The Survival Experiment

Chapter 4: The Jungle

I walked until I couldn't see them anymore, then I began to sprint. I ran for what felt like hours, but I knew it was only minutes. I finally stopped when all the emotion inside of me flickered and died, I slowly walked into the water, not caring that my boots were getting soaked. I stopped when I was about ankle deep and sat down. I didn't know why, but it felt relaxing. They'll be alright, hopefully they're smart and won't come looking for me.... I let my thoughts wander as I sat there until, of course, they showed up looking for me.

"LUKE??!!" Kora called, holding a torch above her head. It was dark now, I didn't go that far did I? "LUKE-" she stopped noticing me in the water, and ran over. She punched me in the arm, "What the Fuck dude?!"

"Do not touch me" Is all I said, rising to my feet looking around, "Where's Ash?" I turned back to her walking onto the dry sand.

"She's back at camp. You didn't answer my question" She stated, glaring at me. I turned back around and started jogging.

"You didn't ask a question, you expressed emotion, hurry up we need to get back." I tried my hardest to hide the steeliness in my voice. Stupid Stupid Stupid, Why would they separate, like damn this is not a game. We DON'T respawn. Then I got an idea, I rolled my shoulders letting my wings unfurl and I -without thinking- began flapping my wings and flew. 

"Luke!" Kora began running really fast, like inhuman fast. I sped up to keep pace with her, and it took us less than half the time to get there then it took me to get to where I sat in the water. Kora was barely breathing hard, "How-H-" I began.

"I dunno" she shrugged avoiding my gaze. I could tell she wasn't happy. 

"Luke, why did you leave?" Ash asked me, walking up hesitantly. I realized my wings were giving away my emotions, they were crunched together going straight out behind me like a dogs tail. I folded them against my back. 

"Nothing important, Kora you just got some sort of power as well... you ran extremely fast." I changed the subject, I saw confusion in her eyes, and something else. Worry? was she worried about me?

"NO. You can't avoid this question,  not important my ass, this unimportant reason to make you run like a little girl seems a lot more important than you say it is" Ash retorted angrily, she was pissed as hell, but i also saw worry in her eyes. I didn't know what to think, where they worried about my safety or theirs? I shook my head and answered her question, "flashback, I'll see you later." I turned and walked towards the jungle. The girls had decided to leave me alone which was great. I need to find a way out, I have to get away from here, from her, from them....
   I knew I shouldn't enter the jungle alone, due to my first encounter. But I was intrigued greatly, so I calmly walked through the huge trees and surrounding unproportional undergrowth, the atmosphere of the jungle now having no affect on me, but I was not in the mood to care. I continued walking deeper and deeper into the jungle, and the jungle got darker and darker. And when my emotions were finally dying down and then I stumbled across what looked like a cement bunker. I felt eyes burning into the back of my head, I knew I should have probably just started running, but being an assassin made me curious, and well a little cocky. Just a little. So I turned around and I saw the biggest dear head I have ever seen. But it wasn't just a deer, it was a buck with sharp antlers and it had-FANGS???!! That was when I started running like I have never run before, the deer was a bigger version of the one I killed, this is what it must grow into....
  As I was running I realized that this huge-deer??-Alpha deer thing, was the heart of the jungle. He was radiating the panic and the fear I had felt earlier, and at this moment. Whenever he made contact with the ground I could barely keep my balance running. I had no sense of direction, and I was probably getting myself way more lost then I already was. I just kept running I did not want to see what was the reality of what was behind me. But as I was running I realized the terrain was changing and It was beginning to incline. "Oh shit..." I mumbled to myself as I lengthened my strides to keep pace with the inclining slope, I had nowhere to go, he had successfully cornered me. At that point I decided it was time to do something really stupid.