Gwen, are you ok?

Part 6

145 – Bruno

After going to Machu Picchu, we decided to visit what most travelers referred to as the highlight of Peru. Choquequirao. Basically, Choquequirao was like Machu Picchu but mysterious, untouched, unexplored and without tourists. There was a catch though; it was a two-day hike to get there.

We took the bus from Cusco for four hours until the small town of Cachora where we left our luggage with the locals, stocked up on supplies and set off with all the equipment we would need to sleep outside for a few nights until we got there.

Now, this was what we needed. After all the hikes we did in China, Bong Gu and I were in our natural habitat here. The first day was a breeze. Bong Gu wouldn't stop sniffing and exploring everywhere as if it was the first time she had been out for a walk in the whole week. The truth was we spent, on average, eight to ten hours outdoors walking every day but for her, it was always like the first time.

146 - Gwen

I poured down half the bottle of kerosene inside the switchboard and the other half on the toilet paper rolls and other supplies that were scattered around in the room. In a few minutes, everything would be over. I thought as I sat on the floor and drank from the bottle of whiskey until I had the courage to stand up.

Standing up was always the hardest part of drinking. I tried grabbing from the shelf but the shelf crumbled and a few rolls of toilet paper fell on my head. The doorknob looked sturdy enough so I grabbed it and stood up, holding the wall. I thought about giving up, but it was too late, the alcohol had been poured and the drunk street dwellers were outside backing me up. The stage had been set. It was too late to back down now. I rolled a few blank sheets from my notebook into long strips and set them on fire so that they would reach the board and the paper a few seconds after I was gone.

Pulling down my cap one last time, I left the room and headed towards the entrance keeping my head down and slightly ashamed of what I had just done. I couldn't help but worry about what would happen if someone stopped me on my way out. What if someone stopped me or asked me a question? How could I explain what I was doing? What if they noticed I was drunk? Would I be able to outrun an Australian officer of the law and make my escape?

About twenty foreigners were standing at the entrance with a guided tour of some sort. I walked passed them, with the stealth of a cat, and the agility of a gazelle. I could do this. I'd played enough Tenchu to know how to escape this kind of situations.

Almost invisible to the naked eye, I dashed through the crowd of foreigners. With my back to the security cameras, I jumped up the tripwires, avoided the drones, dodged the lasers and walked away unharmed. I saluted the security guard at the door with a smooth "Cheers. Bye!" to make sure I raised no suspicions.

Once outside, I took my drink from my bag one more time and drowned my guilty conscience while walking towards the main road. I thought about Ria and then I thought what a good thing it would be if a zombie apocalypse was to be unleashed over Australia. Ria and I would probably spend the rest of the day looking for each other and battling zombies, and the whole fire and missing girl issues would be overlooked.

There was no sign of the homeless and no sign of the police. I flagged down a cab and told the driver to take me to the hotel, hoping he wouldn't notice how inebriated I was. He left me at the entrance of the hotel where I stumbled into the reception and asked the receptionist which room I was staying in because there was no way I could remember.

It was good she was standing behind the desk so she couldn't see that I had no shoes on. She said my room number was 406. I took the elevator and walked the familiar hallway, feeling the softness of the carpet under my feet. It felt like I was walking on clouds. My stomach was upset, I was light-headed, dehydrated, and it was probably the alcohol's way to punish me for what I had done.