The Twenty Five Percent Rayanna

Sinking

                We walk for several hours, seeing nothing but trees. Where is this river? How big is this place? Did we go too far? As we stamp through the underbrush, we see all manner of small creatures fleeing before us. I hear a squawking noise and see a purple bird taking flight, not far from us.

                "Kat? I thought you had a general idea of where the river is."

               "I do." She says.

                "It's afternoon and we aren't even close to solving the fourth clue. At this rate, we are going to lose. And then what will happen? We will be cleansed. What does that mean? They'll kill us? No. I don't accept this. Too much has happened. I didn't survive a nuclear wasted world, and the Ghemin to be killed just because I didn't finish a scavenger hunt!" I shout those last words and send several more birds into flight.

            "Woah, there. Take a few deep breaths."

             I do as she suggested, taking several deep breaths. I can feel my panic and anger calming.

            "Better?"

                "Yeah, sorry for my freakout."

               "It's okay, we all have been there. Now, have a little faith in me." Kat says stopping. "Listen. I hear the sound of rushing water."

                I stop beside her and listen, sure enough, I hear a faint whooshing sound that indicates a nearby fast-moving body of water. "Finally!" I rush through the thick underbrush and even though the mud only comes to my ankle, I find myself stuck. I try pulling my foot out but feel as if something is down there holding onto my leg, preventing me from moving. As soon as I set my other foot down, it immediately gets sucked down with a sloop noise, like someone sucking a spaghetti noodle. Looking around, I notice that the patch of mud I'm stuck in isn't very big. Of course, just my luck. I would happen to step in the only patch of extra sticky mud around. "Uh, Kat? Little help here. I seem to be stuck." I say, annoyed. I turn my head and see her stepping out of the thick brush.

          "Okay, hold up." She says, noticing my predicament. But she doesn't move and doesn't say anything.

             "Are you coming?"

              She gives her head a little shake. "Don't panic."

              "Well, I wasn't until you said that."

          "Sorry, but you are in some real trouble here. That isn't any ordinary mud, that is Sirtys."

               "Sirtys?"

                "Yes. The longer you stand there, the deeper you sink. I have got to find a solution, quickly, or you won't survive to see the end of the contest."

           "If that was supposed to be a pep talk, that was the worst one I have ever heard." I try, again, to pull my leg out of the mud. It's still stuck, and I look down to find the mud now comes to the middle of my calf. "Whatever you decide to do, can you make it quick? I'm sinking fast."

              "Yeah. I'm thinking." She says, looking around. She carefully maneuvers around the patch of mud, Sirtys, and walks toward the riverbank.

             "What are you doing?" I ask.

              "Looking for something to pull you out of there." She answers, not even looking in my direction.

                 "Can you look a little faster? I don't think I have much time left." I say, looking down. The mud is now waist high. What a terrible way to die. Suffocated in mud. After all, I have been through. This isn't fair! I watch as Kat holds what appears to be a long thin strand of dark green grass, in one hand. With the other hand, she reaches into her boot and pulls something out. It looks to be a small knife that fits perfectly into the palm of her hand. She opens the blade, cuts the grass, closes the knife, pockets it, and then heads for me. "How in the world is grass going to help me?" The mud has now reached my chest, and I'm holding both hands above my head to keep them from being sucked down.

               "I told you before to trust me." She says, holding out the blade of grass. She slowly slides it across the mud and to my hand.

              I grab a hold of it, with both hands, and it's surprisingly stronger and heavier than I thought it was. It doesn't feel like grass but is thicker like some sort of vine.

                "I'm going to pull you out, slowly, a little a time. If I do it too fast, you'll end up sinking anyway."

                "Do I want to know how you know that?"

                 "No. Not really." She answers, slowly tugging on the grass\vine thing. The mud gives a little, but I don't move. I'm not sinking either so that's a plus.

              "I hate to burst your bubble, but how are you going to pull me out of here, alone?" I ask.

                "I told you I am a soldier. I have trained hard. My people naturally have twice the strength of your people. Add to that my training, and I would say that I am at least three times stronger than any male of your race." She says, tugging a little harder. This time I feel myself move forward a quarter of an inch.

               After what seems like an eternity, she manages to pull me out of the Sirtys. I lay on solid ground, not moving, just grateful to be alive. "Thanks. I owe you one." I pant.

                   "No problem. Life partners, remember? If you don't live, then neither do I." She collapses, exhausted, beside me.

              "On a positive note," I say, "I found clue number four."

                 "What? Where?" Kat asks, looking around.

                 "Here. In my hand. This stick thing." I say, opening my hand to show her. The inside of the vine thing is yellow in color. It's yellow and green.

           "The Highlox? Of course, the Highlox. I can't believe I didn't think of that sooner." She says slapping the palm of her hand to her forehead. She gets to her feet, and cuts off a small section of vine, and sticks it in the bag. "Looks like we may win this thing, after all."

              "Can we win this thing, clean?" I ask. "This mud is weighing me down, still. "Is it safe to get in the river?"

                "It should be. The water isn't moving very fast, here." She says.