Misadventures

A Bit Broken

I'm sprawled on the floor like a starfish. Blinking my eyes open I see the hanging shiny rocks above me and another arch similar the one from the swamp. I'm assuming I was asleep for a while, though the light has not changed, so I'm not sure if it's day or night.

I lift myself up with great pain that I feel like I was slammed back down to the ground. My entire body is sore like crazy, it's like when you do a heavy workout and wake up stiff and sore the next morning that you can't even move.

I catch my breath again and again and this time I bring myself to a sitting position. I take a breath, stretch slowly trying not to hurt myself and focus on my breathing.

It feels much more difficult to breath now than before and I don't know why. After stretching my arms I carefully feel around my sides and torso. It doesn't feel like I have broken my ribs so I think I'm good.

I put my legs together and I can already feel the pain, I reach forward to touch my toes. I wince at the pain, stretching would feel better if I wasn't this sore. I pat myself down and feel something weird on my jacket pocket, the eggs broke. I should've eaten them before I went through the maze. I could've even swallowed them raw. That's how desperately hungry I am now.

I stand up only to fall and lean on the wall for balance the moment I took a step. I cannot stand on my right leg. My strongest and dominate foot feels broken. A strangled cry escapes my mouth, "Ahhh!... what the?" My voice didnt even sound like mine anymore.

It was harsh and brash. It pained me on how dry it felt. I look toward the water fall and decided to crawl toward it. It was a difficult journey, I can't imagine where else I should go to to get out of here! With a broken foot how can I keep going?

I constantly battle with myself not remembering I've closed the distance between myself and the water. I cup my hands and splash the water on my face. I wet my hair a little but not so much, it feels extremely cold. I've forgotten the swamp, and that there was a dark cave even before I was there. So much has happened.

I clean my hands and hope the water is drinkable. I take alot to quench my thirst. The dryness in my mouth was killing me and water never tasted so good.

When I was done drinking, I debate on whether or not I get in and bathe in the water fall, but it's too risky now with my broken foot. But the least I should do is wash my butt. I carefully remove my pants, jacket, shirt and underwear.

I stay close to the shore and just splash water on myself as quickly as possible. I wash my underwear with the water and  wring it as much as I could. The vine keeping my hair up was loose, ripped, and barely there anymore. The leaves on my wrist have been long gone, probably when I was on the ledges.

I decide to wet my hair either way, removing the dust, snow, ice and anything else that could have gotten in it. When I was done, I wrung, squeezed and swung my underwear around to dry it quicker. I place it back on top of my pants. I bend over and wring out my hair, it has gotten quite long. I grab a vine with it's leaves and twist it with my hair forming a bun. I grab another vine and wrap it around carefully and intertwine some leaves to secure the hairdo.

I carefully put my shirt back on and examine my wrists again. They look better but not amazing, the leaves must've done some good. I quickly remember the eggshells and grab them from their individual pocket. I remember my father told me about the egg membrane and how people in the old days used it as a band aid.

I managed to get a few strips out and put them all on my left wrist but there was not enough for my right wrist. I reach into my Jean pocket and used the next leaf stem to wrap it on my right wrist. I notice the sand in my other pocket had gotten a weird texture, probably because of the sudden weathers I got hit with in the maze. The rope is withered out but still usable.

I examine my foot when I'm putting my shoes on. It's swollen and moves like a ragdoll. It looks really broken. Theres nothing I could use here but the wall for support. I grab a few sharp rocks and put them in my jean pocket where the sand is.

I go back to the exit I woke up from. I use the cave wall to help me up and  support me. I hop to another unknown world.

-

This place is making me feel really stupid. I haven't read any writings because I have no light, I don't know why I kept going, I don't know where I'm going and I don't know why I haven't given up already.

For all I know I could be hallucinating the whole thing and I'm still in the maze or even in swamp or in the dark cave with the candle... ugh! Why should I keep-

Movement brings me to a halt. The walls are moving again like before, but it's different this time; it's not pushing me.

Soon an opening to a beautiful forest emerges before me. The grass is green and short like a meadow but with a yellow cartoonish touch. I can easily stay entrance by the scenery before me but I can tell I'm still trapped. The walls of this place curve like a sphere and on the top the walls don't necessarily connect. It's like a giant hamster ball with the lid off...

It dawned on me, I got so far. The walls pushed me then but not now. I'm in this beautiful place now that reminds me of home. But the top has a hole that could possibly lead me to the outside. Am I being watched? Is someone guiding me? Testing me?

I observe the area and notice there is one long and huge pine tree that seems to break the surface of this cave into the opening above. Is that my way out? I step closer toward the direction of tree, I could tell it's a few miles or so to get to the root of it. I can't get too far with a broken foot.

I look at the ground and see lots of sticks here. I grab a few sticks and place them vertically around my foot, I used the rope from my belt to wrap it around the sticks tightly and keep my foot together. I grasp two more large and slightly heavy sticks, I use the rocks I got to sharpen the ends. Knowing all the craziness I've endured, I don't doubt there are animals here.

When both sticks are sharp enough I put them underneath my armpit. I grab the eggshells of one pocket and put it together with the other one. I grab multiple small twigs and sticks, just in case I need to build a fire and theres suddenly no more trees or whatever impossible thing this place throws at me.

I take a careful step forward, my foot could stand but I won't put too much pressure. I find another stick unsharpened and thicker than the other two I had. I'll use this to help me walk to that tall pine tree. 'One goal at a time.' I tell myself encouraging words to bring back my hope. I was really starting to lose it back there-

GRRRRRRRAAAAAHH!

A tremendous growl shook the whole cavern. Fear overtook my my body as I turned my head and looked dead in the eyes to a furious bear.