Oblivion Read Free Page B

explosion reverberates
    through the forest. They’d stopped for a few
    moments, but it doesn’t matter -- I’m almost getting
    used to it. “You’re right,” I tel Natalia. “Let’s just try
    our best to stay safe.”
    “Come on,” she says, taking my hand. “Let’s try to
    find my car.”
    We start walking, both of us looking every which way
    as we move through the forest, our feet crunching on
    leaves and branches. When the explosions aren’t
    happening, it’s eerily quiet and I’m paranoid that
    we’re going to be heard by anyone and everyone.
    But after a few minutes, we stil haven’t been spotted
    and I get the sense we’re even further from the
    fighting. At long last, we make it to the road. Nat
    looks both ways, a little uncertain again. Then she
    points up the road, where it rounds a corner going
    uphil . “I think my car is that way.”
    I nod. “We can walk. But we have to stay off the road
    since it’s probably the first place they’l look for us.”
    “What if they’ve got the path blocked off where it
    meets the road?”
    I shrug. “We’l cross that bridge when we come to it, I
    guess.”
    We walk up the hil , staying wel inside the forest and
    off the path. But when we round the bend, we’re
    greeted by an unpleasant sight.
    Nat gasps and I just stand there, trying to process
    what I’m seeing.
    The blackened skeleton of Natalia’s car is sitting on
    the side of the road, surrounded by ash. It’s almost
    unrecognizable. It looks like it was hit by a missile.
    Part of the backseat is intact, but otherwise, the car
    is total y wrecked.
    Natalia runs toward it. I fol ow her, standing a few
    feet away as she kneels down and picks up her bag
    from where it’s laying on what’s left of backseat. It’s
    covered in black ash, but she slings it over her
    shoulder anyway.
    “Nat,” I say, reaching out and touching her arm.
    “What now?” she whispers. She’s stil staring at the
    car, her gaze unfocused and blank.
    “I have no idea.”
    And then I spot them.
    A group of three witches, obviously from Raine’s
    side, since they’re dressed al in black. They emerge
    from the woods and huddle together, talking
    excitedly. One of them is holding a map and they
    appear to be studying it as they try to figure out their
    next course of action.
    My breath catches in my chest, and I crouch down
    behind the blackened car, pul ing Natalia down with
    me. The two of us sit there, trying to stay as quiet as
    possible.
    After a little bit, I peek around the bumper of the car.
    The witches are gone.
    “They’re probably going to search every inch of this
    forest,” I whisper in Nat’s ear.
    “Are they looking for us, do you think?”
    “I don’t think they’re too interested in me,” I say.
    “Wel , maybe they are, if they think I can help Raine’s
    energy.”
    Nat puts her face in her hands and starts to cry
    silently, her shoulders shaking.
    I grab her in a big hug and hold her close to me. I can
    feel her heart pounding against my chest. “I’m not
    going to let anything happen to you,” I tel her,
    meaning it. “I would die to keep anyone from hurting
    you. I promise.”
    She stops crying and wipes her eyes. “I’m okay.”
    “You sure?”
    She nods.
    “Okay,” I say, “New plan. I say we make our way
    down the hil , stick near the path, but far enough off of
    it so that we can’t be seen. It meets up with the street
    a couple miles down.”
    “And then what? What do we do once we hit the
    street?” she says.
    “I don’t know. Hitchhike or something.”
    She laughs. “That’s a great idea, Cam. Maybe
    Raine’s friends wil be nice enough to give us a ride
    home.”
    “You have a better idea?”
    “Wel ,” she says, “we could head back to the town
    hal .”
    I stare at her. “Are you kidding? I can’t go back there.
    Reed tried to kil me, remember?”
    “True. But that was when they had Raine, and she’s
    gone now.”
    “We don’t know where Raine is,” I