Reunited - Quantum Fold Chapter 4/7

Adrienne landed hard, back in the same spot at her place—heart pounding as her vision blinked from the double jump. The jolt still echoed in her head. She gripped her pistol, sweeping the scene.

 

She didn’t expect Kayla to be standing there, staring down at the dead reptilian sprawled on the floor.

 

Kayla's voice snapped through the tension. “Why are you here? I told you to jump.”

 

“I did! But I didn’t mean to leave you—something went wrong, I came back as soon as I could. Why are you still here? Why didn’t you jump?”

 

“I did. But then I jumped again—straight behind it. Took it down before it knew I was back.” Her expression softened, then hardened again. “Adrienne, coming back was reckless. If that thing wasn’t dead, if it had seen you while you were still recovering from the jump… it would've killed you. I appreciate the gesture, but please don’t do that again.”

 

Adrienne nodded that she understood.

 

“Hurry. Grab whatever you need,” Kayla continued, wiping the blood from her blade. “We jump back to the shelter. Clean up there.”

 

Adrienne hesitated, looking down at the reptilian. “The creature is shrinking in size. Are you sure it’s dead?”

 

Kayla didn’t look back. “It’s dead. Trust me. Just hurry.”

 

Adrienne stepped past the creature, careful not to touch its twisted limbs. She stuffed clothes into a backpack, slipped her pistol into the side pocket of her computer bag, and snagged a box of ammunition.

 

“Ready.”

 

Kayla nodded. They jumped.

—

The shelter greeted them with flickering light and silence. Only their ragged breathing disturbed the hush. They stood for a moment, studying each other—both smeared in thick, pungent green blood, dark and viscous.

 

Kayla’s grimace was faint but sincere. “You were lucky today.”

 

Adrienne glanced down and froze. Her shirt bore three perfect slashes, clean as razor cuts, right where the creature had almost reached her.

 

She swallowed the rush of nausea.

________

 

The shower room was carved into the stone and left almost entirely natural. A spring-fed waterfall poured into a shallow pool, its runoff streaming through a channel beneath the floor. The water was warm—surprisingly warm—and Adrienne let it wash over her, the day slipping off her skin.

 

Soon Kayla stepped in, arms full—towels, and a bottle of red. She grinned. “Wine for survival. And we got the computer.”

 

They eased into the pool, steam rising between them as the glasses clinked.

 

Kayla sipped and leaned back. “So… where do we find internet around here?”

 

Adrienne considered. “Most restaurants or a library should have it. Shouldn’t be hard.”

 

Kayla tapped her glass against Adrienne’s. “I think I know a spot to try.

 

We’ll have to keep sharp, though. Just in case.”

 

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You can view Quantum Fold episodes in order from the beginning in her album titled, Quantum Fold:

 

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