“So, your only options are those cliffs,” Adrian jabs a thumb in the direction of the large cliffs to the east. “Take rock for cover.”
Ace jams his stick harder into the fire, pulsing embers into the air. “He makes a point.”
“The cliffs are probably the best option. We can’t be here if it gets worse,” I say. My bones still remember the terror of the last storm, the way the world had bucked and screamed around us, the waves heavy and terrifying, wind lashing us blind, rain cold as needles. We’d survived it, but only just.
Kellen sits up, shaking sand from his hair. “There is a heap of overhanging rocks, near the base of the cliffs. We might be able to find one big enough to at least get us out of the weather. The water will likely rise, too, so we need to be up off the main ground.”
Ace stands, poking the fire out so quick the stick hisses when he shoves it into the sand. “I think we go and find somewhere now, in case that fuckin’ thing comes our way.”
I agree, and with a nod, I push to my feet. So does everyone else.
Tatiana stirs, rubbing her eyes. She frowns, looking at us. “Where are you all going?” Her voice is raw, like she’s spent the last hour screaming underwater.
“There is a storm out there, and we’re concerned it might turn this way,” I tell her. “We’re figuring out where to take shelter if it does.”
She turns, staring at the horizon, then she nods. “I’ll pack up what I can here, in case we have to move quickly.”
“Good idea,” Kellen murmurs. “Anything we can carry, comes with us.”
“Let’s go warn Rachel, too,” Aggie suggests. “That shelter is not safe for her.”
“We’ll do it on the way,” Ace nods, and then we’re off.
By the time we make it to Rachel’s shelter, the wind has changed, giving that eerie feeling that tells me this storm isn’t going anywhere. Rachel doesn’t notice us right away. She’s sorting rocks, lining them up in a neat row. She doesn’t look up, just says, “You don’t need to check on me every five minutes. I’m not going to throw myself off the cliff.”
“We’re not,” Ace says, “there’s a storm coming.”
Rachel looks up now, glancing at him and only him. “Okay, and?”
“And, that shelter is terribly constructed and you will absolutely be blown away,” Adrian cuts in before Ace can say anything.
“Thank you, Adrian,” she mumbles.
“You’re welcome.”
“So,” Ace says, “that means you need to come and help us find somewhere safe.”
She shrugs, looking down. “I’m fine here, thanks.”
“Are you fuckin’ crazy?” Kellen snaps, arms crossed.
She glares at him. “No, you dick, I’m not crazy.”
“It isn’t uncommon for someone to go crazy after a traumatic event,” Adrian calls, picking a berry off a random bush and bringing it to his nose to sniff. “But you’ll be fine, Rachel. It’s usually not enough to be committed. I wonder how we would commit you out here, I guess we could tie you down...”
“Adrian!” Ace and I shout at the same time.
“Nobody is tying anyone down,” Ace goes on. “Adrian, appreciate your input, but it ain’t helping.”
Adrian shrugs. “I speak only fact. Speaking of fact, my grandmother was committed when she was fifty and she is still kicking along in there. It isn’t all bad. Mind you, she does keep calling me Dave and there is nobody in the family called Dave, so she could be losing it and—”
“Adrian!” Ace and I shout again.
“God, I am not in the mood for this,” Rachel hisses. “Go without me. I’m not coming.”
Ace mutters a curse under his breath. “We don’t fuckin’ have time for this. We’ll be back for you.”
He doesn’t let her answer, he just turns and starts walking in the direction of the cliffs. We all turn and follow him. The wind is worse the closer we get, funnelling through gaps in the rocks, and my skin prickles with the chill it brings. We split up when we are at the base, so we can work quicker. I go with Aggie, and we start searching for something, anything we can protect ourselves in.
