Ollie's body was thrown by the current, and her hand still tried to reach for her bag. Once she finally had a hold of the strap, she realized she was twenty feet away from where Camana was.

She grabbed the nearest thing she could find, which happened to be a tree branch above her head. The bag slid down her arm, and she could feel Camana's worried gaze locked onto her body. Her slippery hands reached further up the branch, and further towards the bank of the river.

Slowly, Ollie's leg locked into a small hole on the shore, and she hoisted herself onto the moist ground, her bag trapped tightly in her grip.

☁︎◎☁︎◎☁︎◎☁︎◎☁︎◎☁︎◎☁︎◎☁︎◎☁︎

"Who are you? How do you know my brother?" I spat at Lincomb.

He lowered his head, and pulled me along into a brisk walk. "We have to get moving," he said quietly, refusing to make eye contact. "We need to get there before dark."

I wrenched my wrist from his grip. "Where is 'there'? What are you not telling me?"

"I'll explain everything when we arrive."

I sighed, realizing I couldn't win. I broke into a slow jog, letting Lincomb take the lead.

Many days later, as twilight fell, we were met with a worn house in northern Virginia. I had not questioned anything else along the way, but now every question bubbled to the surface.

"Why are you taking me here? How do you know Evian? How does this involve me? What is this place?" I spat these questions out in rapid fire mode, not even waiting for an answer. They just had to be said.

Lincomb looked down and scratched behind his neck. The anxiety of both of us combined was enough to make a whole flock of turkeys run amok. I could see the drops of fear behind his eyes, and I knew he could see the flames of anger behind mine. Lincomb sat down against the nearest tree, his hands folded over his knees. He breathed in through his nose, and heaved a sigh through his mouth. "Evian sent me to get you. You have to come inside with me, please. You'll see your brother again if you just come inside."

I crossed my arms, keeping my stern look of stubbornness and authority. But I still sighed and gave in. "Fine. But if you're messing with me-"

"I'm not, Evelyn. I promise."

I followed Lincomb through the wooden door, into a dark and empty space. The floorboards creaked under my blistered feet, and I squinted as I tried to keep up with Lincomb. I took three steps more, only to bump into Lincomb's shoulder blades. I felt his fingertips brush against my stomach, signaling for me to stop. All was silent, until an all too familiar voice broke through.

"Long time, no see, Evy."

I couldn't believe what I was hearing. I froze in disbelief. How is this possible?

"Evian?"