BLUE SCARF

CHAPTER 24.5:

For a split second, there was an eerie silence. Not a leaf moved. The wind stopped most abruptly. Goma even forgot about the three hissing turtles who were only five feet away from him and who could attack any minute. He just started to feel a distant rumbling and thumping traversing from his stomach, to chest and to his mouth. His mouth became dry. He stood up immediately and rushed towards the edge. Rika was nowhere to be found. She might be carried away by the flowing lake that meets the waterfall a few hundred metres away. Or she might have been hit by a rock. But there was not a cry or a scream after the last one. That was probably the last sound Goma heard of Rika.

He opened his mouth to scream but not even a 'phew' came out. He got down on his knees. His face buried into his large hands. His ears red and body shivering ruthlessly. He coughed every now and then to hold the buzz of emotions. Anger, loss, pain and shock but they all emerged together in the form of beady droplets that rolled down from his eyes. He was mad at himself that he put forward his prospect of earning more kills. But he could not help, he was right in doing so, that was the whole point of putting themselves in danger.

Rika just blended in emotions and now it was all over. He could not even argue more than once. He was confused if he was wrong for not being empathetic but he was sure of one thing. He would not do something, protesting that Rika died. No matter if accidentally, but he lost her because of the stupid task. And he was not going to lose the motive because of which Rika died. He would keep the turtles alive who were eating peacefully inside the cave unaware of what had just happened. Next thing he was sure of was to search through the entire forest if he could find remains of Rika's body. He might not even find it for days or even months. Maybe her body would decay by the time he comes across it, but the forest was less likely to be visited by people wearing Phoenix High's shirt and pants. The government might even consider both of them to be dead but he had made up his mind. And he set out for his unassigned task not looking back once.

He walked for miles in the terrains of the forest. His body aching badly as it froze at the joints and muscles. The unpaved paths were an addition to his pain as he fell down multiple times because of the darkness. The only light was provided by stars and the moon.

As if the struggle of an internal battle of losing a loved one and blaming himself was not enough, the path to the lake bore so many obstacles. Besides being achy, he was tired and exhausted. His legs were giving away. But nature is always healing. It sensed a broken survivor in its forest and tried it's best to make the atmosphere breathable for this person. He stepped over a patch of dewy grass and his weak hold of the ground carried him to the bottom of the cliff swiftly as he rolled down. A grass padded stone held him back from rolling into the lake. The soft, cold breeze brushed his cheeks, the fragrance of the lilies growing around him was refreshing. He was tired and his eyes were drooping. The tiredness pushed him back on the soft grass and he fell fast asleep.

Goma heard chirping of the birds that sounded clearer as his senses woke up from sleep. He found his eyes difficult to open. Partly because of his swollen eyes and partly because of the sun shining right over his face. Gathering up his courage and his body, he got up on his feet and came on his toes to give a nice stretch. He strolled wearily at the bank of the lake still drooping his head and splashed a handful of water over his face. He rose up to full length and could not help but notice the beautiful waterfall at the tail of the lake. Pain and loss were still dawning over him but something about the fall drew him towards it.

The gushing sound of the water falling over the pebbles and the blue and yellow butterflies was so alluring. There was no thinking, he closed his eyes and walked closer to the lap of nature. The water splashed all over his body, easing his clenched muscle and healing his soul. He was lost for a moment and then something large and soft hit his legs. Opening and wiping his eyes, he saw Rika floating. He opened his mouth in awe and bewildered to contemplate what he had just seen. He bent down and checked her. Her body was cold. He skipped a beat. Immediately, he checked her wrist, he could feel low numbs and then checked his neck. She was alive. Quickly grabbing her, he dragged her behind the waterfall which was the driest and the warmest patch of the forest.