Bugz - Path of survival

Chapter 3 - Treasure hunt

With the sun setting and nowhere to stay, Ollie and Silk slept under the summer night sky. With nature being back on its feet and prospering rapidly, the bugs on the ground didn't spare any bites. Fortunately, light pollution had also decreased dramatically, giving them a clear view of the galaxy.
"So what's your story?" Ollie asked, turning his gaze towards Silk.
Silk kept looking upwards and sighed.
"It's a long story."
"And it's gonna be a long night" Ollie responded cunningly, "Come on! You share yours, I'll share mine."
"Not interested."
Ollie gasped over dramatically.
"So you don't care about me?!" He joked, keeping the same dramatic undertone.
"Will you tell me if I start with mi-"
"I was ten years old..."
Ollie's hazel eyes widened in suspense.
"I would love to start the sad story by saying my life was completely normal, as any other kid, but it wasn't."
Silk took a deep breath, still gazing at the stars.
"My dad had a problem with drugs.... I remember him telling me that he would get better for me. He told me that countless times, and I believed him countless more..."
Silk's lips start twitching, forming a frown.
"He would beat my mom, and they would argue all the time about his addiction. Sometimes I just wanted it to stop and got in the middle of it and he actually stopped. I really... really thought he loved me..."
Silk took another deep breath, rolling her eyes upwards as to avoid tears.
"I WAS TEN OK!?" She suddenly lashed out, picking the skin off her fingers and taking a moment to look away from Ollie.
Ollie got caught by surprise, but decided to let her have her space while she oppened up.
"I was ten..." she repeated in a calmer tone, "And my mother wanted to leave him. She always told me that my safety was worth more than anything we had at the time, and back then I didn't really understand it... So one day she grabbed me, told me to grab what was important to me, and suddenly left."
Silks tone slowly changes again to the former one.
"I was young and foolish when that happened... So... for some reason... I really thought he loved me! So I started calling for him!"
Her nervous ticks got harsher.
"Hearing me cry... OF COURSE HE WENT TO CHECK. He wasn't sober, so he started lashing out on my mom, questioning her why she would leave him. Things got out of hand and he pulled out a gun..."
Silk's voice started breaking as tears streamed down her face.
"I was ten years old so I didn't know what to do! It all happened so fast! My mom told me to run so I ran... I ran...I ran" Silk repeated, her ticks getting stronger and her voice getting louder."
Ollie was preoccupied, so he held her hands and assured her it was fine, so she kept going.
"Only when I heard the gun going off was when I got hold of myself, and started running back for her."
Silk calmed down, taking a moment of silence.
"I still dream of her body... just there. Sitting on blood... What happened from there is a blur. I don't remeber what I did or how I survived. I just know that I had to do what it took."
Ollie hugged her, his face still in shock.
"You are the bravest person I know."
Silk broke down in Ollie's arms, finally being able to be vulnerable after so many years. So she hugged him tighter. Ollie couldn't hold it either, and cried with her.
The long day left them tired so they curled up on the long grass, waiting for the next day to come.
Silk woke up to the birds chirping at the morning sun, it had been a while since she left the city, and not fearing for her life while falling asleep gave her much better rest.
"Sleepy head!" Silk sung in a raspy voice as she turned around.
Silk's face was filled with shock when she was greeted by an empty patch of grass, right where Ollie was supposed to lay. She started looking around frenetically, her voice muted by shock. Only after she rummaged through the grass was when her voice escaped her grasp:
"Ollie? Ollie!?", she now said louder.
"Im right here! I found something, come have a look!" Ollie responded far near the woods, oblivious to her worries.
Silk picked up her roller skates and ran up to him in excitement but also anger, frustrated with Ollie's inconsiderate disappearance.
"Ouch!" Ollie whined, having been punched in the arm.
"That's what you deserve for leaving me alone!" Silk nagged.
Ollie briefly looked at Silk confused, as his attention was caught by what he had found earlier.
Silk, now grumpy, stumped her way behind Ollie, but he didn't seem to mind. So, she asked in a obviously upset tone:
"So where are we going really?"
"You'll see." Ollie answered, unbothered by any remarks, keeping up his fast and lively walking pace through the tall forest.
"urgh!" Silk's grunted, as her eyes rolled.
