Chapter 13 - The Test 3

“Ufufufufufu.”

After walking straight for half an hour, I used my hatchet to cut down some branches and laid it on the ground, point towards the direction of the stream; I’m indeed quite smart.

The plan is, I walk straight for around 30 minutes, before changing direction and cutting down some branches to point it in the direction I came from. It should be fine since I’m only here for-

{Dakka Dakka Dakka Dakka}

Suddenly, loud rapid gunshots with bullets whistling past me came out of nowhere. I quickly took cover behind a tree, with my heart beating at an unimaginable pace.

I took a sneak peek from behind the tree and saw my mom firing at me using a fully automatic rifle. This is a joke, right? The only gun I have is a flare gun. How am I supposed to defend against a fully automatic rifle, with a flare gun!?!? Give me a pistol at least!

{Dakka Dakka Dakka}

More bullets came from my mom, who noticed me peeking; a few rounds were only a few centimetres from my head. This is dangerous. Do you intend to kill your daughter?!

I have to move quickly. There were a few bushes around, but how do I hide without getting caught?

{Dakka Dakka Dakka Dakka}

“Ah! I’ve got an idea.”

I grabbed my flare gun and threw it into a nearby bush. It gave me an extra second to move; I quickly jumped into a nearby bush and rolled down what seems to be a hill. Ignoring all of the pain, I quickly ran away, hiding behind a tree every few moments.

{Dakka Dakka Dakka Dakka Dakka}

I could still hear the loud gunfire whilst running. My back felt exposed like it was going to get hit at any moment now. All I can do right now is pray.

---

After a few minutes of running; I managed to escape from my mom. I took a break on a nearby tree and looked at my pocket watch. 8:55 am. Allen, Amelia, and Alfred should be in school right now, starting first period classes. I wonder what they’re thinking about after realising I’m gone.

“Hehe.”

I chuckled a little bit after imagining their faces. My body felt only pain, and nothing else, but laughing relieved the pain by a little, for a short moment. I seem to have sprained my ankle, but everything else was just some minor scratches.

My breathing was very rough, and I couldn't move a muscle. I tried to move my arm to hold my aching ankle, but I could barely lift my arm up. I can’t move an inch, and I’m super vulnerable to anything that sees me.

“This… haaa… is… haa…. Just… like… haaa… my… haa… death… hahaha.”

If anyone saw me right now, they would think I’m crazy for laughing in such a state. I should take a short nap and rest here for a little. If I move at night, I should be able to hide under the cover of darkness. I just hope my mom doesn't have any night vision gear on her.

---

I woke up under shades of the trees, at high noon. I was very hungry and thirsty. I can’t remember where I ran from, and it’ll be a little too risky either way, running back to where my mom was. I have to find a new water source for now.

I managed to regain some strength, but my arms and legs were still very sore. I just felt like sleeping again, but I have objectives I need to complete; finding a cave, and eating 5 creatures.

Using the tree I was sleeping on as support; I managed to stand up on one leg, with the other hovering above the ground. This is quite a peculiar situation. I looked around at my surroundings and found a tree covered with vines nearby.

“I can make a makeshift walking stick to help me walk.”

I dropped to the ground and crawled towards the tree, pushing away any leaves and twigs in the way, gathering a few vines using my hands. Next, I used my hatchet to cut some low branches for building the walking stick. Now, how should I make this?

“Wait!”

I realised something. Quickly, I checked my pocket and found a pencil I borrowed from my art teacher; I’m so lucky! I pulled out the useless guide book and began drawing up a sketch of what it would look like. Most of the pages on the guide book were tattered, but I just need to use the pages in the middle of the book.

It looks pretty good; this may be the best 1-minute sketch I’ve drawn in my life. It still looks like a 9-year-old's drawing, but I'm technically 9-years-old, so it's a masterpiece. It’s time to engineer myself a walking stick!