Finding Hope

Chapter Two

As we leave the immediate area on the edge of the clearing, the thick fog gradually clears, getting thinner and thinner.

The soles of my feet throb with pain as we make our way deeper into the forest. Overwhelmed by the circumstances, I stop all of a sudden. My eyes glaze over and cold beads of sweat form on my forehead. My legs buckle and my head burns from the inside. Brandon is at my side in a flash, grabbing onto my shoulders before my limp body hits the floor.

"For crying out loud, Kid, don't go passing out on me," Brandon says gruffly, as I feel myself raised back onto my feet.

Finding a nearby tree, Brandon props me up allowing us both to catch our breath. He wanders off momentarily to survey the area whilst I struggle to focus. My palms are sweaty, and my head feels heavy, forcing me to close my eyes. Sliding down the trunk of the tree I wrap my arms around my shins to hold myself up, I suck in as much air as possible. After a quick perimeter check  Brandon paces back over, he lifts me up pushing my back into the tree trunk. With the air filling my lungs, the pressure in my head is subsiding and my vision clears.

"Are you okay Kid, I thought I had lost ya", Brandon says, checking in.

For the first time since we first met, Brandon appears to be genuinely concerned. I can hear it carrying in his voice.

"I guess it's all just caught up with me," I confirm sheepishly.

Brushing myself down, I use whatever energy I can muster to step forward from the tree. I have to be careful, so I keep one hand on the tree as I straighten my stance to continue forward. A nauseating sensation in my stomach stops me in my tracks and I gag as bile quickly fills my mouth and throat.

"Suck it up, buttercup, we've got a little way to go yet," Brandon quips followed by a chuckle.

He must think he is being helpful? Maybe he is trying to take my mind off the sick feeling?

I stumble forward trying to contain the bile in my mouth; the last thing I need is Brandon seeing me chunder. We walk a little further through some big trees, having to weave through the thick undergrowth, pushing branches out of the way. After about fifty yards we get to the other side, my eyes widen, and my mouth drops open in sheer astonishment.

My head feels fuzzy and my mind is blank, as I take in the scale of what I am seeing. In front of me is a corrugated steel wall, which appears to go on up into the clouds.

"Impressive, isn't it?"

What on earth is on the other side?

"That's some wall you've got there," I state as I swallow hard to keep myself from throwing up. 

Why is something like this kept out here?

Is that to keep something in or something else out?

"Yeah it's pretty standard nowadays, you not seen something like this before?"

"Don't remember seeing anything like this before in my life," I respond. Although I am glad to be out of the woods, I can't help but feel nervous. My hands shake and I feel my body overheating, I blow air up towards my face in response.

"So, are you keeping something in or something else out?" The nerves inside me have asked that question so bluntly.

"You'll soon see my man, you'll soon see," he responds in an overly happy way.

He raises his large bear paw of a hand and hits the wall twice. The metal reverberating creates a loud ringing that carries for quite a while. Almost instantly, this is followed by a further single knock and three quick knocks.