The Fog (HIATUS)

Chapter 11

The atmosphere between Cooper and me changed a lot during those two days. The usual bantering and arguing was swapped with silence.
It's probably because I stopped talking like I used to do.

,,Look." Cooper stopped and crouched down next to a pink-ish flowers.
,,Wild potatoes, also called Eskimo potato. Grows in Canada and Alaska."

He started digging for the small roots and pulled some out after a while of struggle.
,,Bitter in taste but very nutritious. We can make potatoes with mushrooms that we found earlier."

I nodded and helped him with the small potatoes. I also tried to memorise the look of the plant for the future. I know of a person who would be ecstatic at the sight of potatoes. He loved anything if it had potatoes in it. If he was here he would had his big grin and start telling us about all the possible dishes we could make.

,,Can you carry them?"

,,Yeah." I shrugged my bag off and packed the small roots.

Cooper grumbled something under his breath and continued walking.
,,We have enough mushrooms that we can dry some, this way we can preserve them for longer. Later at camp I can show you how to dry them with a string."

I hummed and almost tripped over a stone on the dirt road. It was slightly overgrown since nobody used it frequently or recently.

,,It seems like it will rain today so we can set up camp earlier, just in case."

Cooper was unusually chatty since that day.
He did talk a lot with Tío but with me it was just explaining some plant related stuff or arguing.
It seemed like he was trying too hard to make conversation with me.

I looked up and the grey clouds that were heavy with rain.
,,Seems so. There's a tarp in Tíos b-"
I cut myself off.
Right. He is gone.
Cooper was carrying that bag now.

,,Yeah, I know. Let's find good trees to hang the hammocks and then cook some food."

We looked for tall trees that were close to each other.
Cooper veered inside the woods and I followed until we reached some tall pines.
I could still see the path through the trees, but we were hidden enough that if somebody travelled here, they would miss us.

I grabbed the hammocks and climbed up the pines, sometimes having to break some branches.
When the hammocks were tied, I grabbed the tarp and climbed up again to make a makeshift shelter from rain.

Cooper in the meantime gathered wood, made fire and started cooking.
He must have found a stream nearby as he was also boiling some water.

He gave me a plate of the cooked potatoes and brown mush that barely resembled the mushrooms we gathered.
I took a bite of the potatoes and even when they were unsalted and slightly bitter, they were delicious. The mushrooms on the other hand could use some salt and more cleaning, the earthly flavour wasn't overpowering, but it still gave an unpleasant after-taste.

,,So, how is it? I don't usually cook."

,,It's okay." I decided to leave the comments to myself. I had no idea how to cook so I had no right in telling others how to do it.

,,Glad to hear it." He grabbed a plate of his own and took a mouthful. He stopped chewing and looked at me with annoyance.

We ate in silence and once we were done, cleaned our plates. He refilled our bottles with the boiled water. It was getting darker and I noticed the fog slowly brightening in the darker spots.

,,We should go to sleep." I slowly got up and climbed the tree, getting to my hammock and laying down.

I watched down below as Cooper put out the fire and climbed up himself.
,,Good night kid." He yawned and rolled over, his back facing me.