The worst pain was knowing you could never make up for your mistakes. Dexter remained silent for a moment, his eyes glistening as he said, “It’s not just you. I’m to blame too. As her father, I’ve also let her down.” Felicia was already far away, out of earshot. Even if she had heard, it wouldn’t have moved her.
Myra cried uncontrollably, her sobs wracking her body until she was gasping for air. After finally calming down, her fever flared, burning her. It was a bad sign. Dexter immediately recalled how she had drunk water from tree leaves earlier. That water could have been contaminated with bacteria or parasites.
“Let’s go. We need to get out of here right now. If we can’t reach the outside world soon…” He didn’t finish the thought before pulling Myra along. They followed the path Felicia had indicated, clinging to the food and water she had left them. It would have to last. According to Felicia, Sebastian was already on his way. If they kept moving, they’d eventually meet him and be rescued.
Halfway there, Myra, burning with fever, collapsed. Dexter had no choice but to carry her on his back, gritting his teeth as he pressed on. He didn’t know how much time had passed. The sky darkened, and the rainforest fell into darkness. Soon, he couldn’t even see the path. Before he lost all sense of direction, Dexter’s strength gave out, and he fell to the ground. As he collapsed, he shielded Myra’s head. His fading consciousness caught sight of light beams from flashlights cutting through the darkness. At the front, Sebastian was sprinting toward them. They were saved. Dexter managed a smile before passing out.
Night fell in the rainforest. Countless creatures stirred to life in the darkness. The rustling of monkeys and the soft movement of animals in the underbrush filled the air. Mosquitoes swarmed relentlessly, buzzing around Felicia’s head and hands. Thankfully, the herbs she brought were enough for several mosquito-repellent sachets. They worked, but the sheer number of insects limited their effectiveness. Standing still for too long would guarantee being drained dry.
The mosquitoes were the least of her concerns. Poisonous snakes, pythons, and so on posed far greater threats. Felicia pressed on with her flashlight.
Oddly enough, despite the danger, she wondered if she’d hear that bronze bell again if she fell asleep. Would she sleepwalk? And if she did, would she instinctively fight back or simply surrender? The thought made her chuckle at her own apparent unconcern. She then wondered where Stephan was. Had Stanley and the others found Blum yet?
Shaking her head, she cleared her mind and focused on the path ahead. A pile of leaves might hide a deadly swamp, and one wrong step could be fatal. After walking for over an hour, she realized she was lost. She had strayed far from Stanley and the others. Worse still, she wasn’t sure which direction she was heading. At a loss for words, she thought, “Oh, great.”
As things were, she couldn’t continue straight ahead and risk wandering further. She planned to wait out the night and resume at daybreak. Just as she began scouting a suitable place, a faint rustling sound reached her ears from behind. It was the unmistakable slithering of a python.