A Lonely Hell Tree (Old Version) *2.0 title will be "Crosswalk to Panic"

Chapter 5 - Downward and Backward

       A/N: Hi y'all, I realized that I made a lot of mistakes on my previous chapters that didn't make sense, mostly Chapter 3 (my least favorite lol). I'm going to spend some time adjusting them, if you want to reread it later, go ahead, but right now they are pretty minor.  :> -3/20/22 Oh and don't forget to vote please! 

       Akari sniveled uncontrollably, without being able to snatch a single breath. She could have sworn this was what torture felt like. Though, at present, she felt a careful pressure on the side of her head. It was forcefully leaning her head into a warm, clothed, wall. Akari could hear a deep thump, drumming at a rhythm. A chilly hand with cold fingers combed through her disheveled curls.

       Glossy, wet, globes still rolled down her face but she was beginning to find a sense of peaceful vulnerability in touching and hearing this soft wall.

       Kaden continued to hold Akari in his bubble. He remained quiet, but his thoughts were trembling, not his stern body. 'I despise those beautiful teardrops slipping out of your eyes from sadness, y'know..', he thought. Kaden one-handedly untied his waisted jacket and threw it over him and his lady as he slowly laid them down. What surprised him tonight was Akari grabbing his palm for the first time in many chances. Akari was still out of it though, stress fatigues the body. Only Kaden's heartbeat kept her lulled to sleep.

       'She's been very slow to react and very procrastinative lately..'

       Have you been jumping o'top a rope all afternoon, late at night, and all throughout your morning? As the rule goes, an object in motion stays in motion, and you are this branded object sucked into this hopping cycle. Without a speck of hunger you continue, as the hurt you feel all over you is distracting. Liar. You don't feel this way, you only want to believe you feel this way, right..? You haven't been through hardships nor do you have sores stained in your body, for you are only a blank, untouched sheep. ..A sheep who can no longer hear the words of praise towards her. LIAR! You are fine.

       Akari readied herself to shoot a deer with a borrowed bow, as it munched on a patch of peach colored grass. The metal-tipped stick pierced straight into the deer's long neck. Trifling blood spat out from the wound of this mammal. 'Who else has felt this same pain?', Akari asked sadly. Dinner was sure to be large, with a side of guilt tonight.

       She placed the bow down and ran toward her game. The prey lay there motionless, clearly a corpse now.

       Neither Kaden nor Akari knew how to properly butcher meat but they figured it wasn't that hard—rather more disgusting. Having the blood and innards of your food blanketing your clothing is much too unhygienic for a pair who don't have many places to bathe in the complete wilderness of wonderland. Kaden and Akari did a hack-job in the cutting and preparing their meat, consequently, they had cooked a dry, tough, and quite unappetizing meal.

       "Bleh. Our 'stranded cooking' is deservingly terrible, ain't it?", Kaden complained with a sour look on his olive face. The bright-haired maiden across from him left a small chuckle for Kaden's ears to listen for. "We still have leftovers, maybe drying them in the sun could make them more edible?", Akari suggested. "True, we shouldn't waste anything, for our sakes, and as respect to the deer.", he replied. Kaden stood up, swallowing his last bite, and lightly tread to a minded Akari. With his fluster-invoking shenanigans played constantly, it's not too big a guess what he may pull now. Just as Kaden's hair slowly fell on our maiden's lap, and his head pulling along, Akari snapped to realization.

       Kaden chuckled slyly, "You're quite pillowish, aren't you, Love?"

       No matter how under-the-weather emerald-eyed Akari was, Kaden would and could always manage to cause her stomach to churn with butterflies and ticklish feelings. 'Your strange interactions and what you'll do next are always on shuffle, yeah?', Akari thought. She looked down at Kaden and softly pressed the tip of his nose. "Get off already, here's the map.", she said bluntly, tossing the folded sheet on strawberry boy. "No, than—", just before finishing the sentence Kaden tumbled off as Akari stood up. "Ack..", strawberry boy groaned, rubbing the back of his head.

       Kaden climbed up a dark-barked and yellow-leafed tree and hung off a branch. Turning the map upside down he yelled, "Hey, this map doesn't make any sense, this pond is clearly on the opposite side of the road, right?" "Why don't you crank your head a few ways around, that way you can snap your neck and see the map correctly.", Akari said sarcastically. Kaden enjoyed acting stupid, consideration put it as a pastime. Of course doubling as a way to get Akari's attention. 'You're clearly embarrassed, Love.', Kaden thought lovingly. "How sadistic!", he exclaimed playfully.