Sequel: Reaching Through Darkness ›
The Hidden Truth
A bath
My pace was fast and my mind was driven. If I wanted to be left alone and unfound I had to be fast and careful. I used several tricks like walking on roots, avoiding mud, circling around, or taking the harder path. I ignored the thousands of insets slowly draining me of my blood and causing a part of my restraint to go crazy. After the first mile I gave up wiping the sweat out of my eyes and letting the tears wash away the sting. No branch or tree stump could slow me down. My years of endless walking through the woods back home taught me on how to look, plan, and walk through any type of terrain. The river was a problem.
It had rained for several days, leaving the water raging, nearly overflow its banks. I watched in depression and frustration, the muddy water rushing down. There was one long tree that had fallen over the river, but the water was at its level, sometimes lapsing over the tree. It was clear to me I would have to climb up on the tree and work my way across the bark, hoping the river would not sweep me away. My already shot nerves were not numb enough to attempt this proposed feat. I went upstream, hoping the water would lessen, or at least narrow. This was not the case. I went back and passed the original spot, searching down stream. The strength of the river was reduced, but the depth was still unknown. I gave up and went back to the tree across the river.
I stomped my foot hard on the ground and cursed. There was no time for this. By now Mirmo would have discovered I was missing and gone looking for me. I looked at my hands, shaking, dirty and covered in sweat. I willed them to stop shaking and looked up. The tree was pretty big, though wet. I growled, and grabbed the neared root, hauling myself up to the base. Slowly, on badly shaking knees, I stood for a second before almost slipping off and landing straddled on the rough, black bark. The impact of the hard landing too the breath out of me and my mind froze in pain coming from between my legs. I raised myself again onto my knees and tested my ability to crawl. It turns out that I could crawl. Aware of the pressing lack of time, I sped up my pace. Half way over the tree, covered in moss and slime, I looked down at the water. My pants had gotten partly soaked when the water bounced off the tree. I lowered my head, looking more deeply into the water. That’s when I slipped. It was a fast movement, one that caught my breath, jumped my heart, and made me sweat even more. I hadn’t fallen into the water because at the last second I dug my finger nails into the bark and hung on for dear life. The water tore at my body, swinging my legs from side to side, dragging me off the log. I kicked wildly, but the river seemed to have no bottom, nothing for me to push myself out of the water. I felt my grip out and screamed as I plunged into the rush river.
For a moment I was senseless, due to being tumbled all over, unable to tell which way was up. Air, I needed air. I kicked at the water and stuck a hand past my hand. I felt something that was not water. I forced my body to head for the direction. My head broke out of the muddy wetness around me and my mouth gulped sweat fresh air. The river grabbed me and pulled me down. No! I struggled back up and won. I kicked and moved my arms around to keep on the surface. I had no idea where I was. The river was still rushing. I looked at the banks, trying to judge how far they were from me. I gritted my teeth and did hard, powerful strokes across the current. Blindly, I reached for a root. Several went past my hand and one lasted about a second before snapping off. The river continued to carry me away. I gathered my strength and reached again. A thick branch was grabbed and held against my weight. Hand over hand; I climbed the branch, bracing my feet on the bank. When I was on safe ground, I collapsed panting, dripping, and coughing water.
I stayed there, curled up into a ball. I felt tears form in my eyes and blinked them away. I thought of Mirmo and why I was here. Disgusted with my momentary weakness, I stood up and looked for my bag. It was missing, along with my shoes. Deeper depression hit me as hard as the river had. I had no food, no water, no way to warm up. The thought of my bed, of the dinning hall food, and Lyn came into my head, tempting me to turn back. I looked at the river, still angrily raging and realized I couldn’t even turn back if I wanted to. I could not cross that river again if I wanted to live to see Mirmo again. With a heavy, scared heart started to walk forward, away from the river that nearly drowned me.
There was one place that I knew from my extensive reading and that was the ancient pyramids made by the native people. The native inhabitants were made slaves by a sith lord, thousands of years ago. The teachers of the Jedi did not speak of the temple, but my master had once commented on them, saying few people explored them and one should not go there if one could help it. The temples were places of power, my guess the darkside, but with that said they were dry and would give me shelter from the storms that could ravage the jungle and me. I tried to find one with the Force, but my mind was too battered from the day’s adventure to open up and feel the energy’s warmth. I was Force sensitive, and that meant the Force would still work for me and lead me to the temple if I followed my instincts. There was one direction that led through overgrown tree roots and leafy plants that spoke the loudest to me. Knowing my recent luck had been bad, I headed that direction, hoping to find a dry place to spend the evening and night.
