Chapter 27: Shrek 2

Chapter 27: Shrek 2

I had a plan. Wait until it gets late and Grayson and his boys go off to wherever they went to at night, then ransack the shed for every secret hidden behind the curtain and in the desk drawers. Excellent plan, I think we can all agree.

Unfortunately, the moment I put my head down to give my eyes a rest, I was out like a light. Whether my body was getting used to being in this place or I was just knackered, the next thing I knew, it was morning.

We were woken by Grayson banging a spoon on a dish (I knew the bastard had spoons hidden somewhere!).

Good morning, he boomed cheerfully. Looks like its going to be another beautiful day. Sunshine and fresh air aplenty.

We groggily got up, faces squishy and eyes glued shut. The fire was out and it looked like the last two days of constant fear and anxiety had wiped us all out.

Now, I do want to remind those of you left, I and my men will be leaving today. Youll need somewhere else to sleep, and youll have to take care of your other needs yourself from now on. However, we wont set off until after dark, so if you do have anything you need to ask, youve got until then.

I got the impression he would have liked to have left earlier, but he was delaying the departure to give us every opportunity to do something. Ask a question, hand in a token, claim a prizeI didnt know what it was we were supposed to do, I just knew we were supposed to do something which most likely the other groups had already done.

Do you have anything you want to ask me now? He looked at each of us in turn.

Nobody said anything. We were all still half asleep, but Im not sure that was the problem. I could sense this was more or less our last chance, but my brain refused to offer up any ideas.

Okay then. Good luck. The way he said it made it sound like he knew wed be needing it. He turned around and went back inside.

I felt pretty scuzzy. I hadnt had a proper wash in days and my clothes needed cleaning. There was a hand pump in the corner of the courtyard that provided our water, but we didnt have soap or towels, plus we were too shy to undress in front of each other. You also needed someone to work the pump for you so you could use both hands.

All stuff we should be able to work out between us, but hadnt.

Not knowing when wed be able to find a decent water supply again, I stripped down to my rank-smelling boxers and asked Maurice to pump the water for me. He agreed, of course, making it seem completely stupid I hadnt just asked on day one.

The water was freezing cold. I got down on all fours and stuck my head under the spigot to wash my hair and as much of my body as I could. I wasnt about to stick my hand down my shorts and give things a good scrub with all the people around (although God knows I needed to) but getting everything wet helped with the smell at least.

Shouldnt we leave everything? asked Claire. If its dangerous, itll only slow us down.

No. We have fuck all as it is, we cant afford to lose any of it. I mean, dont stop to pack things up and put them away. But if its within reach, take it. And generally keep things within reach and assume you may have to run at any moment.

Its probably great when a teams been together awhile, with their own shorthand way of communicating and an innate understanding of their roles in any given scenario. But when youve known each other for three days, you have to have conversations where you state the blindingly obvious.

And when you run, really run. Dont stop. Dont go back. If someones in trouble, getting yourself in trouble too wont help.

There was some grumbling at that.

Look, if you want to go back and help someone whos fallen and cant get up, thats your choice. I cant stop you. What Im saying, though, is if youre the person whos fallen, dont automatically assume were coming back for you. You need to save yourself. Thats the mindset you need. Fireman Sam will not be coming to the rescue, and the rest of us may have our own problems to contend with.

They seemed to see the value of what I was saying, although how much theyd remember when the shit hit the fan, I had no way of knowing.

We made it around the wheatfield and headed up the slope. With no shade, the sun bore down on us as we climbed to the top. Already out of breath, we were met by a gentle breeze and the sight of an ogre.

It was sitting in the middle of our meadow, crouched down on its haunches. It was about the same size as the one in the woods wed encountered on our first day, but it had lighter coloured hair. It also gave off a completely different vibe just sitting there. It was still terrifying, but without the roaring and thrashing about, it didnt make you want to scream yourself hoarse. It made you want to keep very quiet and hope it didnt notice you.

What was really strange, though, was how the rabbits were reacting. They had gathered around the ogre in a circle, pushing each other out of the way to get closer.

The ogre reached down and placed the back of its hand on the grass. The rabbits immediately swarmed onto its palm. The ogre lifted the mass of squirming fur to its mouth and shovelled them in like popcorn. Youd think this might upset a few of the rabbits below. They couldnt have not noticed. But they actually tried even harder to get closer. Me next! they seemed to be saying. The ogre obliged.

We all watched, transfixed, as more rabbits eagerly jumped onto the proffered hand and disappeared down its gullet. We were far enough away that we werent in immediate danger, but if it saw us and decided to attack were we really ready to deal with it?

No. Not even close.

Hey, I whispered to get the others attention. Run. I turned and ran, not waiting to see if my earlier comments had sunk in.