And I’m alone again. At least it’s not raining. It’d be impossible to hear Tim if it were raining. Though, he probably wouldn’t have gone out if it’s raining. Then again, if it were raining, I wouldn’t have heard the rustling in the woods.
"Sam, can you hear me?" There’s Eric. He’s definitely the more upbeat of the two, often telling jokes about his buddies in the war. No one in his family is dead as far as he knows. I don’t think he’s lost anyone close to him in this whole debacle. He’s a little older than me, 28, though Tim is as much his leader as mine. It goes back to their days in the army where Tim was a higher rank than Eric. Eric jokes about it, sometimes sarcastically answering Tim with a salute and a hearty "Yes, Sarge!" I wouldn’t say Eric is reckless (Tim would), I’d say he is overwhelmingly optimistic.
"Sure can."
"Can you believe that guy? Going out in this weather?!" The night was cloudless and temperate. This was Eric’s idea of a joke. The difference is that I laughed at this one.
"You know Tim. He’s ever-vigilant."
"Someone’s got to take that stick out of his ass. I keep trying to remind him we’re no longer in the service. He’s alw--"
I stop listening. Tim crosses over the border into the woods. I can no longer see him and have to trust my ears. "OK, shut up, he just went in."
I close my eyes to sharpen my senses and focus on listening. Nothing, save the constant murmur of the crickets. No branches cracking, nothing. It doesn’t surprise me with how light-footed he always is, but it’s discomforting.
"Sam, can you hear me?" There’s Eric. He’s definitely the more upbeat of the two, often telling jokes about his buddies in the war. No one in his family is dead as far as he knows. I don’t think he’s lost anyone close to him in this whole debacle. He’s a little older than me, 28, though Tim is as much his leader as mine. It goes back to their days in the army where Tim was a higher rank than Eric. Eric jokes about it, sometimes sarcastically answering Tim with a salute and a hearty "Yes, Sarge!" I wouldn’t say Eric is reckless (Tim would), I’d say he is overwhelmingly optimistic.
"Sure can."
"Can you believe that guy? Going out in this weather?!" The night was cloudless and temperate. This was Eric’s idea of a joke. The difference is that I laughed at this one.
"You know Tim. He’s ever-vigilant."
"Someone’s got to take that stick out of his ass. I keep trying to remind him we’re no longer in the service. He’s alw--"
I stop listening. Tim crosses over the border into the woods. I can no longer see him and have to trust my ears. "OK, shut up, he just went in."
I close my eyes to sharpen my senses and focus on listening. Nothing, save the constant murmur of the crickets. No branches cracking, nothing. It doesn’t surprise me with how light-footed he always is, but it’s discomforting.
