Each morning when I awake,
I experience again
a supreme pleasure,
that of being Salvador Dali.

-Salvador Dali

Emma

The stars are beautiful. They remind me of the nights I spent with my father at the telescope, when I was still a child. But it’s the first time the memory doesn’t make me sad.

I smile.

Burns is fast asleep. He seems completely at ease in the outdoors.
I’m not so sure. I didn’t do a lot of camping and I’m worried about wild animals.
Are there poisonous snakes in the desert?

A shiver runs down my spine and I try to push the thought away.

I’m safe here, I tell myself. If there were any snakes, Burns would have told me. He doesn’t seem worried in the least.

I think back on what the told me about his host. I try to picture him as a different person, as David. Had he ever tried to find his family? What had happened to them?

I don’t have brothers or sisters, but he must miss them. Sky was determined to find my parents.
And Ashley.
I sigh.
I think I miss her the most.
I didn’t see her when Sky was in Toledo. She could be anywhere. In some ways Sky reminded me of her.
They were both so filled with life.

It’s so quiet here. This far out in the desert, you don’t even hear the city. That’s good. It makes it less likely that someone will find us.

I glance at Burns. I still can’t believe he would abandon his friends to protect me. But he’s a Soul. Souls are altruistic. He’d probably die to help me.
What if we run into Seekers again? Would they hurt him because he tried to help me? He hurt one of his own to bring me back.
They don’t have a real police force, but I can’t imagine they would just let this pass.
I couldn’t live with myself if he got hurt because of me.

I almost laugh. I start to sound like a Soul.

I glance at Burns again. Perhaps that wouldn’t be such a bad thing after all.

***

“You’re not eating.”

I look up while I pick at my bread. “We should be careful with our food,” I say, “you don’t know when we’ll have the chance to get new supplies.”

Burns smiles. “When we run out, I can just go back to the city. It’s not that far a drive.”

I bite my lip. He’s right. “Sorry,” I mutter, “habit.” 

He gives a smile of sympathy. “It’s fine. You don’t have to apologize.” He hands me another roll.


The scene is suddenly incredibly lonely to me. It’s like we’re the last two people in the world, trying to survive. I want to laugh, but I start to cry instead.

I hate my tears. I hate feeling weak. I hate being powerless.

In an instant, two strong arms fold around me. 

Much to my surprise, Burns doesn’t say a word. He just lets me cry out my frustration.

I push away from him and wipe my tears. “I’m alright,” I say and crawl to my feet. I start rolling up my sleeping bag. “Where are we going today?”

Burns stares at me sadly for a moment before helping me pack up. “I thought we could get closer to the Canyon,” he says, “I’d still like to take a look, take some pictures. Even if it’s only for my own pleasure.”

“Sure,’ I nod. It’s the least I can do. And we’ll be hidden there.

He smiles. “Good. Come, we should go before the sun gets too high.”

“Are you sure we won’t get lost?” I ask nervously, “I mean, as far as I know, the Canyon is quite big.”

“We won’t go to the dangerous parts,” Burns smiles, “and I have a compass.”

“Alright,”  say, “I’ll trust you.”

“I’m glad.” He holds open the car door for me and I get in.

***

The landscape gets rougher by the minute, but I think it’s beautiful. I’d gladly spend the rest of my life here in the rocky wild.
How’s that for an indoor girl?
Maybe we can have a campfire tonight, like the one we had in his garden. With sausages and chocolate milk and marshmallows.
Did he get marshmallows? I have to find out once we stop.
Maybe I can even play something. I know he packed my guitar. I’ve missed music. Sky didn’t care for it much.

“How about here?” Burns breaks my thoughts. He points at what looks like the start of a small canyon.

I nod and he drives the car towards it and parks it out of sight.
If there are any hikers out here, which is vey unlikely, they’ll never know we’re here.

We walk towards the crevice. Burns is carrying his inseparable camera and I’m in charge of the food again. 

I bite back a smile. It seems we have already developed habits.

The crevice is very narrow one moment and then gets wider the next. I’m glad Burns knows what he’s doing. I’d get lost in no time. There are so many turns and twists. This place is like maze.

Suddenly I slam into Burns, who was ahead of me. “Why did you stop?” I ask.


“Sh,” Burns says.

It takes me by surprise. Burns would never just cut me off.

“Did you hear that?” He tilts his head and looks around.

I bite my lip and follow his example, but there is nothing.

“There,” Burns whispers and then I hear it too. 

Rocks that are falling.

Not like an avalanche or a slide, but as if someone accidentally set something in motion, not wanting to be seen.

It could be an animal.

It could also be…

“Maybe it’s a Seeker,” Burns whispers and I freeze. He rubs my arm comforting. “Stay here. I’ll check it out. Don’t move, okay? I’ll be right back.”

Even if I wanted to, I can’t will my body to move. 

Blind panic sets in.

Seekers.

Even here.

I’ll never be able to escape them. There’s no hope for me. And as soon as the Seekers find out what he did, there’s no hope for Burns either.

I wait anxiously for him to come back, preparing to make a run for it.

But when he does come back, the expression on his face in not one of panic. It’s confused.

“It’s a human,” he whispers, his eyes wide. “I think he’s dying.” 

---

A/N dun dun dun Guess who?