You, Me, And The Jungle

Day Four

Ethan's P.O.V.

Not from afar, I heard Liam scream. His scream was blood curdling. I shudder, and then call out his name. There was no answer. "Liam, where are you?" I ask, fumbling with my pocket, trying to get my lighter out. I couldn't find the damn thing.

"Liam!?" I shout out once more. He didn't answer. I was getting a little fidgety. Before I was able to call again, I realize, I could barely even feel my hands. My body was shutting down. All of the cold air was starting to catch up.

It didn't take long for me to realize what was happening to my body. It was shutting down from the coldness. Good ol' Hypothermia. I never expected that was the way I die, but that's the thing about life, you don't know until you find out. Everything's a surprise.

"Dangit!" I growl, shoving my hands into my pockets. "Liam!" I shout, and

Specks of light shone from the tiny holes in between the rocks. I smile a bit, and walk over. Before I could even reached what had been the entrance, horrible feeling struck me.

Liam...

Since it wasn't as dark as it was before, I decided to look down around at my surroundings. A couple of rocks were blocking the way. I look down though, and I see Liam. He was curled up, in the fetal position.

"Liam, wake up, we have to go--" I stop talking. Something was wrong.

"Liam?"

His body was cold to the touch.

His eyes remained closed.

Dead.

He was dead, I was sure of it.

I touch his wrist. No pulse.

Dead...

"Oh, Uilliam..." My voice cracks a bit. "We are so close, you are so close, to getting outta this mess alive! C'mon bud, please, wake up! Wake up man." Suddenly, the sound of other voices could be heard. My head rises to see the huge boulders that were falling out of place. Someone was moving them. It was the rescue team!

"Ethan, Liam!?" I heard a voice. It was the sound of my father. I get up, but then look back down at Liam's corpse. It hurt my heart to leave him. I start to drag him towards the exit. All the rocks came tumbling down to the floor. There was my father, five firefighters, and two police men. They were all standing there.

"Dad!" I yell. I trip and fall to the ground. Two the firefighters rush over to help me up. Right before they could get to me, I pull off Liam's locket from around his neck. They both put my arms around their shoulders, and drag me away. I peer over my shoulder to see Liam's corpse lying there. "No!" I scream, reaching back.

I couldn't just leave him, no, I wouldn't. He's the whole reason to why I survived this far. He had the wits to use my cigarettes at tinder so we could start a fire. He was the one that was hurting inside. He was the one that liked Abby. He may have even asked her out after this. He was the one with the wits, and had a future. That was all gone now. He didn't make it through the night, I did, but that doesn't mean I just leave him behind. He put up with me through all of this mess, and helped me survived.

Most importantly:

He actually listened to me when I needed someone to be there to listen...

The firefighters carried me off screaming and kicking. I didn't want to leave Liam. It's very hard to leave someone behind when they suffered the same way you did.

My father runs over to me and hugs me tightly. My lips quiver. When I was younger, he always had told me not to cry. Crying was the weak, but I couldn't help but cry. He was doing the same.

"Four days..." My father sobbed. He pulled back. Tears were running down his face. "Four days of unconditional grief and anger, wishing that I had done more with, and for, you. Wishing that I had been a better father to you. I know now why your mother left me. It was because I didn't understand that having a child is the only thing that should matter to you. I didn't understand that I should've been there for you, and nurtured you when you needed it, when you were young. I didn't realize what kind of father I could've, and should've, been to you, than what I had been."

I stare at my father, dumbfounded and doe-eyed. That was the most heartfelt thing he had ever said to me in his entire life. "Can you ever forgive me son...?" After four days of struggling between a life and death situation, right outside the cave, which could've become my tomb, I found my father practically begging for forgiveness. I nod my head slowly and I hug him once more.

After receiving medical treatment, I arrive at camp. All of the students and teachers were there. Even people from news stations were there! They wanted answers to their questions, but I honestly wanted to just sit down. I wanted to sit down not to eat, not to sleep, not to drink, but to think about life. I wanted to explore my options. I wanted only to reflect on this week. This all happened in four days, yet it was life changing. In my family, I'd always be known as the wilderness survivor, and Liam would always be a dear friend of mine.

"ETHAN!" I hear someone scream my name. When I turn around, I get hugged to death by Abby. She was crying uncontrollable, and she wouldn't let go of me. Keesha, Abby's twin sister, was standing behind. I had never seen Keesha look so concerned in my life. She was standing behind Abby and me, fidgeting with her hands.

Abby looked around, and then she stopped hugging me. She sniffed.

"Where's Uilliam?"

I hold Abby's hands and shake my head. I couldn't say he was dead, I didn't want to say it either. She got the message, and instantly started crying again, shouting, "I should've told him, I should've told him." My eyebrows shoot up. "Should've told him what Abby?" Keesha walked up and places a hand on my shoulder. "Abby had a crush on Liam. She was going to tell him the day you guys ran off." She said.

I felt horrible. Abby had liked Liam, and Liam had liked her back. The memory of me getting scared by the tiger and running away. The memory of Liam chasing after me, trying to stop me like the heroic guy he was, he replayed in my head. This immense guilt, it was building up every single damn second. If I had been a bit braver, I would've just ran towards the cabins, and none of this would've happened, but it did. The thing about life is, there is no reset button. You make one mistake, and everything you've done is done. Forever.

I hang my head low, with guilt and woe.

"It's my fault. I should've stayed with the others." I say, holding back the tears, yet again. "It's not your fault, you didn't know..." Keesha protested a]. Her voice is gentle. "Y'know, Abby..." I start. "Liam had liked you... He told me while we sat near the stream. He told me that he came on this trip because of you. The whole idea of being near nature sickens him because it reminds him of his father. His father used to take him camping, so when he heard you wanted to go on this trip, he wanted to impress you with his skills." I stop, and look at the floor.

"He didn't need to impress me. I had known him for nearly all of my life, ever since junior high..." Her voice trails off. She walks away, and so does Keesha.