However, interrupting Silk's mood, was a beautiful waterfall, with three different layers, the water would cascade from the highest layer onto the second one, where it would split into two streams, one which flowed through rocks and moss onto the lake beneath, and another which drippled it's way down. The lake itself was small, maybe the size of a large jacuzzi. Comparatively, it's depth was impressing, being deeper than Ollie's height.
Silk looked in awe, hypnotized by the crystal clear waters.
"Wait, you haven't seen it all, com here!" Ollie called.
As they climbed up the hill, Silk got to see the top of the waterfall for the first time. Contrastingly, it was full of plants and critters, with life overflowing like the water.
Silk instantly layed on the muddy grass, stirring the water with her fingers, scaring the tadpoles away. Ollie crouched, and a mantis landed on his knee. Ollie extended his finger towards the curious bug, and it leaped onto his hand. They giggled, as the little bug wobbled with the wind.
"You still haven't told me your story." Silk stated
Ollie's smile narrowed, turning into a more neutral expression.
"I mean my story isn't that..."
"It's your story." Silk interrupted, and she crossed her legs as she sat down, ready to listen.
"Well, my life was indeed like any other kid. I knew growing up, that my parents struggled financially, but I didn't care because they were always really caring and mindful to me... It made me forget, or rather, not care. What stood out from my childhood was that my father was part of a gang, however, the members from his gang always treated me like a little brother, and I always felt really loved everywhere I went, that's why I see my past as normal. Nonetheless, a gang is a gang, and what might have been hidden from me, eventually wasn't hidden from the police, and one day out of the blue, the police raided my house. I was twelve when that happened, it was all so fast and scary... As you can guess, they took me away from them, I fought my hardest all the way to the orphanage, but I couldn't escape. I was deeply hurt for a while. I was so revolted with life, that I purposefully behaved arrogantly to prevent anyone from adopting me. Matter of fact, I treated everyone rudely... I was hurt... But he saw through it..."
"Rustyn?" Silk asked in a careful tone
"Yes.." Ollie smiled, "He didn't give up from my snarky ego, and we quickly became best friends. And you know the rest..."
Silk smiled in sympathy, but quickly interrupted the moment with her energetic voice:
"I always wanted to be a figure skater! Wanna see my moves? I can't skate here but I'll show you my routine!"
Silk stood up right away, giving no chance for Ollie to pass on the oportunity. She started jumping around the forest, spinning and jokingly singing opera. Ollie laughed.
"Is Silk your stage name?" Ollie inquired.
Silk replied in a snobbish tone, "Of course! Is it not obvious that I'm as smooth and delicate as Silk? And for you is princess Silk... or just m'lady!"
"Shall I be your skating partner m'lady?" Ollie asked in a similar tone, holding back the giggles.
"Ah yes... yes! But in one condition sir..!" Silk replied, her expression in character. "You shall find worthy jewelery for me to... fancy up!"
They both cracked up at Silk's lack of vocabulary.
"Yes! Yes! Of course! A renowned figure skater like you wouldn't skate with a nobody like myself!" Ollie answered, keeping up the act as if entertaining his little sister. However, Ollie's face suddenly darkens, and he slowly said:
"So... what you mean is... TREASURE HUNT!" and he started sprinting away.
Silk's competitive spirit didn't let her be still, so , with her face full of determination, she changed from figure skater to pro athlete, running the opposite direction, looking for trinkets and treasures.
They rambled around the river, digging and climbing. Their nails were filled with dirt and mud, their bare feet were washed by the flowing waters and their clothes were wet by their rushed movements.
Exhausted by the competition, they organized a formal showcase of each other's finds. As planned, they would take turns presenting their items on a tree stump, and would gradually escalate to their final valuable item. As such, kneeling on opposite sides of the stump as if sat in a formal meeting, they faced each other with serious and confident gazes.
"I will start!" Silk annouced, her eyebrows raised with cockyness.
"First, I present...", Silk reached for the deep pockets in her shorts, "Mr. Romeo!", and pulled out a snail shell, placing it somewhat aggressively on the stump.
The seemingly empty shell had nothing out of the ordinary or impressive, so Ollie just stared at it for a few seconds before lifting his gaze towards Silk. Silk's eyes widened with unease, as if something didn't occur as planned. She looked down at the snail shell and whispered, barely moving her lips: "Come on little guy!", and tapped the shell two times.
A snail slowly emerged from its shelter and started slitheing his way out of the stump, taking his time in the process.
