Chapter 11 – What did I do?

The next day we continue our research of gear. I don't know about her but I don't believe we will find what we need. 

The rows of derelict aircraft stand like silent sentinels, each one a relic of past aspirations and failed endeavors.

Together, Mila and I move through the maze of abandoned planes, peering into their interiors in the hopes of discovering something useful.

The metal frames creak and groan, as if mourning the dreams that once soared through the sky. 

I groan. A free climb to the depths of the second layer makes no sense, especially when I know so little of the horrors that I'll encounter there.

The more I look after the gear, the more disappointed I get. There is one thing for certain, someone is stealing them. 

And I have a small hunch of who it is.

Later that night we eat our last attempt of a pre packed meal. From tomorrow we will be forced to hunt. That is if we are not hunted first.

Mila steals glances my way, but doesn't say a word. I scoff, tired of her looking at my way.

"What?!" I say, exasperation in my voice.

Mila's lips part as if she's about to speak, but she hesitates. Instead, she returns to her meal in silence, leaving a trail of unanswered questions lingering in the night air. 

"I think I know who is stealing the gears," Mila whispers, her words carrying a sense of urgency. My attention sharpens, and I turn to her, curious to hear her theory. Has she arrived at the same conclusion as me?

"It's the spider queen," she declares, her voice low and cautious. The revelation hangs in the air, the crackling of the fire punctuating the weight of her words. The forest around us seems to respond to the gravity of the accusation, as if nature itself is holding its breath.

"She mentioned something about using the crystal in the cave as only leverage between humans and spiders… she is creating something with those crystals, and whatever it is she must need the gears too?" Mila suggests. 

"Maybe she uses the gear as even more of an incentive to trade with humans?" I add, my mind racing to comprehend the implications of the spider queen's actions.

The crystals, the gears – they all intertwine in a web of mystery, each piece of the puzzle contributing to a larger, ominous picture.

The crackling fire illuminates Mila's face, the shadows dancing across her features as we exchange theories in the dimly lit forest. The night seems to hold secrets, and the truth behind the spider queen's motives remains elusive, shrouded in the darkness that surrounds us.

"There's only one way to figure out if we are right!" I declare, but Mila shakes her head in firm disagreement. Undeterred, I continue, "We need to go back to her lair."

Mila's eyes widen with a mix of disbelief and fear. "Why don't you just kill us now then? Since she will murder us at sight! Do you believe she will let you even live?!!"

"We can't stay here forever either!" I counter.

Mila doesn't answer, instead, she stares at the fire in utter silence.

I do the same, tired of fighting her.

When I look up, she is walking to her own helicopter to sleep for the night.

I should stop her, reason with her, but honestly, I couldn't care less.

This is my journey, and somehow I agreed to let her accompany me, but this deal is not working. The only sound comforting me is the crackling of the fire as I look up at the stars above and sigh.

What a shitty night it is.

I walk back to my helicopter, or whatever is left of it. I swear as I hit my foot on one of the upside-down seats. In this darkness, I am not able to see much.

I lay down on the makeshift bed I made the day before, mostly consisting of leaves and two seats I had to carry to where I stand now. I lay down, and my back is already protesting this uncomfortable sleeping situation.

"I am doing it for my family," I say with my fingers wrapped in a fist. The words hang in the air, a solemn vow to push through the challenges that lie ahead.

With one arm behind my back and the other laying by my waist, I wish I could turn back time. If I could, I would tell the little me to stop dreaming about going down to the depths of the Earth, to stop searching for wells and peering inside of them. Because one day, little me would find himself in the first layer, hoping to see up in the sky, to peek at the stars.

As I close my eyes, I drift into a restless sleep, haunted by the echoes of the people I have lost, and my past self.

"What did you do?! Why did you go?" little me screams into the abyss that is my mind.