“How many of you can identify the plant I’m holding now?” Mr. Dellen asked his biology class. He held up a sickly looking fern so that everyone could see it. “Hmmm… Anyone?” He looked out over the group of students, waiting for an answer. Clark shifted the straps on his backpack and glanced at Pete. They had been looking forward to this field trip for over a month, if for nothing else, a change of pace from school. So far though, it was turning into just another lecture, almost not worth the effort of hiking out into the forests outside of town. Pete smiled back at him and rolled his eyes as Mr. Dellen continued on. “It’s called a Fractal Fern. It’s fairly common to these woods and it’s the main food for the deer here, but it’s hardly tasty enough for me to suggest a bite.” There were a few chuckles from the class as he threw it away and stooped down to find another one.
“Ow!” Chloe said behind them. “Why does it have to be so buggy out here?” she asked, rubbing her arm gingerly. She stared up at the forest canopy in accusation.
“That’s why it’s called the great outdoors, Chloe,” Pete teased her. “It’s full of big, killer animals like mosquitoes and flies.”
“Don’t laugh,” she warned him, “these things are eating me alive.” She took a closer look at him and her eyes narrowed. “How come I don’t see you swatting away?”
“Because I came prepared,” he said, taking a spray can from his backpack. “Bug-Off. Want some?” She snatched it away, grumbling to herself. She hit the nozzle and coated her arms and legs with it. “How about you, Clark?” she asked, holding the can out to him.
“Oh, that’s okay,” he said, smiling at her. “They don’t really bother me. I guess I’ve just got thick skin.”
“Now,” Mr. Dellen said loudly, holding up another plant. “Can anyone tell me what this plant’s name is? Anyone?”
“Uh,” a girl in the back started, her hand going up halfway.
“Miss Sanderson,” Mr. Dellen said authoritatively, “do you have something to say?” The girl’s eyes went wide and she blushed as everyone turned around to look at her. She had a quiet looking face with long brown hair. Her hands fell back to her side and she shifted her wait, staring at everyone. “Miss Sanderson?” he asked again.
She mumbled something so quietly that even Clark had a hard time understanding her. “Could you please repeat that?” Mr. Dellen asked her forcefully.
“I…” she stumbled, “I think that’s Poison Oak.” Pete bit off a laugh as the entire class stared back at Mr. Dellen. His face looked a little sickly as he studied the plant in his hand.
“Yes,” he said quietly, “I think you’re right.” He dropped the plant and held his arm out rigidly, his face carefully set. “That’s enough with identification,” he said slowly, staring over their heads. “Why don’t you all just start with your hike? Remember to stay on the path and make sure no one gets lost. I’ll catch up with you later. As soon as I find a bit of water to wash this off.” He gestured them off as he started down the opposite trail, back to a ranger station they had passed a short while ago.
“Not bad, Sarah,” Pete congratulated her. She smiled shyly at him, glanced at Clark, and then just as swiftly, glanced away. “That was priceless, really.”
“Did you see the look on his face?” Chloe asked them. “I wish I’d had my camera. That little shot would have definitely made its way into the yearbook. You should’ve used yours, Pete,” she laughed.
Pete and Clark both blanched and looked at each other quickly. “My camera,” Pete forced a laugh, “right that would have been great.” Chloe caught the look and stared at them.
“Yes,” she said slowly, “your camera. The camera I asked you to bring so you could take some pictures for the Torch. The camera you’re supposed to have with you.” Pete grinned nervously, his eyes desperate. “You do have it with you, don’t you?” Chloe asked him dangerously.
“Sorry, Chloe,” Clark said stepping in. “Pete lent it to my mom, and I was supposed to give it back, but I guess we both forgot about it,” he apologized.
“Well that’s great!” she said, throwing her arms up. “I wanted to do a write up about experiencing the wild in Smallville and all I’m going to have to show for it are a few bug bites.”
“I think I saw Whitney with a camera,” Sarah spoke up quietly. Everyone turned to look at her again, surprised. They hadn’t even realized she was still there. “I… think he’s up at the front,” she forced out, slightly red in the face.
