Chapter 252: Kim’s Change
Elin didn't like the pace Kim was setting. Not only were they moving twice as fast as they had been, according to Kim, but they had to keep an eye out for any place that Jonas or Elmo might have washed up along the river.
While she didn't have any objections to moving quicker, she was barely able to keep up. She didn't have the energy to look herself. If she did, she seriously doubted that she'd be able to recognize anything or anyone.
She wanted to rest, but it was clear that Kim wasn't as interested in doing that. A couple days had passed since Elmo and Jonas had been thrown into the river, and there still wasn't any sign of them. Not even a whisper of a rumor of them having been anywhere. Not that they encountered anyone to hear any such rumors from.
Elin was starting to doubt that they'd find Elmo or Jonas by the river. Or at least all the places that Kim seemed to be thinking of in relation to where they might have washed up on the banks of the river. Even if they had come out of the river, Elin didn't think that they'd necessarily have remained by the river. Otherwise she suspected that they'd have already met up with them.
Saying anything about that to Kim seemed to fall on deaf ears. It was almost like Kim was pushing herself to find something that she'd already given up on finding.
Elin couldn't explain the changes in Kim she had noticed properly. Just that she almost seemed like a different person altogether suddenly. Elin wasn't sure what to make of it, but worried what it might mean about Kim. She certainly didn't want Kim to wear herself out over this. Not when they couldn't be sure that both Elmo and Jonas hadn't ended up somewhere that they just hadn't noticed or had went somewhere else. Elin wouldn't have been surprised if they had become a little disoriented by what had happened.
Elin wasn't sure if she'd be able to deal with Kim for much longer while she was like this. Not only was it stressful with how hard Kim was pushing them to move each day, but it was also making Elin feel like Kim was pulling away emotionally from her. She didn't know the reason, but suspected it was something of Kim's past that she really didn't want to talk about. Or maybe didn't even remember.
Elin wasn't sure if she'd leave Kim altogether if this kept up much longer, she could only be certain that she wouldn't last much longer if this grueling pace kept up. While she had to acknowledge that she might last longer than she thought she would, she recognized that she was near her own limits, regardless.
As the sun started to fall behind the canyon wall over them, Elin started to wonder if she should just start moving a little slower and let Kim leave her behind. She didn't think that Kim would notice, but she couldn't be certain. If Kim did notice, then she suspected that Kim wouldn't be happy with her. Yet on the other hand, it wasn't like she was going to really have that option much longer. She could feel her own energy reserves starting to fail. If Kim would be upset at her becoming incapable of keeping up with Kim , then Elin doubted she'd wait for Kim to just leave her. She would find a time in which to leave Kim. Where she'd be on her own and looking after herself in this dangerous world.