Desertcrawler

7

He kept on moving the entire day and rested little at night. He was no more afraid of that bizarre feeling that he sometimes felt as if someone was clocking his movements. But the next morning, when he looked down to see the time, he realized that the battery of the watch had died. Shit! He had considered bringing the solar-powered one, while in the cockpit but brought the smartwatch thinking that it would be of more use. He hadn’t even thought about the battery part. Sometimes he doubted how he had passed those three years supervising those mongrels, sticking to even the details of minute procedures. No worry, though. He had the compass. He would keep moving, no need to stop. He took off the watch and shoved it in the breast pocket. He had not even gone half a dozen meters, he stopped again. That watch in the breast pocket was hurting his chest. “Piece of junk!” he muttered under his breath and threw it away, before continuing to move again. Hours passed and he grew confused about the direction but his compass kept him on track. He was glad that he hadn’t left it thinking the watch would help him. That watch was one traitorous son of a bitch.

When the night fell, Jake realized that all these days he could have moved in the night too, with that compass in his hand. What a fool he had been! It must be the lack of oxygen and hunger and thirst. He had never been this sloppy before. He had been tight about all matters. And now even the most obvious of things started to slip off his mind. It was not a good indication. He had to reach his city as soon as possible, or else he’ll be lost in the desert forever. That forever wouldn’t last a few more days without food and water though. 

He moved that night. He was dog-tired but he kept his pace. He moved that night not only for his family, he moved to survive. Thirst and hunger had started getting on his head. And if he didn’t reach the city soon…