene aura seems to encapsulate us. “This is what it’s all about. The simplicity of life.” He exhales as he watches the falls with appreciation.
I wish I could relate to what he’s feeling. My life is anything but simple. I wish I could look at something as simplistic as a waterfall and feel as free as him. What would that liberation be like? To be able to make my own decisions? To not be dictated to, or have expectations laid upon my shoulders like shackles?
I step closer to the edge, peering down into the blue pool below. At the base of the waterfall, rainbows play hide and seek as the cloud cover shields the light of the sun.
