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Chapter Nineteen

I woke up with a miserable aching pain in my lower abdomen.

The rain was downpouring, water leaking in and turning my whole area under the large rock into mud.

I groaned, curling up tighter into a ball.

This is the fifth time I've woke up in the night. The first time I threw up. There was nothing left to throw up after that.

I clenched my knees groaning in pain again as another sharp ache struck my stomach.

Regret filled me as I thought about how I drunk that creek water.

I wonder how long this sickness will last?

I clenched my eyes shut, tears escaping the sides as it felt like I was being stabbed repeatedly in my lower stomach.
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I sat up, seeing dots in my vision. It was silent, no drizzle or raindrops of any type.

I stretched my numb legs, then peeled the wooden entrance and exit I had originally made, peering at the sunshine.

It had finally stopped raining.

The ongoing rain lasted for two and a half days.

I lost track of how long I've been out here, it feels like I've been in this forest for forever.

I just know I have to find somewhere fast or I will die.

My stomach no longer burned from hunger but was numb.

I pulled myself out of the hole, my vision growing dizzy rapidly.

I stood up, suddenly feeling myself falling as everything went black.

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My ears rung and my vision was blurred, my arms and legs feeling like large weights were attached to them as I struggled to move.

My head felt like it was being crushed by a ton of bricks all at once.

My mouth was paper dry, a dull ache lingering in my throat.

I fluttered my eyes and pushed myself up sluggishly.

Did I fall asleep?

I sat up, my body moving like jello as it flopped around uncontrollably.

Realization hit me.

I passed out.

Sweat dripped off my brow.

I heaved from the heat, nothing coming up. My mouth was extremely dry.

My whole body was shaking uncontrollably.

I looked at my arms, instantly being appalled as my skin resembled a tomato. Red inflamed blisters covered them.

I was sun burned bad.

How long have I been passed out???

I pushed myself up, stumbling away blindly. I fell forward, a tree catching my fall.

I groaned, dry-heaving again.

"Jay!" I heard a voice call.

Panic overtook my body.

I surged forward, not bothering to try to find the voice.

Not after all this. Not after all this.

Not. After. All. This.

Everything shifted in slow motion as I ran.

The huge hill came out of nowhere. I tumbled down it, flipping and feeling every moment of pain caused as my body came in contact with the ground repeatedly.

I felt like I was slowly moving through time as a rock jabbed into my lower back.

My face got scratched repeatedly, brush stabbing and scraping my blistered body.

Unexpectedly everything went still.

I was laying on my face.

I coughed in the damp dirt, no air returning to my body from my breath being forcefully knocked out of me.

My eyes watered.

"JAY!" I heard someone bellow.

I gasped, regaining air slowly but surely.

I rolled myself on my back.

I came face to face with Lorenzo staring straight at me, eyes filled with malice and rage at the same time.

I went limp as he pulled me up and carried me bridal style through the woods in an angry silence.

I sniffed in defeat, tears running down my face and falling on the trail the whole way back to the house.

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