Fanged

Chapter 13

Mark stepped swiftly over a fallen tree and gingerly dodged a spur plant, saving him well over ten minutes time. Mark had gone South of their dividing point, and now was heading north to the Shadow Caves, he had a shrewd suspicion that he'd meet Wayne on the way up, but whether or not it was safer together or apart...Mark was unsure. They'd be trackable that way; easier to find, but being together would make the trek a lot less painful. His stomach rumbled with starvation and thirst, for he had gone nearly 24 hours with no food or water. Mark's head felt heavy on his shoulders, and his stomach had an achy, empty feel he'd never felt before. It wasn't long until he'd have to stop...Mark was in search of a river or spring from which he could drink and maybe even get a fish or two. He had never liked fish, but he would eat anything at this point. Even escargot, which he's always regarded with the utmost contempt. Mark suspected that the Shadow Caves would be a good three day trek from here. If he was lucky. What would happen once they reached the Shadow Caves? Would they just split up again? Mark wondered, No. Juli would surely have a better plan than that. She always did. Mark loved how she always knew what to do. Juli was so smart, so wise, so creative and so....he couldn't find the perfect word to describe her. Mark had had a crush on her ever since the fourth grade when they were paired up for the science fair. He remembered that day fondly. Mark had begged her to do a volcano for their project but Juli had instead suggested that they do a project on the theory of evolution in Darwin's favorite bird, the finch. Of course, Mark agreed to that. Anything to please Juli. And he was still that way today. He followed her lead, no questions asked. He put his heart in her hands, his life on the line, and so far, he still lives to tell the tale. Key words being so far.

Mark was knee-deep in overgrown grass, constantly tripping over gnarly tree roots. His knees and legs were scratched and bleeding, and his face was dirty and bruised. Mark had never felt this awful in his life. Hungry, thirsty, pained and bleeding, he continued his search for food and water. Mark used the North Star to keep himself on track, so therefore, he traveled at night, and rested during the day. Mark knew there was no way he could hunt in the dark, however, so his schedule was thrown completely off course by his need for refreshments. His head was woozy, his thoughts scattered, his limbs numb and his vision was blurry. He collapsed onto the ground, his back resting against a tree trunk, his legs sprawled randomly on the dirt, and his eyes....closed for a while.
A short while.