Deserve You, Not *** (Camren)

Chapter 29: The Return and The Loss

Narrator's POV

Lauren was told that soon she could be fit enough to make a long trip returning to her country. She was happy to hear that since she wanted to go home and needed more proper treatment. Although Lauren was still weak, she talked more than the first two weeks when she was taken to the nearest hospital and when she met Normani again. Lauren did not want to talk about Camila anymore, but she started sharing her story with Normani about how she managed to get out alive from the wildest jungle.

When the unexpected storm was coming, Lauren knew they could not get away from it. They did not have much time to think and do something when the heavy storm hit their way. She fell off first because she tried to keep her camera close. Everything happened so fast. She could not see anything as her body cut through the trees before everything went dark. She could only pant, fell and bumped into everything she passed. She thought she was dead until she woke up and found herself hanging on the tree, with wounds all over her body.

It took her hours to get off the tree as she was wounded, and the weather was still wild. She saw the helicopter crash, but nothing left. She could not stop crying when she found her pilot was dead. Lauren wanted to stay where they crashed down, hoping the rescue team would find her. However, the crazy weather that was still going on and the unknown wild surroundings left her no choice. She left to find shelter to overnight.

She kept walking into the unknown to find shelter. She was helpless with her tears kept falling, and her body was too weak to move. Everything went dark. She fell to the ground. She woke up and found herself lying on the ground. She questioned if she was still alive when she opened her eyes. She tried to move her body slowly before she managed to sit up. She did not know how long she had fainted, but the wild weather was gone, and it was daylight.

She was glad she still had her coat on even though it was soaked and torn in some parts. She composed herself for a while before she started to walk. She recalled what she learned from the survivor's story that she had to find a river because it might lead her to the nearest community, even though it was not always the answer. She also needed water and food soon. So, she went with this option. 

As she was walking to find a way out, her body got shaky as she was hungry. She did not find anything that she could eat nearby. When she tried to embrace her shaky body, she fell a small bag in her coat's pocket. She cried when she saw the blue plastic bag. It was the snack package that Camila gave her before she went to the airport. She did not finish them yet. It was still half full of sweets and nuts. With her shaky hands, she took out one piece and ate it. She took another one, but she stopped after the fifth one. She could not finish them off until she found another food. If she could not find anything to eat, they were the only things she got.

Normani asked if she heard the rescue team searching for her. She said she did. She heard helicopters flying over and by distance several times, but could not get their attention. She could not get them noticed. She knew the rescue team would not keep searching forever, so she stopped counting on them after she had tried to leave signs but in vain.

Lauren said she almost gave up until she found the river. It gave her a little hope in the unknown endless journey. Her bleeding wounds and the limited source of food and energy kept her sluggish. She barely could catch a fish in a weak condition. She said she found a plant that likely could help her with the bleeding. She was not sure if it was Cordoncillo, but she had to take the risk. It turned out it helped her bleeding for a while.

Lauren did not have a proper drink and food, but she had to at least drink to survive. She counted on her only food, the snacks in her pocket. She walked as far as she could every day. She would stop before it got dark and find a place to stay for the night. Lauren knew she should keep going even though she did not know if she was heading in the right direction. The only thing she could do was never stop. The only thing Lauren could do was keep on moving, following her heart. She kept on telling herself to keep moving until she could not.