Chapter 7: Run, Run, Run

The duo ran until the nighttime came. They have already covered a number of kilometers but still have not found the village that they seek. They are having a hard time traversing it because of the dense plantation and there were no trail marks for them to follow. If they do not possess a compass, they will literally get lost since the surroundings look the same wherever you look.

"Din, can we find a place to rest first? I am too tired and thirsty. I can't feel my legs anymore" Lara complained while heaving to catch her breath. Suddenly, the baby cried. The cry was amplified because of the serenity in the forest. As a result, Lara was shocked and yelped.

"I guess the princess is on your side. We cannot travel in this darkness anyway. Let's just find a suitable area to rest" he said. Consequently, they walked a little bit and found a large tree. They decided to make this tree their temporary abode.

Lara was about to come near the tree to comfort the crying baby when Din blocked her path with his arm. "What's wrong?" she asked.

"I need to secure the tree first. What if there's a snake on one of its branches?" he replied.

She immediately realized her recklessness.

"Just wait here for a little bit" he commanded. Then he slowly walked towards the tree and roamed around it, scanning for a possible threat. After circling it once, he climbed the tree and landed on one of its branches. When he successfully balanced himself, he immediately used his knife to strike the trunk above his head. Then, the leaves rustled and something fell down followed by a thumping sound.

Lara was terrified to see a large snake fell down from the tree. She saw Din confidently climbed down and picked the snake with his two hands.

Din whistled in awe and said "Jackpot". Then he looked towards the trembling Lara and winked, "Told ya".

Lara was forced out of fear when the baby cried hard again. She tried to comfort it but unsuccessful. She looked at the man collecting dried twigs and started a fire. "Can…can…is…is it safe now?" she stuttered.

"Yes, yes" he replied without looking at her and continued to busy himself with the fire.

Lara walked near the fire and removed the baby carrier hanging from her body. The baby has been crying for a while now, so she was worried that it might die from suffocation. As if she could understand the baby, she proceeded to take out the baby formula from the baby bag. She was smart not to leave the baby bag when they escaped. Now she felt relieved that she did so.

Suddenly, she smelled something delicious. Her stomach immediately rumbled and realized how hungry she is. She knows that he is cooking the snake but she could not complain now, she's too famished. She quickly fed and cleaned the baby so that she could hurriedly fill her rumbling stomach. When they were about to finish eating…

Snap!