New beginnings

18. New beginnings

I slowly walk to the direction where I think I came from. I can’t see anything, so I am only guessing where to go. I often stumble or fall down from all the things on the ground, but I just stand back up and keep going.

I hit a dirt wall. The wide area must end here. I keep my hand at the dirt wall and walk to the left. Soon my hand feels the end of the wall. That must be the way out. I walk in that direction until I can see a faint light up ahead.

I follow the light and it keeps getting stronger. The path starts going upwards and it is getting smaller too. I can see the sky now. It is very bright. I get up from the ground and look around.

My eyes take a while to adjust to the light, but I soon see that the area around here is in a complete mess. The trees are on the ground and the area around the hole has been dug a lot. There is dirt and fallen trees everywhere. I should leave this place before it comes back.

I feel something next to my leg. I look down and see the fur ball licking my foot. I remember seeing it before I went down the hole. Did it lead me there to save me? It caused me so much pain. It would have been better if I just died there.

Should I kill it? No. I can’t blame it for what happened. I should be helping it as much as I can. How can I help it though? It has food all around it. What else would it need? It has fur so it should be warm at all times. All I could do is protect it from beasts, but I can’t even protect myself against all of them.

The ball of fur is small so it can probably hide and get away from the dangers by itself. I can’t help it in anyway. The best thing I can do is leave it alone.

I move my leg slowly away from the ball of fur and start walking away from it. I hear the sound of the ball of fur hopping and look behind to see that it is following me.

Why? Why is it following me? It would be safer for it if it was alone. I don’t know what to do. If it wants to come with me then I should just let it right? Then protect it with my life if I need to?

Why am I hesitating? Am I afraid? Afraid of what? I would be glad if I died. But. What if I fail at protecting it? Yes, I don’t want that. Isn’t it good enough if I just leave it alone as it would be safer for it?   

No, it isn’t. I’m just trying to run away.

I will let it come with me. I will do my best to protect it. I will deal with whatever I will feel if I end up failing. I crouch down and hold out my hand to the ball of fur. It comes near it and nibbles on the hand for a while and then it moves away from it.

I wanted to carry it so I can protect it better if anything happens, but it probably wouldn’t like that.

We should leave this place soon. It follows me, right? I should just start moving and if it comes then I protect it.

I start walking again but the fallen trees are in my way. I can climb over them, but I wonder if the ball of fur can go past them. I climb on top of the first fallen tree and turn back to look at the ball of fur.

It just hops next to the tree and then jumps on top of it. I can’t believe that such a small creature can jump so high, but I just saw it myself. Incredible.

I guess I don’t have to worry about the ball of fur.

I keep climbing past the trees until I get past all the fallen trees. The trees here aren’t on the ground so the big creature didn’t come this way. I don’t know the direction to the cave and the ball of fur probably doesn’t want to live there either.

Maybe I should leave this place. Alright. I will keep going to this direction and if it leads me to the cave, I will stay near it. If not, then I will follow this direction until I find a new place to settle down.

I feel weak, it is hard to walk. Oh yeah, I’m hungry. It has been so long since I’ve eaten anything.

What should I do? There is nothing to eat here. Should I go back to the beras I killed? No, that is too dangerous. In the cave there would be food, but I don’t know which way it is.

All I can do is keep going in this direction. If I find a creature, I can kill it and eat it but if I don’t then I need to try eating what the ball of fur eats.

I keep walking but I can’t walk straight. I wobble onwards while going from tree to tree for support.

My head is getting blurry and slow. I don’t know how long I have been walking. I barely even see where I am going. Suddenly there are no trees in front of me. I stop walking and look where I am.

There is another open area with no trees. There is only grass and big lump of dirt in the middle of it. As I am about keep walking, I see something coming out of the lump.

It’s a small creature that looks weird. If I remember correctly, they are called earth ants. They are the least harmful ants in this area and all they have going for them is their size and toughness.

After the first one there comes a lot more of them. I shouldn’t fight them all. They might be weak but so am I. If many of them come at me at the same time I would die. So would the ball of fur if it couldn’t get away.

I go behind the tree and watch from there. The ants spread out from the lump and one of them is coming toward me.

I take the dagger from behind my back and wait for it to come to me. I listen to the sound of it moving and when it passes the tree, I put all my strength into stabbing the ant in an area that isn’t protected by its tough parts.

The blade goes into it and it squirms and makes weird sounds while its bleeding some green fluids.

I move my dagger inside it and soon it stops squirming. I drink some of the green liquid and it tastes horrible. My stomach hurts as I feel the liquid spread inside it. I want to drink more despite the taste, but I feel the ball of fur licking my foot again.

I look at it and it looks to the direction of the open area. I look where its looking and see that the ants that spread out in different places are all coming this way quickly.

I have to run. Should I grab the ball of fur now? Yes, I’m not sure if it can hide from them or outrun them.

I grab the ball of fur with my left hand and start running to my right. I can’t go where I came from since the big creature is in that direction probably.

I run as fast as I can while holding the ball of fur next to my chest, so I don’t accidentally hurt it. I run as far as I can past the trees, but I quickly lose my strength and I can’t run anymore.

I am breathing heavily, and I can’t even stand with the help of a nearby tree. I slowly slide down next to the tree and let the ball of fur back on the ground. I turn around to sit and see if the ants are here already.

I can’t see them. Was I too fast for them? I wait there and try to gather enough strength to run again but no matter how long I wait the ants don’t show up.

Chapter seventeen. Chapter nineteen.