Chapter 6 : Jungle of Peril 5
938 Words
"Stacy!!" They screamed in worry.
Gia screamed while covering her mouth as she saw Stacy hanging with her stomach pierced by a sharp bamboo. She couldn't believe what she was seeing. Stacy was hanging in the air and fighting for her life.
Edward quickly ran to the end of the rope near the tree. He knew he had to act quickly if they wanted to save Stacy.
"Gia. Jane. Help me!" Edward yelled.
They both ran towards Edward without thinking twice.
"Hold this rope with both of your hands," Edward ordered.
They held the rope with all their might. Edward, with trembling hands, took out a knife from his pocket. With one swift movement, he cut the rope.
“Hold on!!”
“Aaaaa!!” Gia and Jane screamed at the top of their lungs. They could feel the heat on their hands from the friction with the rope holding Stacy's body.
They could feel Stacy's heavy body slowly start to descend. Once on the ground, they ran towards Stacy. Edward, with strong and steady hands, pulled the bamboo from Stacy's body with one pull. Stacy screamed in pain until her voice echoed around the surrounding forest.
Gia cried sobbingly and hugged Stacy, "I am so sorry, Stacy. I should not have left you."
Stacy winced in pain, "Ahh! It’s… It’s okay. This is- not - your - fault."
Stacy understood that they all ran randomly until they were separated. She knew that Gia didn't mean to leave her.
“You're bleeding!” Jane exclaimed. She quickly took off her shirt, leaving only her tank top on.
Jane applied her wound medicine and wrapped her shirt around Stacy's stomach to stop the bleeding.
Edward looked around, "We should find another place to rest. I don't think we're safe here."
"But what about Stacy?" Gia asked.
Edward squatted while looking at Stacy, "Can you hold on?"
“I'll try.” Stacy cried.
Edward picked up Stacy's body and carried her.
They rested for a while, not far from the trap that hurt Stacy. Gia had given Stacy water and a piece of bread before she fell asleep. Hoping it could make her somewhat recover. Meanwhile, Jane divided a piece of bread into three, their food tasted bland on the tongue, but they knew they had to keep eating to survive.
Gia kept crying silently, her guilt still haunted her mind. She felt as if she had failed as a friend.
“Gia, are you okay?”
Gia shook her head while trying to swallow the bread in her mouth.
“Hey, hey! This is not your fault.” Edward hugged Gia.
“I know you feel guilty. I am so sorry about what happened to Stacy. I also feel sad. But now is not the time to regret it. We have to think about how we can get out now.”
“Ahh!’ Stacy screamed.
“Stacy!” Seeing Stacy wake up, they approached her.
“Are you okay?” Edward asked.
“My stomach still hurts. But - I feel - kinda better.” Stacy winced in pain.
Jane felt relieved to hear that. She thought her medicine was really effective.
“Drink this.” Gia gave Stacy some water.
“Thanks,” Stacy drank it.
“What happened to you?” Edward asked.
“When they were chasing me, I ran randomly and I didn't realize that I was separated from Gia. I hid in the bushes and saw the two-robed men pass me. Then I came out and sneaked away from them. I ran and got caught in that trap.”
They were silent listening to Stacy's story.
"Oh, and I overheard them talking about a well. I'm not exactly sure, but whoever or whatever is instructing them, they were told to kill us all before we find a well to the north. I think that's the way out."
"A well?" Gia asked.
"Yes."
"Jane, give me the map," Edward ordered.
Jane immediately took out the map and gave it to him.
"What map is that?" Stacy asked.
"I'm not sure, but I think this is a map of this area."
"Where did you find it?"
"In the cave when Jane and I were hiding last night."
Edward spread out the map. Jane, who always thinks quickly, had used leaves and twigs to make a copy of the map. She used the twigs to poke the leaves and create a clear map image. They all looked at the map, trying to find the old well Stacy mentioned.
"Right here!" Stacy pointed to a point on a circle symbol with the letters WIC in the north direction.
It was the only symbol in that direction, and they thought that it might be the old well those killers mentioned.
"I guess we're not the first people here," Gia thought.
"Yeah, that's what Edward and I thought when we saw this map in that cave. I'm not sure if whoever made this map is still alive or not."
"Then, we should move now!" Gia suggested. "We don't have time to rest anymore."
"But what about Stacy? We have to consider her too."
“I think I can walk slowly. Look at this!” Stacy pointed to a symbol that looked like a building. “I think we can rest here.”
"Is that a building?" Gia asked.
"I am not sure, but it seems safe enough."
"Are you sure you can walk?" Jane asked.
"We can stop if Jane can't handle it," Edward said.
They didn't know, there was a pair of eyes watching them with a terrifying smile!
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