They both just stared at it as it fleed, and when they looked at each other again in silence, Silk just smiled with her eyes wide open, as if ending a corporate presentation.
Ollie nodded slowly and pouted a gestured "not bad" before exclaiming: "Very well, a strong start, but I'm afraid I might have something to top that off!", as he kept his snobby business man tone.
As soon as he speaked, he just raised his closed hand, which had a frog in it the whole time.
"I present to you, "Mr Better Romeo", better is his middle name.", and he snarkly looked at Silk, as the little frog just passively stayed in Ollie's grasp. "He catches bugs for a living!" And Ollie raised his arm towards a passing my mosquito, which "Mr. Better Romeo" catched with ease.
Silk let out an audible "woah" before shutting herself off to not give Ollie too much credit. Having ended his first presentation, Ollie gently put the frog down, and it leaped away towards the river.
With her face full of determination, Silk replied:
"Seems like I'll have to pull this out sooner than I thought..."
Silk scrambled on the other pocket and pulled out a red spray can, slowly and mysteriously placing it on the stump. Her smile widened.
"I know a gentleman to whom this would be of great use! I found this on the depths of the... magical swamp!.. and it's of... very big value!" Silk smiled as if embarassed by her unhearsed presentation, but quickly changed back to her demure persona.
Ollie's eyes were filled with shock, but his face remained serious and calm.
"Is that so? I have two items that would be of utter most value to your highness!"
Ollie pulled out a pair of steampunk aviator goggles, somehow intact, and a regular bluish stone.
"I've got, a pair of pristine condition 1967 premium edition glasses from a king of the magical jungles and even... A DIAMOND!"
Silk couldn't help herself but look in awe to the items laying right in front of her.
"Can I keep them?!" Silk excitedly asked, breaking character.
"I'll accept a trade for your estimed red spray can, and!... you shall not forget the figure skating practise!" Ollie replied, still roleplaying.
"Ah yes! Of course!" Silk caught on, switching back to her rollerskating princess persona.
As they exchanged items, Ollie attached the spray can to his loose belt and Silk frenetically put the goggles on.
"The glasses are for the spray can, the diamond is for the demonstration." Silk reminded, extending her open hands towards Ollie.
Ollie held both her hands and they started pretending to be on a competition of the best of the best. After many "difficult tricks" and jumps, they won their imaginary competition.
With the busy and productive day soon to be over, they rested on a grassy hill, ready for tomorrow's adventures. They chatted till the sun set and slept to the summer breeze.
The buzz of cicadas and the chirp of mockingbirds filled the grassy-field's dawn. As the sun started to shine, Ollie yawned as Silk greeted him with her messy hair and eyes semi closed. The day was perfect and nature was thriving as they kept up their journey to the next big city in hopes to find help.
"I'm hungry!" Silk groaned, as she put her rollerskates on.
"We're almost there... Here! Have this." Ollie smiled, handing Silk canned beans.
"Yey!.. Beans!.. Again!.." Silk celebrated ironically.
"You don't get to be picky around here kid." Ollie replied with a smile, ruffling her hair.
They then continued on their journey, Ollie on foot and Silk slowly rollerskating while eating beans.
The pair traveled together the whole day without seeing any sign of humanity. The once wide and dark asphalt roads were now narrower and withered of taint, with roots and bumps all around. They made a few breaks to relax, some other few to explore the newly flourished landscapes. They ate fruit directly from trees, though not abundant and sweet as societies fruits, they were a refreshing treat, giving Silk energy to keep talking and dancing. Ollie loved Silk's company, the countryside and the weather gave him piece. It also made them live in the present, and momentarily forget the past.
Their journey kept going, Ollie carried Silk on his shoulders and they ran through fields with grass almost as tall as him. Silk laughed and pointed in different locations as if giving directions for the captain of a ship. It was here that Silk spotted geometrical shapes in the distance.
"Look!" Silk shouted.
"Is it-..?"
"A CITY!" Silk interrupted.
Ollie put Silk down and grabbed her hand, pulling her behind him as he ran.
As soon as the tall grass field opened up their view, they both sat there in awe.
Taking a few steps forward, the city revealed itself even more, they just had to climb down the hill and they would be there. Nothinf stopping them.
However, even though the sight of human civilization was exciting, it wasn't intact. It all came down to different shades of beige, gray and green, wrecked, collapsed and old.
"I guess we'll give it a try..!" Ollie pointed, forcing excitement.