Chapter 9: The one that comes and goes

      I never did acknowledge the welcoming and beautiful presence of the sun until that very long night. I longed for its warm rays and bright light that spread across fields and plains miles and miles away. I felt like a plant, waiting to acquire its nutrients from the sun and proceed with its cycle of photosynthesis. Not In a million years did I ever think I would long to see the sun, you never know what you have until it's gone, I didn't cherish a lot of things until I was about to lose them or when I lost them. I had this feeling that if I mistakenly fell from the tree I was in, the sun would never touch my skin and brighten up my darkest days. Oh the sun, how I love the sun.

 What was to my right was frightening, my mouth was stiff with something more advanced and terrifying than fear. The night was cold but what I saw made me feel more cold. It was unbelievable. The fear that knocked previously was a foreshadowing of what was coming. Death was child's play compared to what I saw, I preferred it but did I dare to die before I saw the sun? There was no possible way I would be saved by any miracle, miracles were far from possible, was I thinking an asteroid would come swirling towards me and give me an easy death? or was I thinking the tree that I climbed would grow legs and run to a safe place where life was pure and filled with ease? Those were clear dreams and imagination, a notion that only existed in my mind. I tried calling out to Kin but I couldn't find my voice.

  " Dane. Whatever you do, don't fall from that tree I repeat do not fall from that tree" What Kin was telling me was obvious, why would I want to fall into something I viewed as worse than death? 

 " Answer me, please speak back" Kin was scared also. He was afraid and he needed someone to help him subside his fears. I had nothing to say. I also needed someone to subside my insecurities and fears. " We have to live, there's a way out of this. I know it"

 " Which way Kin? Which way?" I asked Kin frustrated and angry that he was lying to me and himself.

 "I don't know" Kin's voice sounded low, it sounded like his voice was increased on a radio or TV then suddenly slowed to the lowest volume.

    "I have to say something, I have to," I said to myself quietly and shivering, "Kin", he ignored me my voice was in a loud hush, he heard me but decided to ignore me, I had destroyed his undying hope with the words I said. I sent my usual hopeless feeling to the one opposite and adjacent to me. The bad feeling I always felt came creeping inside of me again. Regret circled my mind like a Mary go-round, and questions flowed in my head like I was a scientist looking to prove a theory but I wasn't proving any theory to anything or anyone, I was condemning myself. 

" Why wasn't I killed by the deer? And why wasn't I killed by the zombie that broke my spear?" I asked my inner self, trying to find a suitable answer. 

  A gust of wind blew, and the leaves on the tree I was I guess grew tired of me, they slapped on my face like they had a hidden agenda against me. The wind blew again but calmly. I adored that brief period. It was as if the heavens were pleased with me for complaining about my meekness. I wished I had a watch to tell how far dawn was and how long my night was going to be. 

 The tree vanished the claustrophobic feelings that always crept inside me, it felt like I was in a haven, I was out of arms reach from the Zombies below me. My mind had forgotten what I gazed at at my right, I had forgotten Kin never answered to his name. That time felt precious to me. Hope the ally that comes and goes assured me that it was still possible for me to live. Hah another thought I tried to banish came again, it was about Diana and Myloe, did they get back to camp safely?

 The hope I had was strong and vividly assuring, it exterminated my negative and irrelevant speculations about everything and everyone I know. I loved it. The feeling was clingy and calming, I never wanted to let it go not even for eternity. I despised it, I was jealous of hope, it assured people and instilled zeal into them, something am incapable of doing, and I hated it, it leaves you with uncertainty about whether what it tells you is true or a lie you just have to follow it to find out waiting for its close ally patience...

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   "Dane" I heard a voice, it was faint to my ears. I woke up from my sleep. Another beautiful day had begun. I slept on a tree forgetting my pain.

"Oh, it's you, you are still a living person" I answered his call coldly. I remembered what happened the day before, I took a big peep to the ground to see if the zombies were still there waiting for me. Yes they were, they were still circling the tree.

  The morning was bright and the air was fresh, the sun with its beautiful and yellow color was a welcoming seen, I saw it rising from the east, and it was a spectacular scene to see.

"We have to get out of here, " Kin, perhaps he did not perceive the coldness of my voice said neutrally. I wanted to say "how " but I recalled what happened the night before.

"Okay?" I said waiting for him to proceed with an idea he cooked up.

"Since these dumbasses are attracted to sound and anything they see. We can try to break the thin but thick branches on our tres and throw them far away from us, so we can buy ourselves time to run and find somewhere safe." Kin yelled, so I could hear him. 

"Wait. Are they at your side also?" I asked.

" Yeah two of 'em" Kin answered

"I still don't know which tree you are in, " I said to Kin wondering which tree he climbed, there wasn't an answer from him until I heard and saw the branches of a tree not too far from me rattling, and shaking.

" Now do you know where I am?" Kin answered knowing I knew where he was. I took a look below his tree and I saw two zombies raising their hands desperately trying to reach Kin. Hah, such an illusion.

 "So when do we distract them?" I asked Kin.

"Anytime it pleases you" Kin answered.

" I don't know. I wanna stay here for about ten more days, chilling with the zombies and enjoying the possibilities of me falling from a tree and breaking my neck" I said chuckling as I answered him, I heard my friend laughing." what about now?" I asked

"If you are ready. So be it" Kin answered...