The Woodlands (#1 THE WOODLANDS SERIES) (COMPLETE)

24. FOOD AND WATER

When we arrived at the railway line, Clara was already completely exhausted, and we’d only been walking for about twenty minutes. It had taken a lot out of her scrambling up the hill, and Joseph was unable to help her because he was carrying me. With my injured foot, I was struggling to do very much. I hated being dependent on anyone, let alone Joseph. I hoped once we were on the track, I would be able to walk on my own. After months underground, Clara and I were both quite unfit, despite the ‘exercise’. Joseph let me stand when we got to the top, and we watched as Alexei and Apella celebrated the finding of the line.

She took his pale face in her hands and kissed him. “We found it.”

He pulled her into his chest, his thin fingers pressing into her back. “I knew we would sweetheart.” Yuck! “We might just make it.”

She gazed up at him, her blue eyes hopeful.

She was pathetic. I honestly couldn’t understand what he saw in her. Alexei had proved useful so far. He had knowledge and survival skills. He was also strong, despite his slight appearance. But he loved her. The way he held her and looked into her eyes, that much was obvious.

“So which way do we go?” I asked. My sense of direction was never very good and I was so turned around, I really had no idea where we were.

“We head east.” Alexei pointed towards the track that snaked off into the distance, looking like it climbed, looking like it was carved into the side of the mountain.

“Fabulous!” I said, sarcastically. I looked at my group of travelers. Deshi looked as doubtful as I was. Joseph and Clara were smiling, although Clara looked a bit drained, her skin looking sweaty and green. At least the weather was warm and we had a track to follow. Thinking of the sun and the warmth, my mouth felt suddenly dry. Deshi vocalized what I was thinking before I could.

“Has everyone forgotten that we have no water?” he said, irritated. I wondered what he knew of last night. I felt bad that it may have hurt him.

Alexei took out his map from his back pocket. He was wearing sturdier clothes than the rest of us, who were in Class uniforms. He had thick, cotton pants on, dark green in color. He was studying it intensely. I hoped there was a line of blue somewhere on this map that would lead us to water. I didn’t notice that Joseph had come up behind me, until I could feel his breath on my neck. I wasn’t ready for this. I didn’t want to have this conversation, especially not in front of everybody else.

“I just want to tell you…” he hesitated, stepped back from me, and wiped his nose with his hand. His face was scrunched up—was he in pain? “Oh Rosa, you stink!” he laughed. I smelled the air. Something certainly smelled revolting. It was the same smell as back at the campsite and it was coming from me. My boot. Once we were standing still, it emanated the pungent stink of wolf urine. Joseph was doubled over laughing. Deshi slapped him on the back and was smiling too. Even the corners of Apella and Alexei’s mouths were turned up.

The only person who wasn’t amused was Clara. She came to my defense, smacking them both lightly on the head. “What’s the matter with you two? Hasn’t she been through enough?” The boys sucked in their laughter and looked at their feet like they were about to get detention. “We need to move. Now. Stop playing around and start walking,” she said sternly, but with a twinkle in her eye. I smiled. Sometimes, when she wasn’t talking about moons and rainbows, she took on this tone that sounded so much older than her years. Motherly almost. Deshi pulled Joseph to his feet and they strode off, laughing and talking. I stayed downwind, at the back of the group with Clara. We were the slowest anyway, with her waddling and my limping.

After a few minutes, Joseph and Deshi calmed themselves and took on the task of scouting for water. They would divert from the tracks every few kilometers and head into the forest. They always came back with their hands in the air. Nothing. They were way ahead of us. Apella and Alexei walked hand in hand in front. Joseph kept looking back at me, but thankfully, he was giving me the space I needed. He knew me well enough to know I didn’t want to talk to him just yet. Or maybe he was afraid of what I would say.