Project Holiday

Chapter Eleven

The sun rose over the horizon, casting a warm glow across the grasslands. We ate a quick breakfast of jerky and hardtack before continuing our journey. We had to put our gas masks back on, as the air quality had worsened significantly since the night before. The artifact in my pack weighed heavily on my mind. It was a dangerous thing to be carrying around, and I couldn't shake the feeling that it would cause us more problems than it was worth.The terrain became more difficult to navigate as we progressed, with steep hills and rocky outcroppings slowing our progress. Jack, ever the skilled rider, managed to keep his horse at a steady pace, while the rest of us struggled to keep up. As the day wore on, I began to worry about our horses. They were already showing signs of fatigue, and we still had several days of travel left before we reached Rose. Jack would take care of the horses every night, making sure they had enough rest and food to make it through. We had to go through another mountain range before we reached Rose and the air was getting colder. I outlined my bow with my fingers, feeling the cold air through it. I pulled an arrow through it and fitted it into the quiver, making sure it wouldn't freeze. I had carved a intericic design into the bow in my spare time. After what seemed like an eternity we reached an abandoned village to rest for the night.As we made camp, I took the time to examine the artifact more closely. It was roughly the size of a fist, with a smooth, metallic surface that seemed to shift and dance in the firelight. There were four symbols etched into its surface: a circle, a triangle, a square, and a crescent moon. I had seen similar markings before, but I couldn't quite place them. Despite my reservations, I found myself drawn to the artifact, as if it were somehow calling to me.I awoke before dawn, feeling restless. The air was cold and crisp, and a thin layer of frost covered everything. I took my bow and quiver, and set off into the darkness to hunt for breakfast. It would be nice to have some fresh meet. Kiba followed me, his tail wagging gently. "Jack told me that some of the mutants here could be eaten."Kiba only barked in return, and I assumed that meant he agreed. I didn't have much experience with hunting in the wild, but Kiba seemed to know what he was doing. He sprinted off into the underbrush, and a moment later, I heard the distinctive yip of a rabbit. I grinned and followed him, drawing an arrow from my quiver. We emerged from the trees, and there it was: a large, gray rabbit, frozen in fear. I notched my arrow and let it fly. The arrow struck true, and the rabbit fell to the ground with a thud. Kiba circled it warily, his hackles rising."It's alright, Kiba, its dead."I skinned and cleaned the rabbit, then set it aside to cook over a small fire. As Lara, Jack, and Leo began to stir from their slumber, I told them about my hunt. They all seemed grateful for the fresh meat, and I knew it would make our journey that much easier. We broke camp quickly, saddling the horses and readying ourselves for the day's travel. The sun was just beginning to peek over the horizon, casting a warm glow over the snow-covered landscape.The day's journey was long and arduous, with the cold air making it difficult for both us and our horses to breathe. We stopped several times to rest and allow the animals to graze, but we could not afford to waste much time. The air quality worsened as we approached the mountains, and we knew that we would have to be extra careful navigating the treacherous terrain.As we rode, I found myself constantly checking on the artifact in my pack. It seemed to call to me, its strange symbols glowing faintly in the twilight. I tried to ignore it, focusing instead on the task at hand, but its pull was stronger than anything else. Most of the ride Kiba rode on my horse, the toxic snow starting to affect him as well. The farther we traveled, the more the air seemed to press down on us, making it hard to breathe. Sometimes we would walk and let the horses rest, but even then it was difficult. Eventually, we reached the base of the mountain range, and found a cave to shelter in for the night. The air inside was cleaner, and the horses seemed to breathe easier.I carefully unwrapped the artifact from its cloth and held it in my hands. Its surface was cold and smooth, and the symbols seemed to dance before my eyes. Despite my better judgment, I reached out and touched it. As my fingers made contact, a surge of energy coursed through me, and I saw flashes of a distant world, of strange creatures and technologies beyond my wildest dreams. When the vision faded, I looked down at the artifact, its symbols now glowing brightly, and I knew that I had to find out more about it."What is it?" asked Lara, startling me out of my trance. I looked up, realizing that she had been watching me. "You've been acting strange since we found it."I hesitated for a moment, unsure of how to explain what I had experienced. "I'm not sure," I said finally. "Its kinda weird, I feel connected to it?"Lara studied me carefully, her blue eyes narrowing. "All right," she said slowly. "Just don't get to sucked in."I nodded, still feeling the artifact's pull. "I'll try not to," I said, though I wasn't entirely sure what that meant.We settled down for the night, making sure the horses were well-fed and comfortable. Kiba lay down next to me, his head resting on