The Forest

Chapter 7: The Path Ahead

"Good morning." -said Oliver.
"Morning." -said Bill.
"Are they any better?" -asked Oliver.
"A little better, fever is coming down." -said Zoey.
"That's good." -said Bill.
"Callen and I were watching over them whole night." -said Zoey.
"They will be thankful." -said Grace.
"Where are others?" -asked Oliver.
"Ethan got up earlier and went to see if he can catch something, he's tired of eating worms from the ground." -said Zoey.
"Hopefully he catches something." -said Grace.
"Mason is looking around and Tyler and Sophia are somewhere around, not sure." -said Zoey.
"What do you guys think about whar Mason said" -asked Oliver.
"I don't know... he's not wrong. We might never find the things we're looking for." -said Zoey.
"So we should just give up?" -asked Oliver.
"Well no... but, Mason has a point." -said Zoey.
"I really don't know... there is so much going on and it's so bizzare, I just need some answers." -said Oliver.
"We all do. I'll talk to Mason when he gets back, see what he thinks what we should do from here." -said Zoey.
At that point Callen came back.
"Hey guys! I got some worms." -he said.
"Nice." -said Zoey.
"How many you got?" -asked Bill.
"Twelve, should be enough." -said Callen.
"It will be enough." -said Bill and ate a worm.

Zoey saw Mason coming back and walked towards him.
"Hey." -said Zoey.
"Hey." -said Mason.
"I wanted to talk to you." -said Zoey.
"About what?" -asked Mason.
"About what you said yesterday." -said Zoey.
"What about it?" -asked Mason.
"What did you exactly had in mind Mason?" -asked Zoey. Mason stopped and looked at her.
"I had in mind that we can't live like this, not anymore." -he said.
"So what are we supposed to do here?" -asked Zoey.
"I don't know what are we supposed to do but I know what we have to do." -said Mason.
"And that is?" -asked Zoey.
"First, we have to find a place where we gonna live." -said Mason.
"Okay, and then?" -asked Zoey.
"Then we have to build a shelter and tools necessary to survive." -said Mason.
"But why should we give up on searching our way home?" -asked Zoey.
"If there was a way back, we would have find it by now. We are stuck here, we have to adapt and overcome every obstacles in our way Zoey, or we will die." -said Mason.
"Are you sure about that? It's a big decision." -said Zoey.
"It's the best decision." -said Mason.
Zoey thought for a second and then said.
"Okay... you have my support."
"Thank you." -said Mason.

Two of them walked back to the group.
"So?" -asked Oliver.
"So I think we should start looking for a place to settle, after we find it, we build a shelter, beds, roof above our heads and from there we all get assignments on what to do in order for us to build a normal and healthy life." -said Mason.
"Damn it Mason, you're talking like we gonna spend the rest of our lives here." -said Oliver.
"Maybe we won't but maybe we will, so we have to be ready for it." -said Mason.
"He's right, we can't just keep wondering around eating whatever we find on the ground."-said Zoey.
"What about our plan to follow the river until we find a civilization?" -asked Callen.
"Look, it's getting too dangerous out here, I'm surprised how wild animals haven't attacked us yet, plus there is that giant beast out there that killed Charlie. It's not safe, we have to build a shelter, after that... we could send out explorers to look for someone." -said Mason.
"That actually sounds like a good idea." -said Oliver.
"Yeah, it does." -said Zoey.
"We should all talk about it and bring this decision together." -said Oliver.
In that moment Ethan came back.
"Ethan." -said Zoey.
"What's going on?" -asked Ethan.
"We have to make a decision." -said Mason.
Ethan simply nodded his head as he understood what Mason meant.
"But we all have to bring it together. Where are Tyler and Sophia?" -asked Oliver.
"They are not back yet?" -asked Zoey.
"I saw them going into the woods about an hour ago." -said Ethan.
"What? Why?" -asked Zoey.
"I don't know, they are probably looking for something too." -said Ethan.
"We should go after them, they might be lost." -said Mason.
"Alright, let's go." -said Ethan.

Mason, Ethan, Zoey, Oliver and Grace went into the woods to look for Tyler and Sophia while Callen and Bill were watching over Josh and Ed.
Not long after they went into the woods, they heard loud moans coming from one direction.
"Someone might be in trouble!" -said Ethan and they sprinted towards the direction from which moans could be heard. As they were getting closer, moans were getting louder and louder until they reached the source.
As everyone arrived they stood behind the trees and looked down the valley. Under one tree there were Tyler and Sophia completely naked having sex.
"What the hell?" -said Zoey.
"Oh my, not again..." -said Grace.
"Again?" -asked Mason.
"Hey!" -shouted Oliver.
"What's wrong with you?" -asked Zoey.
"What?!" -said Oliver.
Tyler and Sophia quickly grabbed their clothes.
"What the hell people?" -shouted Tylera.
"We'll meet you back at the camp." -said Zoey as they all walked away.

