RETURN by S.C. Deutsch

Author:S.C. Deutsch [Deutsch, S.C.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Independent
Published: 2021-02-20T06:00:00+00:00

9

Chapter 9

Week 3

Day 3

Ana stared glumly, both frustrated and disgusted at the newest problem confronting her. While she was sick of the constant tests the government kept throwing at her, this time there was no one but herself to blame. Ana could finally see the rendezvous site, but it might as well be on the other side of Atlantica for all the good it did her. It was so close she could almost touch it, yet still completely out of reach.

Ana had not forgotten anything about her previous visit to the island. Everything was seared into her memory, causing her to revisit this loathsome place, both in dreams as well as at odd times during the waking hours. She had, however, failed to take certain things into account when making plans, both before returning and since arriving back. The impediment Ana now faced was one such failure.

When she had created the diorama and planned how to reach the rendezvous point, Ana had not considered that the path she ultimately chose would bring the two of them to the wrong side of the poisonous river. Not that they could have headed in the other direction after finally reaching the beach, but had she stopped to consider the pros and cons of the choice of direction when they arrived at the swamp, Ana might have remembered what she would face by deciding to turn left. Too late to turn around and retrace their steps, Ana now had to figure out how to cross the river without letting any of the water touch her.

She had already scanned the trees to see if there was some way to climb over, but none were close enough to the riverbank to allow either one of them that option. The river was too wide to step across and Ana didn’t feel strong enough to try and swim around it by heading out to sea. She was again faced with the option of either trying to create a raft and paddling across or heading into the jungle and travelling upstream until the river narrowed enough to safely jump.

The more Ana thought about the problem, the clearer it became that she was going to have to enter the jungle. There were no logs around to even try and make a raft and even if something suitable could be fashioned, the current was so strong that it was almost certain to push the creation out to sea. At that point, Ana would have to attempt to work her way back to shore, either by trying to paddle the raft or by swimming. In her present weakened condition, her poor swimming abilities and declining muscle strength would be even more of a liability

The pair had not had any real food in days and often ended up eating and drinking what amounted to starvation rations. Ana had been surviving on coconut water and its flesh for the last week, but the availability was inconsistent, and it was not giving her enough nutrition.

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