Cain woke up to a tap on his shoulder. He looked up to see PJ standing over him, her face ghostly pale and her tangled blonde hair looking like corn string in the moonlight beaming through the window.
"Bad dreams?" He joked, but from the weariness she exhibited he could tell that she had definitely had some.
She nodded. "Yes. I got some water, but I feel much better now."
"Has the sickness worn off?" Cain asked.
"Yep," she said.
"Yea, I can tell. You look better," he lied. She didn't, she looked worse in fact, but he figured soon enough the shock of a bad dream would wear off.
"Tell you what. Let's go for a run," Cain said. "That's what I did."
"Wouldn't it be cold?" asked the blonde girl.
Cain shook his head, "Nope. Its seventy degrees, but Colorado days are colder."
Sometimes, PJ forgot that only five or so years ago she'd actually met Cain. It felt like she'd known him all of her life like her and Adah.
"Okay," PJ said, nodding.
They went downstairs and Cain grabbed some snacks and put a canteen in his vest before the two left. There was no moon, so Cain grabbed a faint flashlight keychain.
It seemed as if that infinitesimal light illuminated the whole forest for PJ. She could hear owls, but it was late in the night (or rather, early in the morning) so there were no crickets. She could see spanish moss flowing in the faint breeze which caused goose bumps to raise down her arms.
At first, they were just walking. But soon, Cain picked up the pace and PJ followed suit. Her heart went bump-bump-bump as their speed increased and they jumped over roots and fallen logs, ducking under low hanging branches and narrowly avoiding dangers such as poison ivy.
"This is great!" PJ shouted.
"I know," Cain replied. "This is like the stuff that that one guy took in Wonder Woman."
"Wasn't he the bad guy?" PJ asked, but Cain didn't reply.
PJ realized they were now running through the Tree Camp. She could see the faint outline of platforms over them and the clinging of the hanging plastic targets in the wind.
We got here already? PJ thought. They passed through the camp and PJ now realized what path they were own.
As they skirted around the crash site, PJ could see the broken trees stabbing out of the dirt like a rack of spears knocked over. Some of the still wet wood gleamed in the moonlight.
They disappeared back into the gloom of the forest where the faint glow of the keychain made the branches above them look like the arms of ghosts. Above them stars gleamed.
"I wonder what it would be like to live in a place where you could see it all," Cain said.
"All of what?" PJ asked.
"The Milky Way. Of course, you'd have to live far away from everyone else but for a view like that… I would do anything…" he muttered.
PJ looked at him. She'd always thought he was more of the industrial, technology loving types like Asher. Perhaps none of us know each other as much as we thought we did, PJ mused.
They continued past there until PJ could hear the sound of rushing water. She tilted her head, as if trying to make sure she was hearing things right.
The trees began to thin and they found themselves staring over a giant lake from its rocky shore. Between the cracks rose purple Morning Glories as big as a hand. In the distance was the opposite shore line where she could see the lights of lakehouses.
"How did we end up here so fast?" PJ asked as they slowed to a stop.
Cain pulled out his phone from his vest. "It took us thirty minutes. It's four in the morning."
"I've never been up that early," PJ told him.
He shrugged in response. "Well, now you have."
They sat down on the rocks and Cain pulled out some bags of Doritoes and Pretzels for them to share. As they ate, PJ could see a fiery light in the distance. Soon enough, the sky became purple and eventually orange. The still water in the middle of the lake reflected the colors perfectly.
"I wish I'd gotten up earlier sooner. This is amazing!" PJ told Cain.
Cain chuckled, "Well, you can't get up this early every day."
"Well maybe these could help us," PJ said, looking down and knocking her wrists together. "Imagine if everyone had one of these."
Cain clinked his wristband into hers. "Now you're starting to sound like Asher," he said.
"Is it really that bad to sound like him every once in a while?" PJ asked.
"No, of course not!" Cain cried. "Asher is a brilliant person, but…." He trailed off, looking away.
"But?" PJ prompted.
"He can get ahead of himself sometimes. Always pessimistic and when the most absurd of circumstances comes along he says 'welp, time to do something stupid' as if al optimists are stupid!" Cain told PJ.
PJ nodded. "I can see that," she told Cain.
For a second, she felt like breaking her promise to said boy. To tell Cain about the theft. But then Asher would never trust her again if she did that. And then you'll never be together, whispered a love-stricken part of her brain.
But instead, she bit on her tongue and didn't say anything until the sun was higher up and the red was beginning to fade away to a green. She knew from watching sunsets that soon enough would come the shades of blue.
"Let's go home. It's getting la- err… early," PJ said.
"I agree. Don't want them waking up and thinking we ran away or got kidnapped. Remember, the thief is still out there," Cain replied.
That felt exactly like a punch to PJ, driving the air from her. Cain noticed and asked, "What is it? Are you still feeling sick?"
"No, just dehydrated," PJ lied, and began to race away.