dunes of the desert
we just crossed. I was lucky, I suppose, to crash where I did. Had
it been deeper in the desert, that I can only assume spreads over
miles and miles, then getting out of it would have probably killed
me dead.
The physical exertion of pulling my weight
over branches and squeezing through tight winding trees saps the
power from my already tired muscles. Even Kolt has been slowed
down. He moves through the thick vegetation with ease and does so
with artistic precision. He doesn’t trip like I am and he doesn’t
get his arms snagged on tree trunks like I am. But moving that
eight foot muscular frame around takes time. I can still hear his
breathing apparatus but, even though its irritating and constant,
it comforts me a little.
It has become like a constant companion to
the disorientating silence. Like him, I suppose. I’m determined not
to fall behind today though. I’m still annoyed with myself that I
had to stop yesterday and drink when Kolt could have just powered
on. I needed food like my stomach was going to implode if I didn’t
eat. But Kolt can’t even eat at all. I have no idea how he keeps
going. But I’m seriously envious of him for it.
We keep on going like that for a long time.
Just pulling our way through the dense jungle without saying
anything to one another. We sure could use a knife or sword to tear
through the thick, enormous leaves and hack our way through the
smaller, younger trees. But we don’t. So no point moaning.
At first I
thought it was just my beating heart heaving through my aching
chest. I thought it was just the physical demands of powering
through the horrible jungle and my muscles were just shaking. I
didn’t even hear it at all. I was too focused on his breathing. I
was entranced by it and I was u sing it to
time my day and keep my sleep deprived mind alert.
But as we
drew closer I could feel the intense vibration thunder through the
cavity of my chest. I could hear the monolithic rhythmic stomping
of a large, two legged, beast of a dinosaur. I froze to the spot
but Kolt kept going. Suddenly my breathing became deep and labored and my stomach began churning. It felt
like it was tipping over and over again in my belly.
I shook my head hard, tried to look around
and met nothing but more trees and more hanging vines. I had no
idea where the monster was.
‘Follow me.’ Kolt said as gently as he could
and so that I could still hear him through the muffling affect of
his mask. He knelt down in the mud by a long vine that stretched up
a jagged, but soaking wet, exposed rock face. I hadn’t even seen
the stones through the trees.
As I eased
myself gently closer to him I could make out the grey colored rock poking though the wall of green
leaves and trees. He took a bottle from his utility belt and held
it against the stone. I could just hear the water trickle down into
the empty and transparent container over the intense and constant
thunderous footprint of the monster that I could still not yet
see.
I waited there for him, as patiently as I
could, while the drips slowly filled the bottle with clear and safe
to drink rain water. I keep looking from left to right and back
again for anything out of the ordinary. Not that much is within the
confines of the ordinary on this planet that I have yet seen.
But I don’t see anything at all. I would have
felt better if we could just leg it and try to make it further away
from the brute that was grazing for food somewhere near by. Logic
swore to me that it was best to just run but I know that’s just
bull. If we run we attract more attention to ourselves and we put
ourselves in greater risk of being the highlight of the menu.
Kolt finally
screws the cap back onto the bottle and returns the container to
his belt. He looks up. I knew he would. He has the same idea that I
have but he definitely has more balls to make it happen than I
have. We need to climb out of the pit of the forest, get on top of
it, and get a good view
we just crossed. I was lucky, I suppose, to crash where I did. Had
it been deeper in the desert, that I can only assume spreads over
miles and miles, then getting out of it would have probably killed
me dead.
The physical exertion of pulling my weight
over branches and squeezing through tight winding trees saps the
power from my already tired muscles. Even Kolt has been slowed
down. He moves through the thick vegetation with ease and does so
with artistic precision. He doesn’t trip like I am and he doesn’t
get his arms snagged on tree trunks like I am. But moving that
eight foot muscular frame around takes time. I can still hear his
breathing apparatus but, even though its irritating and constant,
it comforts me a little.
It has become like a constant companion to
the disorientating silence. Like him, I suppose. I’m determined not
to fall behind today though. I’m still annoyed with myself that I
had to stop yesterday and drink when Kolt could have just powered
on. I needed food like my stomach was going to implode if I didn’t
eat. But Kolt can’t even eat at all. I have no idea how he keeps
going. But I’m seriously envious of him for it.
We keep on going like that for a long time.
Just pulling our way through the dense jungle without saying
anything to one another. We sure could use a knife or sword to tear
through the thick, enormous leaves and hack our way through the
smaller, younger trees. But we don’t. So no point moaning.
At first I
thought it was just my beating heart heaving through my aching
chest. I thought it was just the physical demands of powering
through the horrible jungle and my muscles were just shaking. I
didn’t even hear it at all. I was too focused on his breathing. I
was entranced by it and I was u sing it to
time my day and keep my sleep deprived mind alert.
But as we
drew closer I could feel the intense vibration thunder through the
cavity of my chest. I could hear the monolithic rhythmic stomping
of a large, two legged, beast of a dinosaur. I froze to the spot
but Kolt kept going. Suddenly my breathing became deep and labored and my stomach began churning. It felt
like it was tipping over and over again in my belly.
I shook my head hard, tried to look around
and met nothing but more trees and more hanging vines. I had no
idea where the monster was.
‘Follow me.’ Kolt said as gently as he could
and so that I could still hear him through the muffling affect of
his mask. He knelt down in the mud by a long vine that stretched up
a jagged, but soaking wet, exposed rock face. I hadn’t even seen
the stones through the trees.
As I eased
myself gently closer to him I could make out the grey colored rock poking though the wall of green
leaves and trees. He took a bottle from his utility belt and held
it against the stone. I could just hear the water trickle down into
the empty and transparent container over the intense and constant
thunderous footprint of the monster that I could still not yet
see.
I waited there for him, as patiently as I
could, while the drips slowly filled the bottle with clear and safe
to drink rain water. I keep looking from left to right and back
again for anything out of the ordinary. Not that much is within the
confines of the ordinary on this planet that I have yet seen.
But I don’t see anything at all. I would have
felt better if we could just leg it and try to make it further away
from the brute that was grazing for food somewhere near by. Logic
swore to me that it was best to just run but I know that’s just
bull. If we run we attract more attention to ourselves and we put
ourselves in greater risk of being the highlight of the menu.
Kolt finally
screws the cap back onto the bottle and returns the container to
his belt. He looks up. I knew he would. He has the same idea that I
have but he definitely has more balls to make it happen than I
have. We need to climb out of the pit of the forest, get on top of
it, and get a good view
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