my leg. I couldn't help but wonder what other secrets the artifact might hold. As I drifted off to sleep, the symbols on its surface seemed to dance before my eyes, and I found myself drawn into another vision. This time, I saw myself standing in a labyrinthine chamber, filled with strange machines and glowing crystals. I was strapped to a table, and the artifact was being removed from my chest. The room was filled with beings unlike anything I had ever seen before. They were tall and slender, with iridescent skin and strange, alien features. The men took screwdrivers and opened my chest, taking out a panel of flesh where the artifact had been implanted. As they removed it, I felt a sense of disorientation and loss, as if a part of me was being torn away. I woke to the feeling of someone shaking me awake. It was Lara."Come on, we have to get going." I rubbed my eyes and stood up.The rest of the journey was a blur. The mountains loomed larger and larger before us, their jagged peaks piercing the blue sky. It was cold but the bright sun shone down, giving light but no heat. We rode hard, with little rest. The horses were our lifeline, carrying us across the treacherous terrain. My eyelids felt heavy from exhaustion, but I forced myself to stay awake. I couldn't afford to lose focus now.Finally after two more days of travel we left the mountains and the long flat, dry expanse of the desert spread out before us. The sand was golden and soft, the air warm and dry. The horses seemed to thrive in this environment for they went off to a gallop once we stepped onto the sand. I could feel the heat emanating from the ground as we rode, but it was a welcome relief after the frigid mountains.We continued to follow the map, guided by the symbols that seemed to glow brighter and brighter with each passing moment. We road past old cities and we pointed out the small remains of what used to be a thriving country . It was hard to believe that all this had once been home to millions of people. Now it was just us and the horses. It seemed so long ago to be only 20 years.The sun was setting as we came upon the edge of a great canyon. The canyon seemed to streach for hundreds of miles. I looked at Leo who seemed confused. "This isnt on the map?""Mabye it happened after the bombs.""If it did then the ground down there is to toxic to travel on.""We dont have enough supplizes to go around, it will take too long."Leo sighed and looked down. "I guess its time to make a descion.""What descion?" I asked, already knowing what he meant."Do we go down there and see if we can find anything or do we keep going?"I looked at Lara, her blue eyes steady and determined. "There is one other option, we could find a way to go over.""Like a bridge?" I asked"Exactly."We searched for hours but found no signs of a bridge or any other way to cross the canyon. The sun was setting and the air was growing cold. We made camp for the night, huddled around a small fire for warmth. "Mabye we could make a bridge?""That could be an option."We spent the rest of the night discussing how we might build a bridge. We needed wood and rope, and it would have to be sturdy enough to support the weight of a horse. We had a rope, but there were no trees around here. There wasn't vegetation for miles.In the morning, we searched the surrounding area and found an abandoned mine shaft. The entrance was partially collapsed, but we were able to clear away enough debris to enter. The mine was pitch black and cold, with only the faintest glow from phosphorescent mushrooms on the walls to guide us. The air was heavy with the scent of damp earth and old, musty dust.As we ventured deeper into the mine, the temperature dropped even further, and the air became thin and difficult to breathe. We passed by rusted cart wheels and discarded mining tools, evidence of the people who had once worked here. The phosphorescent mushrooms grew more abundant, casting a eerie glow on the walls and ceiling. After what felt like hours of walking, we came upon a large chamber. In the center of the room was a pool of stagnant water, and surrounding the pool were rows upon rows of wooden supports, some still intact and others rotted beyond repair."I think we've found what we're looking for," I said, my voice echoing through the chamber. "These supports were probably used to support the ceiling of the mine. If we can repair them and reinforce them with our rope, we might be able to build a bridge across the canyon."We set to work immediately, using our remaining rope to tie the supports together and make them stable. The wood was old and rotted in places, but we did our best to make it work. As we worked, the sky outside began to lighten, and we knew that we only had a few hours before the sun rose and we would have to continue our journey.Finally, after what seemed like an eternity of work, we had completed our bridge. It wasn't perfect, but it was sturdy enough to support our weight and the weight of the horses. We carefully led the horses across the canyon, their hooves clattering against the wooden planks. I looked back to see if we had forgotten anything. Kiba was cowering on the other side, his tale between his legs. He was clearly scared of heights. I smiled at him, "Come on Kiba," I walked toward the coyote "Come on." I lifted Kiba up and walked across the bridge with him.As Jack was about to step foot on the other side of the brigde it broke and the wood splintered beneath my feet.