CHAPTER 07 : THIRST
1317 Words
They walked in silence as they entered the woods, the thin fog surrounding the area didn't much affect their pace except for some parts that were thicker.
They were already in the East side, now they're tracking down the road and traveling northwest to find it because no one in the group had traveled inside the woods due to prohibition from the Academy.
The sun is not visible any longer when they went inside the grim woods, the leaves covered the main body of the sun and only it's sunlight were passing through the small gaps. The slender trees were stiff but dewy, the soil was moist and the supposedly fresh air were contaminated from the burning smell of livelihood and bodies.
"Is it near?" Mila asked breathing heavily as they traveled the bumpy ground.
"Just a little longer. I think." Troy replied
The four of them stick close together, having the same mindset of seeing the familiar road.
"I haven't seen any animals lurking around. Don't you think they've transformed too?" Jin started
"Is it applicable to animals?" Mila asked
"Should we search for one?" Roes suggested having a serious face
Mila and Jin abruptly turned to her.
"I don't know if you're serious or just joking on your own way Roes." Jin remarked
"Aren't you curious? We may even save some if they're not infected." Roes responded
"We can but I don't think they will let us. Remember that the wild beasts here and their generations have lived way longer than the neighboring cities." Mila said as they passed fatter and bigger trees.
"They are all savage."
The walk continued on for about several minutes until they can visibly see a white line stretching north to south.
"Hey! The road!" Jin called
They all heaved in relief.
"We can now secure our way towards the gate." Troy said
They started to walk towards the road when they saw a student running forward.
"Hey! Hey!" Jin waved to them gesturing towards the student
They all looked to the direction and gazed to the poor student running forward without stop.
"Oh there's more." Roes pointed out
One by one, students who runs like a drunkard, were chasing out the person ahead. And these were obviously infected.
When the nearest infected finally reached the person ahead, he immediately plunged and feasted then all that follows joined.
"Let's go back first inside the woods." Troy whispered
They are all rooted again but due to the fact that they have already seen this they slowly stepped back and turned immediately.
They ran in a careful manner that they may not be noticed nor seen.
The thin fog mixed with the smoke from the fire became polluted and suffocating. They fought against it and continued to ran away.
"The road is definitely not safe, what should we do now?" Jin asked as they finally got far away enough from the road.
"We must take the track inside this wood but we must be following the road to lead us in the gate." Troy pondered
"This will be harder now that those infected had invaded the road and it's closer area." Jin exhaled
"Where's Mila?" Roes turned left and right, breathing heavily.
"Hey, where's she? I thought she's behind me??" Jin exclaimed
Troy scanned the area, "There's no sign of her."
They all froze.
"Didn't you notice some growling earlier?" Roes asked as she surveyed the area.
MILA was running out of breath as she take a glance time to time behind her.
The strange growling was chasing her but she doesn't know where is it coming from. She just felt it. And due to the fact that the others didn't heard it, she unconsciously got separated.
She's almost out of breath and gradually slow down, worst is the growling become more closer and she can't run forever now that she's alone he spotted a wood branch and immediately took it, made a defense posture of whatever is chasing her.
The growling had become louder and in front of her was the quiet slender trees but slowly, a shape of a black and big dog appeared, blood was oozing of it's skinless body, bared skin and unpleasant. It's fang was as sharp as a knife preparing to plunge on her.
Mila trembled as she quietly step back still holding the branch against the big dog.
Mila inhaled and exhaled, she's overwhelmingly unsure of the outcome of this situation.
The big dog lowered as it gathered enough energy to jump towards her then in a quick manner, it attacked. Mila could only tighten her grip on the branch and closed her eyes.
It jumped with it's mouth wide open, baring his fangs against her but all of a sudden, a sickle slashed him from his belly and the dog swirled to the side piercing his belly.
"Are you okay??" Roes approached her
Mila was dumbstruck, "I was about to die." she said eyes wide open.
"Hey, Troy did you hit it?" Jin asked
"Yes, I was sure I slashed its belly." Troy replied holding the bloody sickle
Jin turned to them, "Infected animals are the worst. Let's go now, hurry!" he told them
"Why?"
"The dog is regenerating!"
The four of them looked at the dog regenerating its belly that has cut off.
"Let's go!"
They ran again speedily. Now that they lost the track for the road again, they ran with no direction. Along with their path, flocks of bird started to fly their shadow were passing by and the leaves started to sway as the cold breeze passed inside.
"Are those birds or crows?" Jin asked as he stopped and stared at the birds passing by at the head of the woods, barely seen because of the tree leaves.
"They're pure black." Jin added as a drop of liquid fell down on his cheeks.
"Ew." He smelled the rotting odor from the liquid, it's quite disgusting and very unpleasant in the nose. He touched it, it felt sticky and stretched.
"Is this blood?" The drop was colored black but the odor gives off the smell of a rotten flesh mixed with blood.
The birds started to cry in an excruciating way that echoed along the whole woods.
"Ah!"
They covered their ears as the pitch got higher and they cried in group flying away.
Drops of liquid were falling as they fly away, the woody smell contained by the trees become polluted and unpleasant caused by the intense odor the drops had.
"Everything smells like rotten flesh urgh!" Jin exclaimed as he covered his nose and head with his both hands.
"We should move ahead! It's already past 3! The sun will set soon!" Troy called and started to move ahead, they followed.
"Are they literally waiting at the gate? Without trying anything?" Mila complained as she realized what the Military is doing when they get all the trouble inside the forest.
"Wait is a wait, that's why they have to limit it by sunset." Jin said
"I'm thirsty and hungry." he added
"I heard there's a fresh stream existed here in different parts of the woods, the water is coming from the north mountain ranges and it's fresh just like as distilled. Should we find that first?" Troy suggested as he himself is tired and dehydrated.
Mila fell down on her knees, "Yes we should, I haven't drank anything since our gym class."
"Me too." Jin agreed having the same dilemma
"Well I was gardening since morning." Troy added totally drained out from walking and running
Roes looked at them and said,
"The soil is overly moist here and the molds in the trees were healthier, different wild grass were all around this place. I think the stream is near, if it is."
They all turned to her in hope.
"It 'might' be near." Roes shrugged.
.....
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- Writer
