Lost backpack

Oliver felt something wet on his cheek, which bothered him. When he opened his eyes, a creature was just inches from his face. A gecko, but not just any gecko. Its size quite large, its skin glowed orange along with red, combined with black on the legs and tail.

The gecko, noticing that Oliver had awakened, let out a high-pitched squeal, as if it were a cry of welcome, while wagging its tail with an enthusiastic wag.

"What the hell...?!" Oliver reacted and instinctively swatted the reptile away.

The little being rolled off his chest and fell to the ground with a high-pitched, plaintive wail that echoed.

The noise woke Rafael, who stood up, unsheathing his knife, ready for any threat. "What happened? Are you all right?"

"That thing! Kill it!" Oliver shouted, pointing frantically at the ground.

Rafael followed the direction of the finger and found the reptile on the ground, trembling slightly but still staring at them with its huge, crystalline eyes. "A gecko?" He muttered, his frown transforming into an expression of mild surprise.

"Whatever! He's a monster! Kill him now!"

Raphael looked sideways at him, assessing both Oliver and the creature. "You're exaggerating." He said calmly, putting the knife away. He bent down to the ground and picked up the gecko. The reptile showed no resistance; instead, it rubbed against the policeman's palms with a surprisingly friendly gesture, emitting a soft, almost purring sound.

"What are you doing? Don't touch it! Are you crazy?"

"It's harmless." Rafael replied calmly as he held the small reptile in his hands. "Take a good look at it. It won't hurt you. Looks like it just wanted some company."

"Companionship?! Does that seem normal to you? That's no ordinary animal. Look at it again. It glows like a burning coal!"

Rafael was busy petting the gecko. The reptile curled up in his hands as if finding sanctuary. "Not everything unknown is a threat. And believe me, this little guy doesn't look like a killer."

Oliver snorted, frustrated. "Perfect. You do what you want. But if that thing comes near me again, I swear I'll throw it off a cliff."

A barely perceptible smile appeared on Raphael's face, as if he found Oliver's mixture of sarcasm and fear amusing. "Don't worry. He'll sleep with me."

"Magnificent." Oliver replied in a voice laden with irony.

Rafael carefully placed the gecko on his shoulder, where the little reptile settled, digging its claws into his clothes and its tail carefully wrapped around his neck without the intention of strangling him. "Now, let's go get your backpack. Hopefully, this little guy will bring us some good fortune."

"Luck? Ha. It'll be nothing but bad luck, I assure you."

Rafael didn't bother to respond, he had learned that arguing with Oliver was exhausting. Instead of wasting time, he turned on his heel and headed for the cave entrance. There, a dim light played with the shadows, barely illuminating the only exit and entrance.

Oliver reluctantly followed, though he kept enough distance to avoid being near the gecko, he still didn't trust the animal. His eyes narrowed as the brightness reached him. He muttered a curse under his breath before adjusting to the change in light.

"Come on, I know where we were before." Rafael started walking, pushing the leaves that were in his way.

Oliver hurried to keep up with him, to catch up and not get left behind. "Really? Do you remember anything in particular?"

"Yes." Rafael answered, without stopping or turning around.

"How can you be so sure?"

Rafael didn't flinch, didn't even slow down. "I memorize what's important."

"Do you memorize? Wow. And how do you do that, genius? Do you have a compass in your head or what?"

Rafael took his time to think. The pause was so short that it was hardly noticeable. "I have my tricks."

Oliver couldn't help but get excited. "You're going to teach me those tricks!"

Raphael turned his head just enough to shoot him a look that made Oliver recoil a little. "No! And shut up. You'll attract attention."

Oliver snorted, but the implied threat in Raphael's gaze was enough to seal his lips. He merely followed him while keeping an eye out for any movement. The memory of the snake and the creatures they had faced before was still fresh in his memory.

They advanced in silence, dodging low branches and fallen trunks that twisted as if they wanted to trap them. The crunching leaves, animals on the prowl, and that slimy noise of carnivorous plants on the prowl.

Oliver barely managed to dodge the whip and the mouths of the carnivorous plants, hearing the hissing snap of their sharp teeth closed so close they nearly tore his leg. Before he could react to the other carnivorous plants, Rafael pulled him to the side, knocking him out of harm's way with an accurate blow to the carnivorous plants. Only an exchange of glances was their only response, before they both began to run, leaving the threat behind.

