After The Trials

Chapter 23

I wake up before the sun rises with a headache. I kept waking up last night and could barely sleep. I know I should be happy because I'm finally going home after so much time, but something doesn't give me peace. I feel like I will make a person sad, if not even more. I don't know how or why or who.

I can't fall asleep again, it's almost dawn, so all I have to do is wait for Isaac to wake up. After ten minutes I realized I don't have enough patience for this. As I don't want to wake him up, I go to find a boat on my own, but not before writing a note - so he won't panic like the first time - in case he wakes up before I come back.

The weather is perfect at this hour, not too hot and not too cold. The dim sounds the waves usually make are almost inaudible. The silence doesn't pleasure me as much as I'd wish, though. It only helps my thoughts be heard clearer. I wish they would be the ones that analyze every situation, even those are better than these. These are telling me that I forgot something and that I'll regret some actions.

Knowing you forgot something, but don't remembering what is the worst feeling. I did everything I had to. Is there anything that I should've said and didn't? And how could I possibly regret it later? Why can't I regret it now and get over it? But this isn't the reason I left the room. I will overthink after I find a boat. That's my priority now. 

The dock is almost empty, the Cranks took everything they could. The few boats that can still function are damaged. At least we don't have many supplies, only the last water bottles and my notes - even the wrong ones are important in some way, so I don't have to look for a big boat. 

There's only one problem, I suck at this. I have no idea which ones need gas or work with electricity. And the distance is too long for a classic boat. Actually, that might not matter. This place has been abandoned for the past years, there are gas stations and the generators are full.

I look at them, not knowing what I want or how they're supposed to be. After about half an hour, I hear some steps behind me and turn around to see Isaac. "You're finally up." I say.

"Finally? Do you even know how time works? It's 6 am, for god's sake. When did you come?"

"I think it's been almost an hour. But that's not the point. The sooner we find a boat, the sooner we get home. To give you some motivation, remember that we haven't had a proper meal in over four days, if that's helping you focus."

"In that case, I hope you're better at boats than I am."

I forgot about that little detail. Of course Isaac doesn't know anything about boats, he lived his whole life in a forest as a Crank that hated water. "It's perfect. Two idiots have everything they need right in front of their eyes and yet they can't put the pieces together."

"Stop being so pessimistic, we've done harder things than this."

Isaac wanted to add something else, but I left him and went to a boat. It looks more intact than others and the only problem is that one of the propellers was broken. I watched Thomas repair that Berg long enough to know how to switch it with another piece.

There has to be a repository somewhere. "Hey." I say to Isaac. "Make yourself useful and find a screwdriver." he doesn't question it and leaves. I have plenty propellers to choose from, so that shouldn't be a problem. I look for a more qualitative one and wait Isaac next to it.

After he comes, I explain him what he has to do and we split, each one working on a boat. I unscrew the good propellers and he unscrews the broken one. We both moved pretty fast and the boat was all set soon. Isaac went to bring the water and the other stuff while I powered the boat.