I SURVIVE (#Wattys2017)

CHAPTER 4

*New and Improved Version*

My foot stepped out onto the branch that lodged in the fork of the tree near the body and found that the branch was still slippery to walk due to the downpour yesterday. I was stubborn then. So, I had forgotten about the risk of my life as I lie down on the branch, hugged it and at the same time, pulled myself towards the corpse.

By the time I got closer to the body which was a man, I started reaching out for the bow. My fingertips touched the string of the object and I tugged at it. I almost got it until I heard a crack. The branch was going to break. Panic struck and all of a sudden, since the branch was too slippery for my grasp, I slid and hung from the branch with my feet loose.

My hands were sweaty as they tried to hold the branch long enough for me to climb back up. But I could not. My heart thumped loud and at any moment, I will fall. I gave myself words of encouragement and suddenly started cussing when the crack grew larger.

"Don't look down! Just grab the bow and reach the nearest branch!" I said to myself.

I tried snatching for the bow with my foot without making my weight more heavy or even without any effort of movement. It was impossible. Shivering whilst trying to hold on did not make matters better. The vibration caused the unfortunate branch to break and down I went. I fell with my back to the ground.

My back was in pain. If it had a mouth it would howl the place down. In addition, I thought I fractured my wrist as I rubbed my back. Once I turned my head to the left, I bolted straight up when I saw the face of the vile, rotten corpse.

"Holy shit!" I shrieked and stumbled a few steps back. With my eyes half closed, I grabbed the wooden bow and made a run for it. I was afraid the man would wake up and realized he was not dangling anymore. I scrambled to my feet and dashed to the tree. The beating of my poor heart decreased as I slipped to the bunker to inspect it. Probably goods were waiting inside. Probably not.

While giving nervous glances at the now lying-on-the-ground-corpse, I tried to open the door of the bunker but it would not budge. Noises of rustling leaves disturbed my thoughts. Instantly, I spun around and saw a deer that looked delicious to roast and eat. My stomach grumbled for the fifth time today.

Roasted mushrooms were not the cure for a hungry and angry stomach that demanded more food to consume. Besides, mushrooms only grew in small troops and were hard to find. As for meat, they were everywhere.

However, without an arrow, I could not shoot it dead. At the corner of my eyes, a quiver of arrows hung to a branch of a small tree next to the bunker and was hidden cleverly.

"Thank you God!" I said with relief. I crept to the bunker, not wanting to scare the deer and ducked behind a boulder after taking an arrow.

I aimed. I got to admit, the method of narrowing an eye was so useful to focus better on a particular target with the other eye to shoot. Usually, I just pulled the string, stubborn as I am. No wonder why the teachers were all fuming when I did not listened to them.

Then, I pulled the string as it zoomed into the head of the deer which was gazing at a tree nearby.

Thunk

The arrow had found its home in the deer's head. The deer fell down with a loud thud. Blood streamed out from its head as she blinked her eyes at me, for the last time and froze. I took out my pocket knife and slit its throat, letting more blood seeped out as it trickled on the ground.

I waited for the last drop of blood from its throat and started dragging the deer all the way to my camp.

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