Chocolate Cosmos

Chapter 7: Pyramid Tents

"Karl. Hey, Karl."

He stirred sleepily in his place, turning further away towards the door.

"Karl, wake up." I nudged him again. I pulled at his arms that he had folded across his chest yet my own weak arms were no match to his. No match for any human to be specific.

Karl stirred a little more before opening his eyes in a startle.

"What? What happened?" He breathed out in alarm, his eyes wide open, his body up in alarm. It took him a minute to wake up and calm down a little.

"Do you always wake up this startled?"

Karl breathed out as he rubbed his face. "Yeah sometimes. It's bad when I don't even remember falling asleep."

He shook his head like a retriever just out of the water and looked back at me with a more awake mind.

"Are we there already?" He asked, his head turning to look at the area surrounding us. I watched his face contour to confusion when all he saw was nothing but trees. No road. No gravel, nothing. Just trees.

"Charis dear. Where are we?" He turned to me. His face dreading the answer.

"We have a slight problem." I conveyed the inevitable. "I think we're lost."

Karl's eyes remained fixated on my face for a moment longer than expected. I didn't know what caused that lag or what was going through his head but I dared make no sound.

He finally showed reaction by closing his eyes. "Is this a prank or something?" I asked, his eyes still shut.

"What? Why would I prank you?"

"I don't know Charis, but anything would be better than what you're telling me right now." His eyes opened, his fingers pulling at his hair in disbelief.

"What, I'm sorry okay. I don't know, I thought I was following the directions perfectly but the GPS got us here. I have no hand in this!"

"Oh my God Charis!"

"You must've took the wrong turn or something!"

"How many turns are there in the woods Karl!"

Karl leaned towards the screen re-checking the destination he typed in and true to my words, nothing has changed.

Karl collapsed back into his place with a long sigh as he ran a hand through his hair.

"Check the site's location again. Maybe you mixed it up before." I suggested.

Silently, Karl fetched for his phone in attempts to check the location again from their website.

"Shit." He cursed, throwing his phone on his lap.

I held my breath, afraid of what I'll hear next.

"There's no signal here."

"Yeah..." I parroted his earlier swear.

"Switch up. We might find something if we just drove further."

"Erm...yeah, that might...uhmm..work but.." I trailed out as I looked in front of me into the wilderness.

"We're out of gas." I threw the bomb before quickly burying my head between my arms that stretched on the steering wheel.

"What?!"

I winced from how loud Mr. Hawke yelled.

"For how long have you been driving for?"

I emerged my head from its cocoon to look at a pale faced Karl.

"Four hours."

Karl's mouth dropped. "I've been sleeping for four hours?" He gaped out in a whisper.

"I mean, you didn't even stir when I was pulled over by a cop early on the road."

"A cop?! Why the hell where you pulled over for?"

I closed my eyes shut realizing it was a bad idea to blurt that piece of information out.

"Yeah...I guess I was speeding a little." I explained sheepishly. "But don't worry, I didn't get a ticket!" I finished off quickly.

Karl's eyebrows met waiting silently for me to explain.

"I told him that you were passed out and that I was speeding to get you to the hospital. He even tried to wake you up but you didn't budge." I shrugged my shoulders.

"So even in my sleep I'm useful. What have you done so far huh? Got us lost." Karl narrowed his eyes at me.

"Be grateful that I've been driving your sleepy ass around for four hours while you ate candy up in fantasy land." I argued in agitation.

"Oh yeah, and what do you suppose we do know Mrs. I'll drive around? We're in the middle of nowhere!"

"It's the wrong location that you typed in into the GPS! How is this my fault!"

"If you were really following the directions, you wouldn't have lost your way." Karl huffed and I tried to bite my tongue from lashing out on him.

"Don't be such a baby Karl, you're thirty for God's sake. Let's just take our things and see what we can find on foot."

With his eyes still narrowed, Karl breathed out a deep breath and I could swear I saw smoke leaving his nostrils.

"Let's just hope we actually do find someone that could help us." He mumbled under his breath as he opened the car and stood to his feet.

"Let's hope we don't encounter crazy killers or something." I mumbled my own prayer as I unmounted the car as well.

"We don't need that right now Charis! Don't jinx it!"

"God damn it, how old are you Karl! Grow a spine."

Our loud banter continued behind the car as we opened the trunk to grab our bags.

"I have a spine alright! But I also believe in the universe's bitchiness!" He fought back, giving me my back bag before carrying his.

"I'm just trying to list all my possible options to be ready! I have to keep an eye out for anything that could happen." I fixed my backpack on my shoulders, reaching next for my small tent. We each had one, agreeing that it would be logical for us to share.

"What options Charis? Murderers will be in the city not here in nowhere. Who will they kill?" Karl fixed his backpack then took my tent from me, carrying it with his. His action was sudden that I had no time to react.

"What if they're like some psychopathic cannibals or something?" I asked, my hand reaching back for my tent but Karl pulled away before I could take it.

"I'll carry it with mine. It's a little heavy." He said absent-minded, turning towards the car and locking it with the keys before placing them in his pocket.

