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Authors: Kevin J. Howard
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slowly. I want everyone scanning the ground for anything.” Dale set his mask on the ground along with his helmet. He needed clear vision if he was going to find Paul. No matter how much his eyes or lungs burned, he wanted to do his own hunting. “Let’s go.”
For over an hour they marched up and down the same stretch of earth, often getting down on their knees to thumb through a thick patch of grass. They didn’t find a thing; not so much as a single clue to where Paul could have gone.
12
T here had been a heavy silence over them the entire drive back to Old Faithful. Stew had been traveling ten and sometimes twenty miles over the speed limit, taking corners blindly without concern. He was completely aware that he was driving and where he was going, but his mind was still back at the campsite. Doug and Rowena were gone, leaving all their belongings there on the ground as if they’d just left without them. It brought a sickening acidic taste to the back of his mouth. Stew didn’t care much for Rowena. In fact he thought she acted like a stuck up snooty bitch half the time, her face buried in a book as if she were better than everyone. But he had secretly liked Doug. It hadn’t really dawned on him until a few minutes ago, but he genuinely cared for the butterball.
Doug had been the first person he’d met in the park. Stew had driven from Oregon all by his lonesome, tired and hungry. He’d stayed in Gardiner the night before orientation, some crappy hotel without cable. He hadn’t slept but for two hours or so, lying in bed with sore legs from the drive and his mind full of woe. His mother’s final words kept circling his mind like an infant’s mobile. Her exact words had been, “Get the hell out of this house, then. Go on and leave. Lousy good for nothing, just like your father.” He knew she was only saying that out of sadness. His father had left her only a year earlier for a much younger woman in his office. So when he’d told his mother he was heading out to Yellowstone to work, she felt abandoned. Betrayed, even. But he had to leave. He was drowning in responsibilities and never had time to himself. They needed more money; he went out and got another job. Someone needed a ride somewhere; he got behind the wheel. So he understood her anger, if not surprise, when he told her he was going and that was that. Deep down, beneath her tears and harsh words, he knew she only wanted him to be with her. She just didn’t want to be alone.
The next morning he’d headed into the park bright and early, a little too early. He’d gone and left himself four hours until orientation. So he took a seat on a bench across from the mineral deposits in Mammoth and closed his eyes. This had eaten up twenty minutes of his time.
“Hey,” Doug had said, waving his hand. “You want to play some basketball?”
“Where?” Stew stood from the bench.
Doug pointed behind the Mammoth hotel to a building shaped like a barn. Stew nodded and followed him inside, so thankful he’d listened. Inside was the employee recreation hall. A full-sized basketball court, two pool tables, and some video games. He and Doug had played horse and pool the entire time. It had been fun, too. Stew thought Doug had a crude personality with perfect timing. Aside from his overly aggressive, stalker-like qualities, Stew thought he was a great guy. Remembering that day made him feel even worse, remembering his kindness and then picturing him wandering the woods…or worse.
“Slow down or you’re going to kill us.” Sonia leaned forward and slapped his shoulder.
Stew looked at the speedometer and saw he was doing forty-seven in a twenty-five zone. He took a deep calming breath and pulled his foot off the gas, allowing the jeep to gradually slow itself. Everything needed to be slowed a bit. His jeep, breathing, heart, and mind all needed to decelorate. Everything was rushing as if there were a bomb about to detonate. He wouldn’t do Doug and that
For over an hour they marched up and down the same stretch of earth, often getting down on their knees to thumb through a thick patch of grass. They didn’t find a thing; not so much as a single clue to where Paul could have gone.
12
T here had been a heavy silence over them the entire drive back to Old Faithful. Stew had been traveling ten and sometimes twenty miles over the speed limit, taking corners blindly without concern. He was completely aware that he was driving and where he was going, but his mind was still back at the campsite. Doug and Rowena were gone, leaving all their belongings there on the ground as if they’d just left without them. It brought a sickening acidic taste to the back of his mouth. Stew didn’t care much for Rowena. In fact he thought she acted like a stuck up snooty bitch half the time, her face buried in a book as if she were better than everyone. But he had secretly liked Doug. It hadn’t really dawned on him until a few minutes ago, but he genuinely cared for the butterball.
Doug had been the first person he’d met in the park. Stew had driven from Oregon all by his lonesome, tired and hungry. He’d stayed in Gardiner the night before orientation, some crappy hotel without cable. He hadn’t slept but for two hours or so, lying in bed with sore legs from the drive and his mind full of woe. His mother’s final words kept circling his mind like an infant’s mobile. Her exact words had been, “Get the hell out of this house, then. Go on and leave. Lousy good for nothing, just like your father.” He knew she was only saying that out of sadness. His father had left her only a year earlier for a much younger woman in his office. So when he’d told his mother he was heading out to Yellowstone to work, she felt abandoned. Betrayed, even. But he had to leave. He was drowning in responsibilities and never had time to himself. They needed more money; he went out and got another job. Someone needed a ride somewhere; he got behind the wheel. So he understood her anger, if not surprise, when he told her he was going and that was that. Deep down, beneath her tears and harsh words, he knew she only wanted him to be with her. She just didn’t want to be alone.
The next morning he’d headed into the park bright and early, a little too early. He’d gone and left himself four hours until orientation. So he took a seat on a bench across from the mineral deposits in Mammoth and closed his eyes. This had eaten up twenty minutes of his time.
“Hey,” Doug had said, waving his hand. “You want to play some basketball?”
“Where?” Stew stood from the bench.
Doug pointed behind the Mammoth hotel to a building shaped like a barn. Stew nodded and followed him inside, so thankful he’d listened. Inside was the employee recreation hall. A full-sized basketball court, two pool tables, and some video games. He and Doug had played horse and pool the entire time. It had been fun, too. Stew thought Doug had a crude personality with perfect timing. Aside from his overly aggressive, stalker-like qualities, Stew thought he was a great guy. Remembering that day made him feel even worse, remembering his kindness and then picturing him wandering the woods…or worse.
“Slow down or you’re going to kill us.” Sonia leaned forward and slapped his shoulder.
Stew looked at the speedometer and saw he was doing forty-seven in a twenty-five zone. He took a deep calming breath and pulled his foot off the gas, allowing the jeep to gradually slow itself. Everything needed to be slowed a bit. His jeep, breathing, heart, and mind all needed to decelorate. Everything was rushing as if there were a bomb about to detonate. He wouldn’t do Doug and that
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