The air grew heavier with each step, Oliver's legs were beginning to burn with the effort. Rafael, however, seemed unperturbed, as if nothing could stop him. As the distance widened between them and the plants. They slowed down, not out of fear, but because of the fatigue that was taking over their bodies. Even though they were both still moving forward, now calmer.

He let out a sigh of relief that he had escaped alive from those huge carnivorous plants. Oliver was about to comment on how stupid Rafael had been to confront those plants, when he raised his hand, without even looking at him.

They had arrived.

The place looked like something out of the worst nightmare. Several mangled logs, almost the entire place was covered by a viscous violet liquid that glistened in the dim light. Yet what disgusted and surprised him the most were the pieces of grotesque skin hanging all over the place that emanated a skeletal odor that permeated the air near them.

Oliver frowned and held his nose in disgust. "Are you sure this is the right place?"

"Yes." Rafael pointed to a spot in the tall grass. "There's your rucksack."

Oliver followed him with his eyes, there he was. His backpack half-hidden among leaves, untouched. A sigh of relief escaped his lips when he saw that there wasn't a scratch on it. If only one of those things had crushed or damaged it. So he set out to fetch his backpack, still holding his nose confident that he could stand the stench.

However, the stench that filled the air was unbearable. With every step he took, the nausea hit him harder. Oliver stopped his advance, retracing his steps quickly, clinging to a nearby tree trying not to vomit, as best he could he pulled himself together and turned to Raphael with a grimace.

"I need something to cover my nose." He demanded, pointing to his shirt impatiently. "Tear a piece of your clothes or lend me something. Anything."

Rafael looked at him with arched eyebrows. "What?"

"Give me something to hold my nose!" insisted Oliver, his tone now charged with desperation.

"No."

"Come on! I can't stand that smell! If I throw up, we'll lose more time!" Oliver replied , waving a hand towards the chaos around him.

"It's not my problem."

Oliver glared at him, but the cop didn't even blink, irritating him further. "Perfect! I'll do it alone, but if I go down, it'll be your fault, genius."

The tore off a piece of her own clothing, muttering curses between her teeth. Although he already had the fabric, he knew that wasn't enough, so his eyes fell on several bright blue petaled roses surrounding a tree the same color as the flowers.

Without thinking twice, he plucked the petals and began to rub them against the cloth, releasing an intense, floral aroma, taking advantage of the fact that the scent still did not disappear, he hurried to knot the cloth over his nose and mouth. It wasn't perfect, not even good, but it was better than continuing to inhale that stench.

He mentally prepared to go inside, before entering, Oliver glanced over his shoulder, waiting for some comment or reaction, something to stop him from going there, but Rafael simply gave a thumbs up in a nod of approval.

Oliver rolled his eyes, clearly annoyed at the lack of empathy, refocusing on the backpack he had left behind.

At first, the scent of roses helped him a lot because it made the stench less noticeable, making him a little calmer, but with each step he took it seemed to intensify the stench that permeated the air. Although the scented mask mitigated some of the odor, the stench still managed to filter through, making him dizzy and blurring his vision.

Each inhalation was a reminder of how close he was to passing out. But Oliver wasn't about to give up. That backpack wasn't just his gear; it was his life insurance, his salvation, his only way out of this nightmare alive.

Finally he reached her. With an effort that elicited a grunt of pain, he shouldered her. The relief was short-lived. The floral scent that had kept him conscious faded, leaving the stench to hit him full force again. Oliver staggered back.

Oliver ran towards Rafael, panting like a man on the verge of collapse even though he was wearing the cloth, before he crashed into him. The policeman stepped to the side to avoid being run over. Instead of crashing into Rafael, Oliver crashed into a nearby flower bush, falling to his knees among the petals.

Oliver tore the cloth from his face in fury and threw it away, inhaling the sweet scent of the flowers in despair. It was as if he had finally found respite in the midst of his torment. He closed his eyes, sinking his face into the petals, and let out a shuddering sigh.

Raphael watched him from a safe distance, tilting his head slightly. "Are you all right?"

Oliver lifted his head with effort, his face pale and covered with sweat. Despite everything, he forced a weak smile. "Yes, I think so." He gasped, his voice raspy.

"You did a good job." Complimented Raphael holding out a hand to help him up.

Oliver slapped the hand away and glared at him. "No, I need your help. After going through this hell, I deserve to stay here for a while. These flowers are the only decent thing that happened to me today."

Rafael bowed his head slightly. "At least you didn't pass out." He commented with a half smile.

"That was no thanks to you." Oliver sunk his face into the flowers once more. His voice was muffled as he whispered, almost to himself.