"What era are you living in Charis? There are no more cannibals here, or probably anywhere." He argued my earlier suggestion like he just didn't pause for a kind gesture.

"That's what they all say in horror films before they all get killed out in the woods." I went back to our banter. We have already started our path to God knows where. Nothing surrounded us but trees as we walked aimlessly.

"Those are films Charis! You more than anyone should know that it's not true. These are the same stories that you make up yourself."

"And where do you think we get inspired to write these stories. We get them all from the real world!" I argued.

Karl offered my his hand when we reached a visible aerial root. It was bigger than I've ever seen before and we had to take a huge step to get over it. Karl went over it easily then turned to help me up. I held his hand for support as I stood up on the root. His arm reached for my waist, carrying me single handedly before I got the chance to get down myself. And just like that we continued our path nonchalantly.

"Please just be real Charis, we're probably close to that camping site, there's no way we'd encounter some crazy cannibals."

"I'm just saying Karl. We should keep an eye opened."

"Sure, I'll keep my ketana ready." I didn't have to see his eyes to know that they were just rolled.

"Whatever you say Karl, but I'll be yelling 'I told you so' when you get jumped up from behind by anything."

Karl didn't seem to have a reply and we walked for a while in complete silence. It was comfortable as each of us got lost in our own thoughts. My eyes gazed around at the beautiful greenery. It was a huge contrast from the stuffy city. The air too felt lighter as it seeped easily into my lungs. The last time I ever had clean air like this into my system was a year ago on my family's farm upstate.

"Hey, why don't we have something to eat?" Karl burst out, breaking my nature meditating session.

"Sure. It'll give time to rest. My legs are starting to hurt." I agreed, my fingers unconsciously reaching for my tingling legs. I looked at my phone, noticing that we've actually been walking on foot for the past forty-five minutes.

I was so lost in the natural scenery around me that I didn't notice time flying and from the looks of it, Karl was lost in its beauty as well.

"We'll have to set for camp soon too. It's getting dark soon."

I nodded my head.

We looked around us for the most suitable place to set camp and it took us a while before actually finding the perfect spot.

Returning back to the car was no option, we were already too deep in, tired and it'll be dark before we got there.

"We should've thought this more through before leaving the car." I murmured.

Karl looked at me with narrowed eyes. "Yeah, like it was my idea."

"Well, I didn't see you come up with something better did you? You didn't even protest. Not everything is my fault okay? Don't act like I forced you into this." I turned around in frustration, trying to keep my anger at bay.

I was in the same position like he was. It's not like I enjoy being lost in nowhere. Why was I always the one in the wrong? Why was I everyone's hanger for any problem?

I started setting up my tent in frustration, my actions a little too hard on the innocent thing.

"Hey." I heard Karl call softly from behind me, his body too close, I could feel his body heat on my back. But I was too mad to reply as I fixed my attention on the tent in my hand.

"Hey, Charis." Karl called again, this time reaching for my hand and turning me around to face him.

I kept my face stoic. "What?"

We remained quite for a while as we stared at each other. His cappuccino eyes danced like a fortune-teller's magical orb. They glistened.

"It's not your fault okay. It never was." He whispered softly and I understood what he meant from context. It made me angrier.

I pulled my arm from his hold. "Just go set your tent." I turned back around to my own mess of pole, tarp and stake set. This stupid pyramid tent was too complicated for my lazy mind.

I was about to start figuring out how to set the tent when I was suddenly turned to face Karl.

His eyes were stern, genuine and they didn't dance. They were strict. Disciplinary maybe.

"I don't pity you Charis. I never did. And I don't say anything that I don't believe in, so when I tell you that it wasn't your fault, not before and definitely not now, then know from the depths of your gut that I'm saying the truth. Saying what I truly believe and know."

I felt my nerves shiver and my skin shuddered under his gaze that softened at the end of his words, whispering an airy apology.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean it that way at all. I was just playing around."

My muscles went mush for a reason I didn't know about.

But just how many times is he going to be apologizing to me?

"Go lay out the food while I set up the tents. I watched a couple of videos yesterday on how to set them up." Karl grinned widely and I couldn't help the smile I plastered myself as I nodded.

I didn't realize that I was actually blushing until after I reached the food bag but I shook my head immediately to get rid of these stupid girly emotions.

No. No. No.

Get your s**t together Charis. I know I have been lonely for quite some time but that doesn't mean that I'll flare up whenever any guy shows me some kindness. I thought I was more mature than that.

I rid myself of all the stupidity and started setting up the small picnic blanket we got along with the food.

My eyes stole a rogue glance at Karl. He was already done with my tent and had moved on to his which he set next to mine. His arms flexed up and down and I was dying to go brush away the stray hairs that fell onto his sweaty forehead.

I turned around too aggressively that I strained my neck from the sudden movement.

I winced and voiced my pain with a series of 'ows'.

"Charis? Everything alright?" Karl called from his spot and I prayed he wouldn't come anywhere near me.

"Yes, yes. I just pricked my finger its no big deal. It's not even bleeding don't worry." I called back the lie.

I have to calm down!