Lost

Chapter 15

The top of Isaac's head was free but he still couldn't breathe. No one said a word. It was an intense battle against time. All we could do was dig, wishing, hoping, that we wouldn't be too late. His life was resting in our grubby, frantic hands. And the world suddenly became a serious place, where with one wrong move, your breath could be extinguished.

At tops, it had been a minute, but it seemed like an eternity before Kate abandoned digging and grabbed Isaac's limp hand instead. She pulled, the packed dirt dislodging in clods, more of his arm appearing every second. Bradley grabbed Isaac's arm as well and soon everyone was pulling, leaning back, their feet slipping on the dewy ground. And as quickly as he had been buried, Isaac popped out like a cork from a bottle and all of us toppled onto each other in a pile of arms and legs. We untangled ourselves and rushed over, prepared to preform CPR but he was already gasping for breath and spitting out dirt, his whole body covered in grime.

"Are you okay?!" Asked Irene, leaping up beside him.

"Obviously...n-not." Isaac managed, taking deep, shuddering breaths.

"Woah, woah, woah, wait! Guys. Where's the map?" Jewel suddenly shouted, looking around at us.

"Thanks for your concern but I think I'm alive." Isaac wheezed.

"Down there?" Asked Irene, pointing to the Isaac shaped hole in the ground.

"You guessed wrong!" Alex lifted the tattered map, a triumphant expression on her face, "I was the only idiot to think of actually bringing it!"

Isaac had given up on earning our concern and was pulling himself up. He looked like some sort of earth monster, he was so dirty.

"We need to find lemons." Rachel spoke up, also ignoring Isaac.

"Yeah." Nadia had taken pity on him and was helping him stand.

"And clean water. Not salt water." I mumbled, my eyes straying to the jungle, wary of the beasts that could be hunting us even now.

"We definitely can't go back to the pond. Too close to camp. The monsters might still be there." Bree said.

And Reed's body. I silently added.

He might have been  devoured. Either way, I didn't want to find out.

"I know where there is another pond, far away from camp," said Irene, ever the explorer, "and I know where lemons are."

What does a lemon plant even look like? I wondered. I had been wondering a lot lately.

We set off, moving quietly, following Irene. In the sudden fading daylight, everyone looked pale, scraped, bruised and dirty. Dark circles marred every eye and fear was ever present on our faces. Night was falling by the time we found the pond. The water was so inviting, sparkling in the light of the rising moon. We found a lost bowl and put a little water in it while Irene, Alex and I went to pick lemons. Turns out, lemons grow on small trees. We laughed and joked while reaching for those golden treasures, their sour insides just waiting to reveal the secrets of the map. It felt like a magical moment, the kind where you're making fond memories without even knowing it. I had only met Irene and Alex a few days ago. But the bonds I shared with them were so strong. Practically unbreakable. As I stared at them that night, the moonlight spilling down and gently caressing us with silvery rays, I realized that I would have to...leave them. When we found the way back to our lost lives, I would have to leave them. And suddenly, I wanted to stay there forever, trapped in that moment, never having to say goodbye. But then we were heading back towards the others, our arms filled with sour lemons, and I pushed those thoughts out of my mind.

***

"It's working!" Irene bounced up and down excitedly, reminding me of a little puppy.

The map's key was slowly appearing as I dripped lemon water onto it. The letters took form and shape and I squinted at them in the dim moonlight. It was too dark to read and our lantern had been buried.

"I'm surprised that this actually worked." Rachel muttered.

"We should take turns watching for the monsters while everyone else sleeps," said Alex, "all except Irene. She'll fall asleep."

"Meanie." Irene made a face, appearing almost ghoulish in the half dark.

"I'll take first watch." Kate said, plopping down and crossing her legs.

I stared at her for a moment, pondering the fact that it must be extremely hard to be the leader of the group. Poor Kit-Kat was probably exhausted. But I couldn't contradict her so I stretched out on the cold ground and was asleep in seconds, Irene on my right side and Alex on my left. The moon stared down at us, wondering if we would live to see the light of day.

***

I woke up earlier than everyone else, a sense of unrest building up in my chest. We were safe here...right? My ears were tuned to hear the rustle of the grass and the panting snarl of the monsters. But nothing came. It was silent. Almost too silent. Slowly, as everyone else began waking up, stirring, stretching and talking in hushed voices, I found the map where we had left it. It was spread out on the ground, it's curling edges pinned down with small stones. The key was clearly visible, the letters small and crooked. But I could read it. And it couldn't be clearer.

• key to the doors of life.
¥ the doors of life.

I traced the map with my finger, finding the two symbols on it, which marked where we could find the two things. We were close. So close. If only the monsters could hold off a little longer. If only.

But then I heard them pushing through the jungle, their putrid breath reaching my nose, their low snarls piercing my ears. Everyone heard them and everyone was soon up, scrambling into the jungle in the opposite direction. I grabbed the map, stuffing it under my shirt, and ran too. There was no time to look behind us. We could tell that the beasts were already at our heels.