They say we can't leave

Chapter twenty six

Emma and I move apprehensively through the over grown oasis. Greenery in every part of our field of vision. The grass surrounding us is tall and comes up to my knees. Each step we take there is a subtle crunch or pop as we walk over fallen branches and leaves.

Miles into the woods we stumble across a bush with berries on them. They are swollen and a beautiful dark blue. I recognize them as blueberries from one of the many text books I read back at Aukai. I pick a handful giving them to Emma. She chews them ravenously but also seeming to enjoy every bite. I pop one into my mouth and chew slowly as the sweet nectar invades my taste buds. We indulge on our fill of berries before moving on. We have full and happy bellies. Now we just need to find water.

We have seen a few birds fly overhead but we have not seen any other woodland creatures. The only sound that surrounds us is the light chirping of the birds and the leaves rustling in the wind. There is no other sounds. The forest is completely silent. It gives me an eerie feeling putting me on edge. We have not found any sign of other humans since entering the forest.

It's starting to get dark and we have to find shelter for the night. The over growth of the trees make it hard to see with what little light is left. The light breaks through the cracks of the trees making it look like there are spider webs laying over every shrubbery in sight. Just ahead there is about 4 trees that have fallen to the forest floor. Maybe from a storm. We decide to stay there for the night. The trees don't completely touch the ground there is enough space to us to crawl in and lay under them. I go in first to make sure it's safe. I lay beneath the fallen tree and the bark is just inches from my nose. The smell of bark and dirt makes me miss the farm. I feel around and don't feel any snakes or other woodland creatures. It's not ideal but it will keep us safe until day break. I tell Emma it's safe and she crawls in nexts to me. We lay there together on our backs under the bark.

"I'm so thirsty" Emma croaks filling the silence around us. I pat her hand reassuringly. "I know me too." I whisper softy. "We will find water tomorrow." I say hopefully. I feel Emma nod her head beside me. I can't turn my head much to look at her, it's a bit claustrophobic under the trees. "I am going to stay awake. So I can keep an eye on things. I want you to go to sleep." I don't receive a response Emma is already softly snoring beside me. The low hum of her breathing brings me comfort. I am tired too. My feet ache terribly. The miles and miles have walking have done a number on my old shoes. I can feel my toe peak out the top of the shoe like a turtle pops out of its shell. The darkness brings a chilly breeze with it coming through our shelter every so often. I snuggle closer to Emma to share her warmth. She doesn't stir. I try and relax to fall asleep but I am on edge. The forest is so quiet it's unnerving. All I can hear is the soft breaths coming from Emma next to me. I close my eyes and focus on Emma's breathing matching the rise and fall of her chest with mine until I'm finally lulled to sleep.