I SURVIVE (#Wattys2017)

CHAPTER 16

*New and Improved Version*

A transmitter.

The valuable electronic piece was a transmitter which before, drew my attention to take it. Levi examined it in her hands while holding John's radio in the other.

"It looks as good as new. Like someone had lost it three weeks ago."

"All we need now is a radio tower," William said.

"But the tower can be found only high up in a mountain," Tatum spoke briskly.

"Then we can search for one," Sam interrupted.

Tatum snorted. "You don't search for mountain. You see them."

She pointed a mountain's peak, far away from where we were. Clouds formed over the peak and I looked at it in awe. I listened to the clouds and wind from the mountain calling me, 'Come here, Perrie!'

Suddenly, everyone had their eyes on me. Expecting a smart sentence from my mouth. I mumbled first because I had forgotten what to say.

"If there is a radio tower, maybe there is a base. Weapons, food, supplies are all kept in a base. I never saw a plane flying here to give them food supplies or something else."

"You got a point," Levi replied in a light voice while nodding her head. "But where?"

A smile flashed across my face as I glanced at Tatum, swallowing another painkiller in my mouth.

"Remember what we learned about base's hideout from Isaac when we were 13?" She asked me with a cunning smile.

"If there are enemies, there is a base. And if there is a base on an abandon place, it is hidden foolishly," I said. They shot us both confused looks. Tatum explained that the base was in the mountain, foolish because it was apparent. William ended our discussion by saying to begin our mission to the mountain at the next crack of dawn.

^ I think this part of chapter 15 is boring because there is no action, just conversation ^. I hope it gets better and better.

~NSAN~

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The second hand in John's wrist-watch ticked loudly. Showing four in the morning. We were to go to the village where William and I explored the day before, for it was near to the foot of the mountain and searched it in pairs. I got Tatum after a quarrel with Levi, William and me.

All of us padded to the village and went same route to the whitewater fall, but changed direction to the left, into the tunnel beside the slope. It leaded shortly to another part of woodland and trees shielded us from the scorching sun. We broke into our own ways, and Tatum and I went through another tunnel. All the time, I looked at my bandaged foot, Levi's work which was not as tidy as Kate's.

After going out of it, we climbed a hill and had to stop and turn back for a wall stood in our way. The tall grey wall seemed like it was a cave's structure. "Let's go back," I said and swiftly turned.

Immediately, Tatum exclaimed and I almost stumbled, while running back to her.

"Doesn't that bush look odd to you?"

"No," I responded until I found out after examining it, that it was a man-made bush. The colors of its leaves were much lighter than the other bushes around us. I touched a leaf and it was plastic. So, I yanked it and flung it over my shoulders. A hollow in the wall was what the artificial bush hid.

"I can feel it in my bones that we are closer to the mountain," Tatum whisper-shouted while we were creeping in the hollow.

"In your dreams," I said and laughed softly. On the other side of the barrier was a stream of river and not far from there was a cataract.

"Again?" Tatum spoke with a frustrated tone. "I am tired of this fall and its cold family!"

"Well, there's a bridge in between two tall rocks, in front of the fall," I uttered.

Two high separated rocks were in front of the cataract, and a bridge linked those two. Plus, another two that connected to a cliff where we will start crossing and the other attached to the opposite cliff from the middle bridge. It looked like a straight line from where I stood.

Ramps were built as a path to the bridge from where we stood, beside the hollow in the barrier. Our feet stomped on the ramps of wood and reached a bridge shortly. I bit my lip for I was not confident about giving the bridge to hold my weight as I cross. There was no tool to help us if the string of the bridge snapped. While I was pondering about sudden death, Tatum strode to it.

"I'll go first! And if I die, send my love to Sam, Levi and the rest of my beloved family!"

She walked on the body of the bridge like walking leisurely with headphones on at a park. After she reached the first tall rock, Tatum persuaded me to join with her.

"Come on here Perrie! It's nice and cool."

I shrugged and called out to her, "You have any useful stuff for emergency."

She whipped out a tool from her belt and threw it over to me. I caught it and saw that it was an axe. A climbing axe. "I don't need that shit, so it's all yours!"

Without another word, I traversed it in a trembling condition. I hate bridges. And Tatum was not helping me at all.

"Hurry up Perrie, you look like a kitty that nearly got hit by a car."

When I stepped on the first hill of rock, she was on her way ahead of me, reaching for the last one. "Wait!" I yelled and rushed to her, bouncing on the bridge from time to time and luckily, it held on strong.

She was about to end her cross while I was still clinging on the second bridge. Suddenly, I discerned that the third bridge's rope was about to break. In addition to it, Tatum was about to march to the middle where the rope had became thin. I screamed and ran to her, causing the bridge to fall for there was nothing to hold on besides rope.

Everything went into a slow motion. While the unfortunate broken link fell, I grabbed her hand and jumped in the air, as the axe sank into a cliff wall. Tatum let out a painful wail. By the look of it, she was stunned as she gropes about, finding a ledge to grip. We slowly climbed up, taking turns using the axe. When she was using it, I would grab a ledge to prevent from slipping. So did her.

"On second thought," Tatum said and produced a sigh. "I am keeping this axe. So it's mine again, we'll find you another one."

I shook my head at her and laughed.