It had rained for several days, leaving the water raging, nearly overflow its banks. I watched in depression and frustration, the muddy water rushing down. There was one long tree that had fallen over the river, but the water was at its level, sometimes lapsing over the tree. It was clear to me I would have to climb up on the tree and work my way across the bark, hoping the river would not sweep me away. My already shot nerves were not numb enough to attempt this proposed feat. I went upstream, hoping the water would lessen, or at least narrow. This was not the case. I went back and passed the original spot, searching down stream. The strength of the river was reduced, but the depth was still unknown. I gave up and went back to the tree across the river.
I stomped my foot hard on the ground and cursed. There was no time for this. By now Mirmo would have discovered I was missing and gone looking for me. I looked at my hands, shaking, dirty and covered in sweat. I willed them to stop shaking and looked up. The tree was pretty big, though wet. I growled, and grabbed the neared root, hauling myself up to the base. Slowly, on badly shaking knees, I stood for a second before almost slipping off and landing straddled on the rough, black bark. The impact of the hard landing too the breath out of me and my mind froze in pain coming from between my legs. I raised myself again onto my knees and tested my ability to crawl. It turns out that I could crawl. Aware of the pressing lack of time, I sped up my pace. Half way over the tree, covered in moss and slime, I looked down at the water. My pants had gotten partly soaked when the water bounced off the tree. I lowered my head, looking more deeply into the water. That’s when I slipped. It was a fast movement, one that caught my breath, jumped my heart, and made me sweat even more. I hadn’t fallen into the water because at the last second I dug my finger nails into the bark and hung on for dear life. The water tore at my body, swinging my legs from side to side, dragging me off the log. I kicked wildly, but the river seemed to have no bottom, nothing for me to push myself out of the water. I felt my grip out and screamed as I plunged into the rush river.
For a moment I was senseless, due to being tumbled all over, unable to tell which way was up. Air, I needed air. I kicked at the water and stuck a hand past my hand. I felt something that was not water. I forced my body to head for the direction. My head broke out of the muddy wetness around me and my mouth gulped sweat fresh air. The river grabbed me and pulled me down. No! I struggled back up and won. I kicked and moved my arms around to keep on the surface. I had no idea where I was. The river was still rushing. I looked at the banks, trying to judge how far they were from me. I gritted my teeth and did hard, powerful strokes across the current. Blindly, I reached for a root. Several went past my hand and one lasted about a second before snapping off. The river continued to carry me away. I gathered my strength and reached again. A thick branch was grabbed and held against my weight. Hand over hand; I climbed the branch, bracing my feet on the bank. When I was on safe ground, I collapsed panting, dripping, and coughing water.
I stayed there, curled up into a ball. I felt tears form in my eyes and blinked them away. I thought of Mirmo and why I was here. Disgusted with my momentary weakness, I stood up and looked for my bag. It was missing, along with my shoes. Deeper depression hit me as hard as the river had. I had no food, no water, no way to warm up. The thought of my bed, of the dinning hall food, and Lyn came into my head, tempting me to turn back. I looked at the river, still angrily raging and realized I couldn’t even turn back if I wanted to. I could not cross that river again if I wanted to live to see Mirmo again. With a heavy, scared heart started to walk forward, away from the river that nearly drowned me.
There was one place that I knew from my extensive reading and that was the ancient pyramids made by the native people. The native inhabitants were made slaves by a sith lord, thousands of years ago. The teachers of the Jedi did not speak of the temple, but my master had once commented on them, saying few people explored them and one should not go there if one could help it. The temples were places of power, my guess the darkside, but with that said they were dry and would give me shelter from the storms that could ravage the jungle and me. I tried to find one with the Force, but my mind was too battered from the day’s adventure to open up and feel the energy’s warmth. I was Force sensitive, and that meant the Force would still work for me and lead me to the temple if I followed my instincts. There was one direction that led through overgrown tree roots and leafy plants that spoke the loudest to me. Knowing my recent luck had been bad, I headed that direction, hoping to find a dry place to spend the evening and night.