24. Zoey

24

ZOEY

Z oey trudged through the rocky terrain, her boots scuffing against the uneven ground. The trees thinned out as they climbed higher.

She glanced over at Lux, who was walking a few steps ahead. For most of the day, she'd seemed stuck in her thoughts. Even when she spoke up, something else was on her mind.

As much as she felt attracted to Lux, she didn't want to scare her off.

Attracted?

Zoey slowed down somewhat. This wasn't mere attraction. She was falling in love with Lux, as strange as it sounded to her own ears.

"Shit." She stumbled.

Lux turned. "You good back there?"

"Yeah, sure," she replied hurriedly. "Just tripped on some stones."

The ground was littered with shrubs, their tough roots gripping the rocky soil. This area differed from the dense forest they had left behind. It felt more open, more exposed.

"We should be easier to spot from the air now," Zoey said.

"That's if they're looking," Lux said.

"We'd better hope they are."

Lux nodded, still focused on the path ahead. "Yeah, and hopefully, the fire won't spread as quickly up here. There's less fuel for it."

Zoey's gaze drifted upward, taking in the vast, clear sky. The smoke from the fire was still visible in the distance, but it felt like they had finally put some distance between themselves and the danger.

"It's a relief to be out of those trees," she said. "I was starting to feel like we were trapped down there."

Lux glanced back at her, a small smile tugging at the corners of her lips. "I know what you mean. It's good to see clear sky again."

They continued walking, the rocky ground crunching beneath their feet. The shrubs grew thicker as they moved farther up the terrain, and Zoey found herself brushing past the occasional prickly branch. It wasn't easy going, but it was better than the constant threat of falling branches or getting lost in the dense underbrush.

After a while, they reached a slight rise, and Zoey's breath caught in her throat as she saw something shimmering in the distance. "Is that…water?"

Lux followed her gaze. "Looks like it. Could be a lake or a pond."

"Think we can try to catch something to eat?" Zoey asked.

"Sure, I'm famished," Lux said.

They descended the slope, the terrain leveling as they approached the water. As they drew closer, Zoey could see it was indeed a lake, its surface calm as it reflected the pale blue sky. The air around it felt fresher, and Zoey breathed deeply, savoring the clean scent.

Lux crouched by the water's edge, her fingers trailing through the surface.

"It's clean," she said, relief evident.

Zoey knelt beside her, the cool water lapping at her fingertips. "This is a good spot," she said. "We should take a break here, maybe even camp for the night."

Lux nodded. "Agreed. And if we're lucky, we might be able to catch something." She looked around.

Lux chuckled softly. "I'm sure we can figure something out."

They spent the next few minutes gathering fishing supplies. They found long, sturdy branches that could serve as fishing rods and some discarded string and drinks cans another hiker must've left behind. It wasn't perfect, but it was better than nothing.

They used the metal from the drinks cans to fashion hooks and put some berries on the end as bait. Do fish like berries? Time would tell on that front! Once their makeshift fishing rods were ready, they settled by the lake's edge, casting their lines into the water. Zoey felt calmer as she watched the ripples spread across the surface, the quiet lapping of the water soothing her frayed nerves.

"This is nice," Zoey said. She watched her line bob gently in the water. "It almost makes me forget about everything else."

Lux glanced at her. "It's strange, isn't it? How something as simple as fishing can make everything seem…normal."

Zoey nodded, her gaze still fixed on the water. "Yeah. I guess it's a reminder that life goes on, no matter what."

"Yeah. I can imagine the look on my dad's face when I tell him I survived so many days out here. There'd be so many stories to share."

"Yeah," Zoey said. "Stories. They'd be scared now, you know."

"Yeah, I know. But my dad won't give up on me just yet." Lux's hands dropped slightly. "I bet he'd give them hell at the station if anyone dared suggest giving up."

They laughed.

Zoey's mind drifted, her thoughts wandering to her family and the life she had left behind. She wondered if they were worried about her or still hoping she was alive.

Had Becky Thompson the Fire Chief reached out to her parents already? Were they preparing for life without her?

She shifted slightly.

"You miss them, don't you?"

Zoey nodded. "Yeah, I do. But I don't want to think about that right now. I just want to focus on getting through this."

Lux reached out, placing a hand on Zoey's shoulder. "We'll get through it. We've made it this far, haven't we?"

Zoey smiled. "Yeah, we have."

They continued fishing in silence, the tension easing as they focused on the task. After a while, Zoey felt a tug on her line, and she quickly reeled it in, her heart skipping a beat as she saw a fish wriggling on the end.

"Got one!" she said.

Lux grinned. "Nice catch!"

Zoey carefully removed the fish, holding it up for Lux to see. "It's sizable."

Lux laughed. "Who says sizable? That's a big fish." Her smile widened. "Let's see if we can catch a few more."

They spent the next hour or so fishing, catching a few more small fish.

Lux was in a playful mood as they finally gathered their small haul of fish by the lakeside. She leaned over, inspecting their catch with exaggerated seriousness.

"Well, it looks like we won't starve after all," she said, holding up a fish and examining it like it was the most precious thing she had ever seen. "We will knock up another camp fire to cook them on and then I'd say we're practically gourmet chefs now."

Zoey chuckled, laying out the fish beside the stones they had collected earlier.

