the thirst trials..

chapter XVII

Kali's POV

I can't move without a plant touching my skin. The sheer denseness of the foliage made me feel cozied, like in this space I could be snug. The warm air, so reminiscent of saunas, has come to feel like soup in my chest. I would run, but I don't know which direction to take. I can't leave them. They're the closest thing to family I have. The quiet is deadly. I now know why people fear silence. Everything's big, the leaves, the insects, the predators. There are no paths we can find, and light is failing. The noises were fascinating earlier in the day now feel threatening, it's almost twilight. The virescent colors are now hues of grey. There's probably more life per square meter than anywhere else on the planet, and yet we're totally alone. The noise is incredible. THe rain drops thickly in drop the size of blueberries, there just isn't any clothing that could keep it all out. My wide-open eyes move with pointless speed, I want to see blue sky and space all around, not these emerald arms that grope and lofty limbs that blot out even a patch of blue. I can sense the tropic, sticky air with every inhalation. The sun finally shines above the sky after dreadful clouds, feeling the gentle heat, giving us this boost of energy yet immediately draining us. The cruel sun beats down, it's one malevolent eye unblinking, and the sky was its' co-conspirator with not even a wisp of clouds to soften the harsh rays. Each step sunk into the searing sand, the air was thick and hazy, each breath like drowning. I shade my eyes and peer away across the broken waste of desert. Wind stirs up the wispy sand and the sun's never-ending rays bent down merciless. Salty sweat rolls off my nose and stings my eyes. My clothes are overwhelmingly hot and sticky. The stiff, dry desert breeze blows sand into my eyes and makes my hair stiff with salt. My tongue feels as if it it's coated with fur and my lips are chapped and dry, longing for crystal, cold water. Away in the west, the sun blazes brightly; we head away from the sun, but not away from the heat. Off in the distance, a silhouette quickly dashes across the cracked ground. "I think we found him," Maggie speaks for the first time in a while, her voice raspy. "Well," I pause. "Let's get him."