𝐖𝐇𝐈𝐓𝐄 𝐍𝐎𝐈𝐒𝐄 // 𝘚𝘪𝘳𝘦𝘯 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘹 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘦𝘳

𝟸.

Surely there would he some form of sign pointing to the nearest point. Unless the beast has destroyed them. Which is highly likely knowing my luck. Gripping my backpack handle, I trudge onwards into the forest, biting my lip nervously. I jump at every sound, making me even more on edge.

It could be that siren monster emitting random sounds to frighten me. I could not trust my ears. What I could trust, were my instincts. I will get out of this, soon I'll be back in my bed sleeping. At least I hope. My eyes land on a tall lookout tower in the distance. It didn't look to far, so that would have to be my shelter for today. "You can do this, {Y/N}. Just get to the tower a..and.." I didn't even know what else do say, but I knew what had to be done.

. . . . . . ╰──╮ˏˋ°•*‿➷╭──╯ . . . . .

I arrive at the tower, exhausted and gloomy from what this day had thrown at me.

It had only been a few hours and my shift should've ended, so hopefully the staff notice something isn't right.

However, a pungent smell hits my nostrils. It smells coppery like the shirt, but more of a..fleshy smell. I gasp when I spot a dead moose. Its injuries looked recent.

I mean.. I could use it as food. Better not waste it. To keep the flies away, I am going to spark a fire.

Putting my bag down, I begin collecting some sticks and some various stones for said fire.

I make a circle using pebbles next to the corpse of the large animal. I carefully set the kindling in the middle of the circle, striking the stones together until a flame flickered to life and burnt away at the ferns.

The flies surrounding the moose bugger off due to the repulsive, smokey smell. I would definitely have to clean the meat, or use some that hasn't been touched by flies. Using the sharp stone, I begin to cut at the meat, trying my best to keep it a clean cut. Using a pointed stick, I impale the chunk of meat and hold it over the fire, watching the fat drip off into the flame to give off a delicious smell. This wouldn't be so bad if I got venison and fresh water.

───── ❝ 𝐒𝐈𝐑𝐄𝐍 𝐇𝐄𝐀𝐃 ❞ ─────

𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐚 𝐬𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐡𝐮𝐦𝐚𝐧. 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐬𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐦 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐬𝐞𝐞 𝐦𝐞. 𝐈𝐭𝐬 𝐚 𝐩𝐢𝐭𝐲, 𝐈 𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐣𝐨𝐲 𝐢𝐧 𝐬𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐦𝐬.

𝐈 𝐡𝐚𝐝 𝐝𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐠𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐦 𝐚𝐧 𝐨𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠. 𝐓𝐨 𝐬𝐞𝐞 𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐬𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐞. 𝐈 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐡𝐮𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐬 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐬𝐚𝐟𝐞𝐭𝐲, 𝐬𝐨 𝐈 𝐤𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐝 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐠𝐚𝐦𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐦𝐚𝐥𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐥𝐞𝐟𝐭 𝐢𝐭 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐦 𝐭𝐨 𝐮𝐬𝐞. 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐢𝐠𝐧𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐢𝐭, 𝐨𝐫 𝐮𝐬𝐞 𝐢𝐭 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐬𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞.

𝐈 𝐰𝐚𝐭𝐜𝐡 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐬, 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐬 𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐚𝐬 𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐛𝐥𝐞. 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐦𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐟𝐞𝐦𝐚𝐥𝐞 𝐡𝐚𝐝 𝐬𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐤𝐞𝐝 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦 𝐨𝐟 𝐝𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞 𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐰𝐡𝐢𝐜𝐡 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐨𝐞𝐝 𝐚𝐰𝐚𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐦𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐟𝐥𝐲𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐦𝐚𝐥𝐬.

𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐞𝐝 𝐬𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐭. 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐜𝐨𝐨𝐤𝐞𝐝 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐥𝐞𝐠𝐠𝐞𝐝 𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞. 𝐈 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐧𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐬𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐚 𝐡𝐮𝐦𝐚𝐧 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐦𝐞𝐚𝐭 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐦𝐚𝐥 𝐭𝐨𝐨𝐥𝐬.

𝐈 𝐰𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐚𝐤 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐦 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐝𝐚𝐲. 𝐅𝐨𝐫 𝐧𝐨𝐰, 𝐈 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐥𝐞𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐦 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐤 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲'𝐫𝐞 𝐬𝐚𝐟𝐞 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐦𝐞. 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐬𝐨𝐨𝐧 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐧𝐨 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐢𝐬 𝐬𝐚𝐟𝐞 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐦𝐞.