The Cinders of Dezu

6th: Keeping Dark (2)

Cairo heaved a sigh and flipped open the leather cover. The title page listed the author as Harper Jennings. As he gradually came to more clarity, Cairo grew ever more interested in what he was reading. The book started out as a welcome and a condolence for new arrivals. It instructed them about a few of the survival items that were in the bags and why. Making fire was heavily encouraged with matches, flint rocks, and torches that were already prepared to be lit. The book said it was crucial that one learned how to make fire and to never be caught at night without something to produce light.

Cairo got up to go grab his bag. The way the guide was worded, this was beginning to feel like an interactive activity. He brought it from his room to the table and started laying its contents around Harper's pages. One by one he placed an ax, a hunters knife, two small torches, the fire starting materials the section had mentioned, a small sack that he discovered had some hard flat cakes inside, a small pot, three sets of clothes, shoes, some local money, several thin rungs of metal grating with other metal pieces attached, something that looked like a porous rock, and a cylindrical metal item with what appeared to be a mouthpiece at the top.

The guide first addressed what to do with the fire starting materials. He was instructed to light the lamps outside and keep them lit until nightfall. Cairo was confused and headed out to see what it meant. He noticed lamps hanging around each outside corner of the house. He took a match and lit each one. They all had a small shiny black ball of something flammable inside them that shone brightly after they were lit, even during the day.
Next, he was to prioritize water and was directed to take the porous stone and the metal cylinder with him. The packet said whatever cabin they had been placed in would not be far off from water. Cairo looked over at Julian who had brought in kindling from outside that he was placing in the fireplace. He had the ax from his own bag in hand.

"Did you get to the water part yet?" Cairo asked.

"Naw, " he said, "I mean I don't know cuz I kinda lost interest... I mean was still flipping through. But its a lot though. You know me and homework."

"I know you wouldn't have done any of it if it wasn't for me," said Cairo.

Julian smiled big and nodded proudly.

"Yeeeeah you remember how this works. You've got the brains, I've got the brawn... and the looks... and the cool... and the ladies... and-"

"Uh-huh, what would I do without you?" Cairo said.

"You'd be cold, that's what. I'm making a fire cuz it's camping 101. You just give me the cliff notes for the test like always."

Cairo got up.

"Let's take a hike. There should be a river or something nearby."

There were two buckets located under the table that the book had assigned to each of them. They took them and headed out. The forest was lush and green with a lot of sounds of various buzzing and chirps. It seemed like a lot of noise for what Cairo supposed had to be midday. The guide was correct. There was a river very close. It was only a minutes walk or two before they could hear the sound of it. When they reached it it was more like a small stream.
Cairo held up the metal cylinder.

"The manual says this is a kind of bottle, I guess."

He twisted the top with the mouth piece and it slid right off. They both looked inside. Cairo took two fingers and slid a baggie out of it. It was made of a soft white material and was tied off at the top.

"It looks like cheesecloth, " said Cairo.

Julian smirked and then affected pushing up glasses as he spoke with nasal in his voice.

"'It looks like cheesecloth!'"

Cairo ignored him and held it up to his ear, rattling it around.

"Does it feel like rocks are in there to you?"

Julian nodded as he felt the bag. Cairo placed it back in the bottle and knelt down to collect water from the stream. Julian followed suit with his own. Afterwards, they filled up the buckets as well which held more than they expected. They brought it all carefully through the trees and back to the cabin. They placed them on the floor near the table and read more of the guide.

"It says the rock is called called a gupper sponge," said Cairo, "and it's alive!"

"What?"