After they came back to camp Josh was getting better.
"Look who's up." -said Mason.
"Besides Sophie." -said Oliver.
"What does that mean?" -asked Josh.
"We caught her riding Tyler." -said Oliver.
"Oh damn, again?" -asked Josh.
"Again." -said Oliver.
"What? Sophie and Tyler were together before?" -asked Zoey.
"Not quite." -said Grace.
"What do you mean?" -asked Zoey.
"She fucked with Charlie before Tyler." -said Grace.
"What?" -Zoey asked confusedly.
"Yeah, she was with Charlie few days before we met you guys." -said Oliver.
"So what? Tyler banging Sophie?" -asked Josh.
"She was riding him like a rodeo." -said Grace.
"Damn... I wish I was there to see that." -said Ed Jones who just woke up.
Mason was glad that Ed was up.
"How are you feeling Ed?" -asked Mason.
"Phenomenastic." -said Ed.
"Phenomenastic?" -asked Mason.
"Yes." -said Ed.
"Another made up word?" -asked Mason.
'Yes." -said Ed and Mason grinned.
"How are you Josh?" -asked Mason.
"I think it's going away." -said Josh.
"Do you guys think you'll be able to move today?" -asked Mason.
"I'm still weak, but I think I can make it." -said Josh.
"Me too." -added Ed.
"That's good." -said Mason.
"What's the plan chief?" -asked Bill with his grumbling voice.
"Plan is...well, to make plans for future." -said Mason.
"Great!" -said Bill.
In that moment Tyler and Sophia returned.
"Hey." -said Sophia but no one responded.
After few moments Mason said
"Hey."
"We are making plans, you should join us now to figure out things." -said Zoey.
"Okay." -said Sophia.
"Mason, what did you had in mind?" -asked Zoey.
"Alright so, this is what I figured out." -said Mason.
Everyone started listening to Mason.
"We have no idea what the hell is going on here. But what do we know is... that we have to organize our life here. It's time for us to find a nice place where we will build our shelter. We need tools too. We can't walk around with pointy sticks and stones. After we settle down, learn how to survive here, then we can search further, maybe find out more somehow. Besides, we are not the only people here most likely. There are people out there that might need our help. So what I suggest is, that we go down the river until we find a nice place where we could live, build shelter, tools, grow crops... whatever we need." -explained Mason.
"I don't know about that." -said Bill.
"Shit... I just wanna go home." -said Tyler.
"We all do." -said Mason.
"This could work out people! We are all lost here. We need this." -said Zoey.
"Look, we've seen what's outhere, dead bodies, bones, gigantic creatures, building a shelter is not a bad idea." -said Ethan.
"Besides, with more advanced and sophisticated tools we could hunt more." -said Callen.
"This might not be what we want, but it is what we need." -said Oliver.
"Wonderful." -said Grace.
"Alright let's vote." -said Mason.
"Okay." -said Zoey.
"All those who want to find a place where we can build a shelter raise your hand." -said Mason.
Zoey, Ethan, Oliver and Callen raised their hands first. Few moments after them, Bill raised his hand too, and then Grace. After her Tyler and Ed raised their hands as well. Then Josh too.
"Sophia?" -asked Mason.
Sophia was still thinking.
"We need you to agree as well." -said Mason.
"O...okay." -said Sophia but she sounded unsure about her decision.
"Okay." -said Mason and nodded at her as he understood.
"Alright let's pack our stuff and let's go." -said Zoey.
"What about Josh and Ed." -asked Callen.
"We'll leave them behind." -said Mason.
"Wait what?!" -confusedly asked Ed.
"I'm just kidding man." -said Mason while laughing.
"We'll help you." -said Ethan.
"Thanks people." -said Ed.

After few hours of walk group decided to jump into water to refresh. Everyone went in except Mason, Bill, Grace and Zoey. Josh and Ed who were sick also didn't go in.
"Come on people, we gotta go." -Mason shouted while everyone was having fun in water.
"Let's relax for a moment Mason." -said Zoey.
"There is a lot of work waiting for us when we find that place Zoey." -said Mason.
"Exacty, so why wouldn't we take this moment to jump into the water and not think about anything." -said Zoey.
"I can't do that." -said Mason.
"Well I can." -said Zoey and ran into the water.
After half an hour everyone was out and they were quickly back on their way.

The group walked down the river for whole day until they reached a beautiful valley. To the right it was a forest filled with wildlife. Left was a clean river and across the river it was a field perfect for growing crops. Ahead of them there were gray shiny mountains under which river disappears. Mason walked forward and looked around. After few moments of taking the path ahead he turned to the group with smile on his face and said:
"I think this is the place. Our new home."