Джордан Шор - The Search

“I guess you could say that.”

“You’re a good man, Jack,” Julie said. “I think you’re my guardian angel and sent to earth to protect me.”

“I’ll get you home to your boy, Julie. I promise, no matter what.”

“When this is all over, then perhaps the three of us can go out for pizza, and get to know each other better. My son could sure use a male role model in his life,” Julie said, and put her hand on Jack’s forearm.

“I’d like that very much. We can all go out for pizza—with worms on it.”

“No, with ham and pepperoni,” Julie blurted out, sounding childish.

Afternoon

They kept a faster pace than the previous days since the terrain was flatter. They kept walking southwest. Jack stopped to rest and find something to eat. He pulled the sleeves of his white dress shirt up to his elbows, and began turning over rocks. Julie sat on her jacket, her hair band was on her wrist.

“My hair is such a mess.”

Jack didn’t respond to Julie’s remark. He just kept consuming whatever came his way in a rapid motion and without any hesitation.

“I wish I had a hairbrush.”

Jack kept turning rocks.

“I don’t usually look like such a mess.”

Jack straightened his back. “I think you look just fine. Lovely.”

Julie smiled, and her focus fell to the ground. “I’m not used to compliments.”

“I find that hard to believe,” Jack said and turned another rock.

Julie looked suspicious. “I’m serious. I don’t get a lot of compliments.”

Jack smiled and shook his head slightly. “I’m not buying it, Julie.”

“No, it’s true, Jack,” Julie responded. “Even as a child, I never got any compliments. No one ever told me they loved me or even gave me a pat on the back. And no one ever stood up for me. I had to make it all on my own.”

“I’m sorry to hear that, Julie.”

There was an awkward pause as the two of them looked at each other; each one as humble as the other. Then Jack suddenly flinched and slapped his forearm.

“What’s wrong?”

“I think a mosquito got me,” Jack responded. “I can’t remember the last time I got a mosquito bite.”

“That’s because you smoke, Jack. They can’t stand the cigarette smoke.”

“Yet people say nothing good ever comes from smoking.”

Julie laughed briefly. “That’s one way of looking at it.”

“And I’m not used to the outdoors. I’m more used to concrete.”

“I don’t care for the outdoors either.” Julie shook her head and had a serious look on her face. “I don’t understand why anyone in their right mind would want to wander around in the woods and eat whatever comes their way, and relieve themselves behind a bush.”

“I think most people are wise enough to bring food,” Jack said and looked at the worm in his hand. “You’re hungry?”

“No,” Julie quickly responded. “I filled up on sushi yesterday.”

Jack took another look at the worm before he dropped it to the ground.

“I used to be jealous of men for being able to eat more calories, but now I’m actually glad.”

Jack frowned. “What do you mean?”

“Men can eat more calories without gaining weight. But as a woman, I have to eat fewer calories, or I’d jeopardize my health,” Julie said. “That’s so unfair—am I right?”

Jack didn’t respond to Julie’s question. Instead, he arched his eyebrows, and kept staring at her.

“What?”

“Nothing.” Jack shrugged, and looked the other way.

“What you’re thinking, Jack?”

“We should get a move on. Are you good to go?”

Before Julie climbed on his back, she put her jacket on, the same jacket she’d used as a seat pad. The jacket had a tear on the back of it.

Evening

They didn’t get far before the sun disappeared behind the horizon. They had to abandon their quest for water as darkness eventually made it impossible for them to keep moving. They spent the night under yet another pine tree. This one, however, was different from the rest. The branches sloped all the way down to the ground, and the tree appeared to be practically a tent. They slept on the dry ground. Julie had her arm across Jack’s chest, and her head on his shoulder. Jack brushed Julie’s hair over her ear.

Sunday evening

As George packed his bag, he thought of the advice his boss had given him to bring a helmet or perhaps even a bulletproof vest, on his journey. George had neither of those things, but, he did, however, have the ability to talk his way out of any predicament—or at least, he thought he did.

His boss had assigned him to travel to Yellowknife and hopefully meet the passengers who’d survived the crash—and if so, express the airlines’ deepest concern and apologies before any of them were interviewed by the media.

However, the suggestion of safety measures by his boss was not due to any anticipated hostility from any of the passengers. Since George had to switch planes in Calgary in order to reach his final destination in Yellowknife, he thought he might as well stop by and talk to the angry father of the co-pilot and hopefully calm him down. The man apparently had made it a daily routine to yell at George’s boss over the phone.

George had agreed with the mother of the co-pilot to arrive at her house at precisely 6 p.m. The timing suited George since his plane left at 9 p.m., therefore providing him with an excuse for cutting the meeting short.

Monday morning

They’d slept late, the sun not breaking through the thick, sloping branches of the pine tree, which resembled a tent. However, the sound of a gunshot echoing across the landscape and the following sound of birds fleeing the scene woke them up.

“Wait here, Julie. I’ll climb up the hill, and scream for help.”

Jack left before Julie had a chance to respond.

Julie eventually peered out of her hive, her head sticking out of the thick pine tree. She looked up the hillside and kept squinting. The second gunshot seemed to have startled her. Obscured by the sunlight, a tall silhouette of a person emerged and slowly descended the slippery hill. Julie squinted once more.

“Is that you, Jack?” Julie used her hand to shade the bright sunlight. “I didn’t hear you yell,” Julie said. “Did you see any hunters up there?”

“No, but there’s a road at the top of the hill,” Jack responded, coming close. “We’re safe, Julie.”

Julie made a gasping sound, and her eyes turned wet. Jack picked her up and carried her in his arms, as the two of them ascended the hill, both of them with tremendous smiles.

When Jack set her down, Julie fell to her knees and practically embraced the compressed gravel of the narrow dirt road.

They then waited patiently, but there wasn’t any traffic. Their postures slowly sagged as the hours passed. Jack’s stomach kept rumbling.

“Perhaps we should start walking,” Julie said.

“I just thought there would be more traffic.”

Jack rose, and Julie climbed on his back.

“Left, or right?”

“Left is closer to the heart,” Julie said, and gently tapped Jack’s left chest.

Afternoon

After an hour of walking, they finally came to a halt; a fence blocked their path. They both stared at the sign on the massive steel gate blocking the narrow road.

“Who would write that?” Jack sounded annoyed.

“Even if we’re trespassing, they can’t shoot us. Can they?”