Charter 10 : The prey

"If we do get off this tree, where do we go to? We are far from camp and do you reckon what we saw at my right last night has reached them?" I asked Kin.

"We must pray everyone's fine and safe, am sure they would have moved from there if they were swarmed," Kin said, he was breaking part of the tree branches, waiting for me to commence with breaking mine.

I had to say what was engraved in my heart, I had to tell Kin: "Kin" I took a deep breath before proceeding, " I'm sorry. "

" For what?" I didn't see his face but I knew he was confused about why I was apologizing to him.

"For not escorting your sister and Myloe back to camp."

"Did any harm come to her?" There was urgency in my friend's voice.

"No. Nothing, she was carried by Myloe'"

"Dane. You know sometimes you act like you are insane, like your brain fell through a drain!!" Oops, Kin was mad at me.

" Kin, I know she's safe...sorry they're safe, I know," I said nodding my head as if Kin could see me.

" Let's not speak about them until we get out of here," Kin pronounced slowly. "Now break your sticks so we can get of these trees and I can kick your ass" I Don't know if he was joking or he was being serious. I decided to keep quiet.

I stood on the branch I sat on luckily it was thick enough to carry my weight (who am I kidding I weigh like five pounds) I stretched for another branch to reach the biggest branch on the tree. I held the branch with sincere force hoping it did not snap. I crossed from the place I was, reaching another section of the tree, it felt like home, I was enclosed from the open, and gazing below me felt like work with the leaves that shaded my view. I used my left hand to hold a small branch aside and peep if the zombies were still there, They were still there waiting eagerly for me to fall to them, so they could feast or infect me.

Just as Kin instructed, I broke a good-sized branch, it was heavy and solid, I kept it in my bag, and I broke more and more( till I almost stripped the tree of its branches... Hahaha). I looked above me, I was pleased with what I saw, it was a bird's nest. I heard my stomach rumble when I saw it. There was good news and a piece of bad news, the good news was the possibility of a bird being there with eggs and the bad news was two, either the bird wasn't there, and the other I saw with my own eyes, the branches set to reach the nest were pretty weak, even weak for my size if I wasn't careful. Some part of me was eager to capture whatever lay in the nest and the other felt reluctant seeing the weak branches. My stomach was the part of curiosity due to hunger, and my common sense was the reluctant fellow keeping me from falling.

My mission was complete, it was time to signal Kin, so we could begin with our luring and escape plan but there was one thing, my mind did not leave the possibility of having a decent meal.

"Let me just give this a try, one or two birds or eggs wouldn't hurt," I said without even thinking twice, I began to climb way up to the peak of the tree. I brought my tongue out pleased with what I was about to do, I felt exhilarating and anxious simultaneously. The branch I stepped on felt wobbly, the nest was meters away from me resting on the tree.

I felt like a monster, poor birds won't know what hit them, a human invading their home and kidnapping their children for a meal.

Just as I predicted, I saw some eggs in the nest, seven to be exact. Oh, what if the eggs are being Incubated? I felt disgusted by the thought of eating premature birds, but if they were incubated, their mom wouldn't wander far from the nest, I picked one of the tiny-looking eggs and decided to try it. I hesitated a bit, raw eggs weren't my thing. I remembered stories of some people who ate raw eggs and ended up with salmonella. Well, I was hungry and was willing to find out what lay in the egg. I cracked the egg on my head a little, I opened it and I saw the yolk drip slowly into my mouth. I had the urge to throw up but I knew that the egg was a very good source of protein. I swallowed it whole. I shivered in disgust with what I ate.

I packed the remaining eggs into my bag, I decided that if me and my friend survived I wasn't going to eat the eggs raw, I'd find a way to cook them. Going up the tree was easier than going down, I did not remember the steps I took to get to where I was. I heard a wing flap behind me, it was the mama bird, the main objective. I turned around to give a solemn look at her, she was mystified and lost for what to do. She let out a cry, looking for her younglings. I pitied her, there was only one right thing I knew I could do, bring the mom along.

Since I wasn't too far from the nest, I moved in stealth like a predator hunting its unaware prey, I removed my shortened spear from my bag, waiting for the right moment to strike! The bird was wary and suspicious, maybe she flew when she heard me and Kin speaking.

"Keep calm, keep calm," I said to myself. "Now!" I exclaimed knowing I couldn't miss, it was quite impossible too.

I hit the bird, now it was time for me to get it. I stretched my right leg forward on the branch that would bring me to my prize, then I heard a snap and I fell...