Chapter 4: Despair sets in

The wilderness, once an inviting challenge, had now become a weight on everyone's shoulders. The strain of survival was taking its toll on Carly, Essel, and Biggie. Every attempt to set up camp or gather food was met with growing frustration. The feeling of abandonment gnawed at them, the absence of Alphonse and Jenny becoming more obvious with each passing hour.

"Are they ever going to help?" Carly's voice trembled with anger as she tossed aside a bundle of firewood. "It's been hours, and we're the only ones doing anything!"

Essel's face was stern, his silence speaking volumes. He had taken on the burden of leadership without complaint, but even he couldn't mask his frustration any longer. "They're not interested in survival. We have to assume they're… busy."

Biggie, usually quick with humor, sat down heavily on a fallen log, wiping sweat from his brow. "Yeah, 'busy' getting themselves killed if they're not careful. There are dangers out here they have no clue about."

Carly looked at Biggie, a flicker of fear in her eyes. "What if they don't come back one day?"

Essel, sensing the despair creeping into the group, spoke firmly. "We can't worry about that right now. We need to focus on surviving. If they choose to be careless, that's on them."

Meanwhile, deeper in the forest, Alphonse and Jenny were once again lost in their own world. The allure of their lustful encounters had blinded them to the very real dangers of the wild. Every time they slipped away, the forest seemed to close in on them, isolating them further from their friends.

"Why don't we just stay out here longer?" Jenny whispered breathlessly, pulling Alphonse closer. "Away from all their survival nonsense."

Alphonse, always eager to indulge Jenny, nodded. "Yeah, who cares about all that? We've got everything we need right here."

But Jenny's fantasies were beginning to unravel. The thrill of their secret escapes had started to feel more like a temporary distraction from the realities pressing in on them. She couldn't ignore the cold nights, the growing sense of unease, or the fact that their supplies were running out.

Back at camp, the mood had grown somber. Carly's optimism had waned, her confidence shaken by the lack of unity among them. "We're falling apart," she muttered, more to herself than to the others. "We're supposed to be a team, but we're fractured."

Essel noticed Carly's downcast eyes, and though he was feeling the same weight of hopelessness, he knelt beside her. "We're not giving up. Despair might be setting in, but we're stronger than this. We've survived worse."

Biggie, feeling the tension thickening, tried to lift the mood. "Well, if we can survive Essel's cooking tonight, I'm pretty sure we can survive anything."

Despite everything, Carly and Essel chuckled, the brief moment of levity a fragile bandage over their deepening worries.

But as night fell, the weight of despair pressed harder. The realization that Alphonse and Jenny had abandoned them, not just physically but emotionally, was hard to bear. Carly stared into the flickering flames, the campfire offering little comfort. It wasn't just the wilderness they had to survive; it was the growing divide among them.

In the shadows, Alphonse and Jenny slipped back into camp, laughing quietly to themselves. They had no idea of the damage their absence had caused. Jenny, with her untamed desires, still believed she was in control of the situation, but the wild had a way of humbling even the most confident.