The Tree of Knowledge

Water

Today I find water, or die trying.

No, really. I finished off the water in my canteen in the middle of the night. I'm now ticking down about three days until I die of dehydration.

Based on the position of the sun, I'd say it was about noon when I woke up. I hadn't realized how much I needed the sleep. I'd been running purely on adrenaline and terror for days.

That gives me a mere five hours until I need to make camp again.

And no idea where to look.

I break down the tent and pack up. I eat my breakfast/lunch with my back to the boulder, eyes peeled for the return of the crazy cannibal people.

I bet they don't make it this far into the desert. They probably stick close to the gates, since their staple food stuff appears to be newbies. Still, I keep the gun in my hand as I head out, ever watchful. It doesn't seem I need to have bothered. I hike for hours without encountering another soul.

If I could leave here, I'd go petition the government to turn this place back into a National Park. The quantity and the size of the Cities of Refuge needed were based on estimates of the number of occupants. I now suspect those estimates did not account dehydration and cannibalism.

It's okay, I'd tell them. You can make the cities smaller. Everybody in there is dead.

I'm gonna be dead, if I can't find water soon.

Jace will be dead in thirty-one days.

And my time's up to look today. The sun is low enough in the sky that I need to focus on where to make camp for the night.

I find a cluster of shrubs that will do nicely, but a bit later than I would have liked. It's close to dark as I fumble to set up the tent.

Two more days to find water.

My understanding is dehydration is not an awesome way to go. Though, it is probably still better than being stoned to death.

And I'm not ready to die yet. I haven't found it in me to be sorry yet.

The now somewhat familiar screeching noise pierces the sky. I watch in the distance as the mass of bats swarm up from the ground and towards the blood red setting sun.

...No...not from the ground...from a cavern! The bats are flying out of a cavern! I can't see it from here, but that has to be where they're coming from!

On the ground, I make a line of pebbles, orienting it in the direction the bats came from. Tomorrow, I'll just head that way, in a straight line, then I'll find the cavern, and in the cavern I'll find water!

And bats.

I wonder what bat tastes like?

I fall asleep easily, comforted by the notion that I will not be dying of dehydration any time soon.

I can die some other day. I still have time to ask forgiveness.