“Well, thanks,” Chloe told her. “Sarah saves the day again, huh?” Sarah gave her a tiny smile in return. Chloe then latched onto Pete’s arm and started to tug him up the path. “We can borrow Whitney’s camera then. C’mon Mr. Photographer,” she said acidly as she pulled him behind her. Clark laughed and started to hike up the trail with them. He looked back briefly to see Sarah still standing there. When she saw him looking, she stiffened up a little.
“C’mon,” he motioned with his head, “you’re gonna get left behind.” The other students were already much farther down the path.
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“Uhh… right,” she said quietly and started to walk beside him, keeping her head down.
“I don’t think we’ve ever talked much, have we?” Clark asked her, trying to remember the last time he’d spoken with her. He knew that Pete was friends with her, but Clark had never really gotten to know her. Sarah had always been so quiet, hardly speaking at all some days.
“Not really,” she said, her voice strangely excited and hurried, almost skipping over her words. “I’ve had a few classes with Pete before, but I’ve never been with you, I mean, a class with you,” she stumbled.
He laughed good-naturedly and she smiled broader this time. “Do you like biology much?” Clark asked her. “I can’t really seem to get it. I pick up math and science like that, but when it gets to plants and stuff...”
“I like it a little,” she told him. “I’m good in it, but it’s not what…” she laughed nervously and he looked at her, waiting. “Well, it’s not what I really want to do,” she said finally.
“What’s that?” he asked her, intrigued. This was the most he’d ever heard her speak to anyone. He looked at her closely; it was probably also the first time he’d seen her smile so much. She was really quite pretty when she did, he noticed absently.
Sarah looked up and down the path, playing like it was a big secret. Then she leaned in close to him and whispered, “Psychology,” to him.
“That’s great,” he said, smiling at her. “I’m sure you’ll be great in it.”
“Are you sure?” she asked. “My dad, well my parents, they say that it’s really hard and wouldn’t suit me.”
“Well, you can’t just give up like that,” he told her. “If it’s your dream, you should go after it. If you put your mind to it, I’m sure it’ll happen someday.”
“You think so?” she said, smiling at him.
“Of course.” They walked on for a moment, following the rest of the class.
“You know, Clark,” she started to say, “if you’re having a hard time in biology, I could always-“ when all of a sudden everything spun in Clark’s eyes. There was a sudden, piercing shriek in his ears that was almost painful, drowning out the rest of her words. Clark felt that familiar lurch in his stomach and pitched forwards, falling to his knees. “Clark!” she yelled, rushing to his side. “What’s wrong? Are you alright?”
“I’m fine,” he muttered through clenched teeth. It was the meteor rocks, he realized, a fairly large concentration by the feel of it. Then suddenly, the shrieking sound vanished, leaving behind a dull ringing in his ears. The worst of the radiation seemed to be gone too; he could feel his head starting to clear. But if he’d wandered close to the meteor rocks, how could the effects just peak and die out like that, he wondered. He glanced around quickly, but to his surprise, he couldn’t see anything green around them except for the plants. He looked up at her and forced a grin. “Watch that first step,” he tried to laugh it off. Sarah looked down worriedly at him, not amused.
“Are you sure you’re alright?” she asked again.
“I think so,” he said, still trying to figure out what had happened. Had something else caused the reaction? “Sure, I’m fine,” he tried to assure her, still glancing around. “Let’s just walk a little further, okay?”
She nodded immediately and then hesitated. Almost fearfully, she took his arm and guided him a little farther down the path. Her hands were sweaty and warm, but Clark hardly noticed, still searching the brush for some sign of the meteor rocks. “Are you positive you’re fine?” she asked him. “Maybe you got overheated, or dehydrated, or something. Do you need something to drink; I have a canteen…” she offered quickly.
“No, it’s not that,” he told her. “I just stumbled, that’s all.”
“Oh, okay,” she said, but her face was doubtful. He glanced down at her hand on his arm, and she snatched it away quickly.
“It’s alright…” he started to tell her, when another voice called out to them from up ahead.
