Mysterious adventures in the shadow of trees

Chapter 5: Protection

-Sofia-

    I thought I was going to lose my mind when question marks flew free like birds.

    RUSTLE

    RUSTLE

    What is that?

    To bring myself back to reality, I blinked a few times. Back to reality... back to the fact that nothing has changed. In the same state as before, I felt lost. All that changed was that my mind went berserk.

    Even though I worried it would be cold, the sky slowly darkened above me, and I stupidly touched it, only for the July heat to continue baking on me. I felt like my fingertips were about to fall off, but I repeatedly blew on it to decrease the temperature. My own breath wasn't even that chilly and pleasant.

Know-it-all: It's all due to heat stroke, and you're a warm-blooded person.

Given the scorching temperature, I was on the verge of a nervous breakdown. When did the weather become so cruel? Perhaps it was because I spent the bulk of the day indoors, with the exception of going to school.

    Shade greeted me when I came across a couple of coastal redwoods that seemed to be hugging me for safety. My stomach churned like a wheel, and I knew I could eat an entire cake if I wanted to.

There were, however, no bakeries or ovens nearby.

Maybe I'll be able to discover a few eggs? Is it possible that chickens dwell in the woods?

SCRATCH

    SCRATCH

    I gasped quite loudly as my heart raced to find its internal desire for sweetness. Of food. Of good food.

    "Chicken? You there? Are you building a nest for your eggs? Can I take some? I'm starving!" I called out in the direction I heard the scratching noises.

    A squirrel ran by.

    Oh. It's just you. You don't lay yummy eggs for me.

    I stood around and walked for what seemed like a few hours then, so my back deserved a break. No. My entire body deserved a break. I rested my back against the tree trunk with the red-orange-colored sun seeping in through the tiny spaces between the leaves.

    Afterward, I heard some crumpling piece of paper awfully close to me!

    "Hello? Is someone there?"

    Maybe they're writing me a note and would like to help me, but why would they do that if I'm literally here alone and have nothing to hide or reveal? I'm not that intimidating. At least, I don't think I am.

    "If you want to talk to me, we can just do it verbally. No need to write anything to me!" I called out as I twirled around the tree trunk,

    No response.

    I leaned back against the tree trunk to hear the exact noise again!

    It's gotta be something from inside my backpack.

    I unzipped my bag and noticed it was full of leftover food from the picnic! Although it was rather embarrassing that I called out to no one and thought someone was there, my survival was more important than any other feeling that held me back.

    I mean, I'm alone for goodness sake. Cut me some slack.

    I had a loaf of bread and five granola bars.

    Know-it-all: Be sure to save up!

    Me: But I'm so hungry!

    Nevertheless, I had to admit that my inner voice was correct. I didn't know how many more hours, days, weeks, or even months that I'll be stuck in this forest.

I had one job to do — finding my dad's wallet — yet I failed. I was such a failure, and my family was probably worrying about me, too.

    A reminder of surviving kept me from mentally beating myself up.

    In any case, an animal could've brought the wallet to their home for safekeeping! Just don't eat it, please.

    I vowed to myself that I could have only one granola bar a day unless I get lucky and found non-poisonous berries or something.

    Three years ago...

    It was lunchtime in sixth grade, and my best friend started a game of truth or dare.

    "Dare," I said boldly.

    She looked up at a tree. "I dare you ... to eat one of those green berries."

    We both did.

    "This tastes like medicine!" she yelled, disgusted looks plastered on every millimeter of her face. Her eyebrows furrowed as she spat out the berry.

    I finished chewing on mine, not knowing if there would be any bugs crawling in it, and swallowed it safely. To my surprise, it tasted like candy. "I think my mom would let me eat these if they were to be sold in stores! They're berries that taste like candy but with less sugar!" I smiled.

    That was definitely a fun time, but that was when I still had other sources of food such as dairy and pizza and cotton candy and ice cream and-

    I paused myself abruptly.

    Fantasizing about what my life could've been like at this stage wasn't going to do anything if I didn't act upon the circumstances.

    Tearing open my s'mores-flavored granola bar, I took a miniature bite, roughly the same size as an adult tooth. I chewed on that for around ten seconds and, lastly, I rested my head on the tree trunk and closed my eyes gently.

    I need to find that wallet.