Perseverance ( completed! )

Smelly

After a very long while of working to get a proper camp set up, me and Liam finally finished. There were layers upon layers of long tree branches plentiful with leaves propped up against the side of the tree and supported with long strings of flexible wood like material stripped off of fresh bushes and branches. Coatings of leaves covered the floor to attempt to protect us from bugs. Originally, we had planned to make two different shelters, but then decided we would need body heat in order to stay warm considering each of us only had our sweatshirts. But we did find some nice, fanned out palm tree leaves that would work well to keep us slightly warm.

After getting Josh settled beneath the shelter, me and Liam built up a small fire, seeing as the sun was beginning to set. We both sat down on a log, staying in a sort of peaceful silence. My head lolled to the side to rest against Liam's shoulder.

"Liam?" I spoke up in a quiet voice.

"Hmmm?" The taller male hummed from above me, head resting against the top of mine as he stared into the illuminating orange flames of the fire.

"What are we going to do?" I purposely left the question open-ended, allowing him to elaborate more in detail.

Unfortunately, I didn't get the answer I would have preferred.

"I really don't know, Gabe. We just have to tough it out until we can get to your mother, and then we'll go from there. For now all we can do is our best," he finished in his usual deep and raspy voice, not taking his eyes off the fire.

Suppressing a sigh, I glanced downward, a soft frown present on my lips. Liam didn't have a plan. He always had a plan.

"But Gabe," he paused for a moment and I glanced up at him, noticing a certain softness to his voice that was very rare, "I will protect you. No matter what the cost."

Heat flared into my cheeks, and I was very glad he was still looking at the fire. It took me a moment to find my voice before I spoke again.

"I-I know," I whispered, shifting slightly closer to my best friend.

"Good. Then let's get some sleep, hm?"

The next morning was uneventful. As was the morning after that. And the one after that. It's been six days since the sun decided to spew radiation at us. Or so we thought.

On day seven we noticed the flares coming off of the sun once more. It happened again on the ninth day, then again on the eleventh. We decided to use Liam's watch to time them. A new wave of radiation was being blasted at the earth every two days, six hours, and forty-two seconds.

On the twelfth day, Josh was starting to put weight on his leg. We were out of food. Time was running out for us if Josh didn't recover; and fast.

"Gabe! It's hurting much less than usual, I think we'll be able to get moving soon!" Josh exclaimed, now calling me by my nickname. Whether I was pleased or uncomfortable with this adjustment is hard to say. The only thing that mattered now was that his ankle was starting to heal.

"Oh thank goodness, that's a really big relief," I spoke happily, skinning a rabbit that Liam had caught for us. We were all out of the food that we brought, so we had to start hunting the poor defenseless animals now.

Liam was sitting beside me, tugging feathers out of a bird that he managed to pelt with a gigantic rock. He hadn't been talking to me much since he told me he was going to protect me. His lack of comfort and soothing words were affecting me way more than I would have liked to admit. I couldn't help but wondering if he thought I was weird or something for getting embarrassed, but he's never been like that before! I get embarrassed all the time so it makes no sense!