“So there you are,” Lana Lang smiled down at Clark. “Chloe’s been asking around for you, Clark. Something about how if you got lost, she’ll never forgive the school board for it. Hi, Sarah,” she said sweetly.
“Lana,” Clark said brightening up. “Right, sorry about that. I just tripped and Sarah here was helping me up.”
“Oh, are you alright?” Lana asked quickly, and Clark shook his head.
“Just a little dirtier, that’s all,” he said, brushing off his jeans. He walked up to her and then he remembered Sarah and turned around quickly. “Sorry, I’ve got to go. Pete and Chloe are the sort that need constant supervision, you know?” Sarah gave him a somewhat stiff smile and nodded mechanically.
“Yeah, okay,” she mumbled to them.
“C’mon, walk with us,” Lana offered her. “I’m going to need help to get this big lump up the path,” she said playfully, nodding her head at Clark. He laughed and looked away, grinning. Sarah’s smile started to twitch at the corners, as she watched them.
“No, that’s alright,” she said between her smile. “I’m… just going to… look around for a bit. Collect some… plants,” she said haltingly. “I’ll catch up with you later.”
“Are you sure?” Clark asked this time. “We don’t want you to get left behind.”
“No, I know my way around the woods,” Sarah remarked. “I’ll be fine.”
Lana frowned, but finally she shrugged. “Okay, I guess.” She and Clark both started down the path, glancing back at Sarah. She waved them on until they disappeared around a bend in the track, then her hand fell down to her side along with her smile.
“Yeah, I’ll be fine,” she muttered to herself, “just me and my plants, right.” She sighed heavily, and then suddenly started to pace up and down the path. “Stupid, stupid,” she berated herself savagely. “He was standing right there and all you could say was, ‘Oh, I’ve never been with you, I mean a class…’ pathetic!” She stomped down on the path in frustration, and then just as rapidly, she switched gears and composed herself. “Well at least he was here, with you,” she reasoned. “That was good… great actually. He was here, really here with me… Until Miss ‘I’m so popular that having the quarterback as my boyfriend isn’t good enough,’ Lana Lang,” her anger coming back. “Oooohhh,” she raged and started to stomp again on the ground. Suddenly there was a loud crack from underneath her feet and she froze, her eyes wide open. For a second, almost like in a cartoon, nothing happened and then the earth disappeared underneath her feet and she fell into blackness. There was a brief moment of weightlessness and then a jarring impact that brought stars to her eyes.
“Owww…,” she moaned, lying still where she’d landed. She tried to sit up, but all her body did was twitch with pain. “Owww…,” she said again, wincing. Slowly, inch by painful inch, she managed to work her way into a sitting position. She stared around her, realizing that she’d fallen into a cave of some kind. Everything around her lay in darkness, it was impossible to see any farther than the tiny pool of light she lay in. Climbing to her feet, she looked up through the hole in the ceiling, too far away for her to reach. “Help!” she called out. “Help! Anybody! Can anybody here me?” There was no reply.
What if everyone’s too far down the path; the thought chilled her. She could be trapped in here. She’d starve… “HELP!” she screamed at the top of her lungs. “CLARK! ANYBODY!” Tears started to roll down her cheeks as she stared upwards in desperation. “Please.”
Slowly, from all around her, a bright green glow started to pierce the darkness. It wasn’t a steady light though, it flickered and some brighter patches seemed to float around the green glow. Terrified, Sarah backed away from the glow, looking up at the hole in the ceiling frantically. A green lighting bolt arced past her, not a foot from her arm, then another and another, coming closer and closer. She screamed and the sound seemed to echo back at her, magnified horribly like the cave was a giant stereo. Sarah clamped her hands to her ears, but the noise beat through them, almost deafening her. Then with a loud explosion, the scream ceased as green dust and tiny crystals sprayed her from every direction. She coughed, hacking as they got into her lungs, choking her. Hacking on the floor, she stared up once more at the hole in the ceiling, and then almost gratefully, she passed out. Just as the light started to fade however, she thought she could hear a voice call down to her, and then there was nothing.