"Gourmet chefs who can't even start a fire," she teased, her eyes twinkling.

"Hey now," Lux said, picking up two stones with determination. "I told you, I've seen this in movies. How hard can it be? Of course we can start a fire. We are experts in fire."

"Yeah, putting them out, not starting them!" Zoey laughed.

Lux struck the stones together aiming to create a spark for the kindling they had gathered. She scrunched her face in concentration, clearly hamming it up to get a rise from Zoey.

Zoey crossed her arms, watching with mock skepticism.

"Right, and in the movies, they usually succeed after two strikes. You're on, what, twenty now?"

"Patience, grasshopper," Lux said, grinning as she kept striking the stones together. "Mastering the art of fire making takes time…or at least a lot of trial and error."

Zoey rolled her eyes but couldn't suppress a smile. Despite the absurdity of their situation, Lux's humor was infectious. It was hard not to feel a little lighter around her.

After several failed attempts, Lux flopped beside the fish, sighing dramatically. "Okay, so maybe I'm not quite the fire master I thought I was."

Zoey nudged her with her shoulder. "We could try rubbing a stick into a hole in a piece of wood, old-school style."

"Why not?" Lux said with a shrug. "We're already living in survival mode."

They spent the next few minutes trying to source suitable candidates for the stick and the piece of wood. Once they were sorted, Lux retook the lead, attempting to start the fire by rubbing the stick between her hands and attempting to create enough friction with the piece of wood to ignite the dry leaves they were aiming to use.

"This would be much easier if we had matches," Zoey commented dryly.

Lux gave her a mock glare. "Where's the fun in that? Besides, I'm pretty sure our ancestors did this all the time. If they could do it, so can we. I won't be beaten."

After what felt like an eternity of effort, during which Zoey began to doubt their fire making abilities seriously, they finally saw the tiniest flicker of smoke. Lux's eyes widened, and she doubled her efforts.

"It's working," Lux said, her voice laced with surprise and triumph.

Zoey leaned closer, watching as the smoke thickened and a small flame began to take shape. They quickly added more dry leaves and small sticks, nurturing the fragile flame until it grew into a small but steady fire.

"We did it!" Zoey said, beaming as she looked at Lux.

Lux sat back, grinning like a kid discovering a hidden candy stash. "I told you we could do it. I was starting to worry we'd have to eat raw fish."

Zoey laughed, the sound mingling with the crackling of the fire. "Well, we can enjoy our gourmet meal now."

They carefully prepared the fish, skewering them on sticks and holding them over the fire. The midday sun was high, casting a warm glow over the rocky terrain. The atmosphere was surprisingly peaceful, the earlier tension from their journey dissipating as they relaxed.

Lux watched the fish roast, the skin turning a delicious golden brown. The scent of cooking fish filled the air, making her mouth water.

"I have to admit," Lux said, "this isn't exactly how I pictured my week going, but it's not so bad."

Zoey glanced over at her, a soft smile playing on her lips. "Yeah, who would've thought we'd end up here? But at least we're together."

They ate in comfortable silence, savoring the simple meal. The fish tasted better than Lux had expected, or maybe it was just the satisfaction of knowing they had managed to catch and cook it themselves.

As they finished their meal, the air around them began to shift.

"Do you hear that?" Lux asked, her voice low.

Zoey tilted her head, listening intently. The sound grew louder and more defined.

"Helicopters!" Zoey exclaimed.

They both scrambled to their feet, scanning the sky. The sound of the helicopters grew louder, the deep thrum of the blades unmistakable now.

"There!" Zoey pointed, and Lux followed her gaze, her heart pounding with hope and disbelief.

Three helicopters appeared in the distance, their shapes small but unmistakable against the clear sky. They flew in formation, heading straight toward the rocky terrain where Lux and Zoey stood.

"They found us," Lux said, her voice thick with emotion. "They found us!"

Zoey grabbed Lux's hand, squeezing it tightly as they watched the helicopters draw closer. The noise was deafening now, the wind from the blades kicking up dust and debris around them.

One of the helicopters hovered above them, slowly lowering itself until it was just a few feet off the ground. The side door slid open, and a figure leaned out, waving at them.

Lux's breath caught in her throat as she recognized the pilot's gaudy orange hair.

"It's Jay!" Lux shouted.

Zoey laughed, a sound of pure joy as she waved back at Jay. The helicopter touched down, and the wind from the rotors buffeted them, but they didn't care. They were finally going to be safe.

Jay jumped out of the helicopter, waving to them with a wide smile. "You two sure know how to survive against the odds," she said, her voice booming over the noise.

Lux threw her arms around her, hugging her tightly. "Took you long enough to find us!"

Jay chuckled, patting her back. "It takes more than a little fire to keep me away."

Jay pulled back, looking at both of them with pride and concern. "Let's get you out of here," she said, leading them back to the helicopter.

Lux took one last look at the rocky terrain that had been their refuge as they climbed in. The fire still raged in the distance, but they left it behind, heading toward safety.

As the helicopter lifted off, Zoey reached for Lux's hand again, holding it tightly as they soared into the sky. Lux glanced over at her, their eyes meeting in a shared moment of understanding.

They had made it. Together.

The landscape below them blurred as they flew farther away from the fire, and Lux allowed herself to relax finally.

They were going home.