novelraw Chapter 189: Polar Day, On the Road 10
Chapter 189: Polar Day, On the Road 10
Watching the people who turned back leave, those who chose to press on were also plunged into boundless panic.
"Whether you go back or press on is your own choice. No one knows if we’ll find a water source by continuing forward. Before we left, I said it many times: leaving and staying are your own decisions. But once you’ve made your choice, don’t blame anyone. This isn’t anybody’s fault. It’s fate that’s not giving us a way out, forcing us to search for a path to survival again and again."
Taylor Vance came to the center of the crowd and announced loudly.
"Everyone, think it over carefully now. Are you going forward, or are you returning to the safe zone? We leave in one hour."
"Aunt Dawson and her family all went back," Serena Lynch said quietly as she walked over. "I saw they still had quite a lot of things. Why would they suddenly decide to turn back?"
"They’re probably afraid they won’t find a path to survival if they keep going."
Serena Lynch sighed. "Those seven young people who escaped from Marris are still the most energetic ones, always walking at the front. Evelyn, that medicine you gave those three girls worked wonders. Their hair is growing back so well."
Serena Lynch had also shaved her head, but her hair had started growing back over the past two months.
"Do you need some?"
Serena Lynch shook her head. "Not right now. But if things go on like this, I reckon we’ll all live short lives. We’re on edge every single day. You have no idea... during the year I lived in the cellar, I had several emotional breakdowns. I’d suddenly feel like crying for no reason, want to throw a tantrum, and I was always having nightmares."
Evelyn completely understood. ’Most people probably have some form of PTSD. Some can handle it better, some not as well. But as long as you’re human, you can’t be invincible. Everyone needs an outlet, needs comfort, needs something to believe in.’
"But I couldn’t bear to leave Chase Underwood or Annie. Whenever I cried, Annie would always hug me to comfort me. He’d tell me, ’Mama, I’ll protect you.’ Evelyn, there were so many times I just wanted to die and get it over with. Living is just too painful, too exhausting."
Evelyn patted her on the shoulder. "Sometimes you don’t have to hold back. Just let it all out."
"I’m much better now. After the temperature dropped, all my anxiety, stress, and panic vanished into thin air."
Annie ran over and hugged Serena Lynch’s leg, and a small smile touched her lips.
"Evelyn, we’re definitely going to find a way to survive, right?"
"Of course. We absolutely will."
An hour later, those who were turning back left in silence. The ones who chose to continue forward quickly packed their things and resumed their journey.
Taylor Vance’s plan was to follow the Silver River upstream. As their leader, he was an expert with maps, so navigating wouldn’t be a problem.
Evelyn had been in high spirits for the past few days, full of energy as if she’d had a shot of adrenaline. Even after traveling for more than ten hours a day, she showed no signs of fatigue.
With the temperature dropping to thirty-six degrees, far fewer people were suffering from heatstroke.
"Ronan, we caught fish right here last time."
Ronan Kendrick nodded. "This is it."
Evelyn smiled. ’I never thought I’d have the chance to come back here. The last time, this place was a world of ice and snow. Now, it’s scorching hot. How unpredictable life is.’
Traveling was an ordeal. Traveling under the scorching heat was an even greater one.
The longer they traveled, the slower their pace became. But upon reaching the upper reaches of the Silver River, they finally spotted an eagle soaring overhead.
As the eagle prepared to dive and ambush one of them, many people were already braced for a counter-attack.
The eagle probably hadn’t eaten in a long time. Just as it was about to snatch a child, a quick-thinking person struck it with a stick. It fell to the ground, and several people nearby swarmed it, quickly beating it to death.
It was a large eagle, but it was so emaciated it was little more than a skeleton.
Its body was torn into a dozen or so pieces by a few people. The scene was bloody, but to everyone, the eagle was meat, and they couldn’t afford to pass up any meat.
In the days that followed, someone also caught a rattlesnake that was barely alive.
The rattlesnake weighed over ten pounds. A middle-aged man had caught it. He was lucky he hadn’t been bitten; rattlesnakes are highly venomous, and a bite without antivenom would have been a death sentence.
The appearance of animals was undoubtedly the best possible morale booster. Everyone’s confidence in the road ahead grew.
When they reached a resting spot, quite a few people went into the surrounding mountains to hunt. Evelyn was truly exhausted. After days without washing her face or hair, she felt disgusting all over. She could only use the excuse of going to the bathroom to secretly brush her teeth. She could tolerate everything else, but not being able to brush her teeth was unbearable.
While the others ate, Evelyn and Ronan Kendrick ate too, choking down dry biscuits with water. Making their own private meals was something they could only risk once in a while. If they did it every day, someone with a sharp nose was bound to smell it.
"Quick, everyone! There are mountain goats! Hurry!"
Someone shouted, and everyone else came running. Even Evelyn and Ronan Kendrick dashed out immediately. They ran to the teenager who had shouted and looked down at the dozen or so mountain goats on the cliff below. Everyone’s eyes were wide with disbelief.
"Goats! They’re really goats! I’m not seeing things, they’re really goats!" someone exclaimed, so excited they were practically dancing. Others looked on, eager to act.
Evelyn noticed a few dead trees and some dried grass at the bottom of the cliff.
’It looks like there hasn’t been any spontaneous combustion here,’ she thought. ’Because it’s at the base of the cliff and in the shade, the trees and grass have withered much more slowly.’
But the cliff was incredibly high. Unless you were Spider-Man, it would be nearly impossible for an ordinary person to climb down without tools.
"Bring all the ropes and tie them together! We’ll use rocks to knock the mountain goats down. Three people will rappel down with ropes tied to them, tie the goats to other ropes, and then we’ll pull both the goats and the people back up!"
As soon as Evelyn finished speaking, many people rushed back to get their ropes. Others didn’t dare to leave, afraid they’d miss out on their share of the meat.
Just then, Taylor Vance and his group arrived.
"Evelyn’s plan is a good one," Taylor said. "Everyone will get a share of the meat. Let’s all work together and get these goats up here."
In the end, the ones who went down were Ronan Kendrick, Roy Henderson, and Owen Chapman.
"Ronan."
"I’ll be back soon, Evelyn. We’ll have Mutton Skewers later."
Evelyn nodded. "Be safe. You two as well, be careful."
Roy Henderson and Owen Chapman nodded. Both had matured quickly over the past few years. Under Zion Lowell’s training, their skills had surpassed even Officer Graham’s.
At that, everyone above started hurling rocks at the mountain goats. The ones that fell would have their limbs broken, if they weren’t killed outright.
Once the goats had all been knocked to the bottom of the cliff, the three men began their descent. The people above held the ropes taut; no one dared to slacken their grip for even a second.
Evelyn held one of the ropes herself. Only when she saw Ronan Kendrick land safely at the bottom did she finally feel a sense of relief.
One of the goats was quickly hauled up. Three others had fled, and Ronan Kendrick went after them alone.
Everyone above was ecstatic. This was mutton! It seemed leaving the safe zone had been the right choice after all.
Soon, Ronan Kendrick returned, dragging the three goats with him. Roy Henderson and Owen Chapman had already been pulled back up. Evelyn kept her eyes fixed on Ronan as Officer Graham and Quincy, who were helping her pull the rope from behind, kept reassuring her.
"Evelyn, Ronan is so capable. You really don’t need to worry."