Skies of Rain

[Shyrus]

Feli silently prayed that the helicopter would see them but as Cody had said, the crash looks much too complicated for anyone to survive. Feli looked to the ground and thought things over. Maybe they just couldn't get to them right now? No. through the dense trees and plants there was no way they could be seen. She started to walk towards the outskirts of the camp site. "I'm off to look for water." she said silently trying to hide her disappointment. "I think that should be our next priority... it doesn't seem like we'll be getting out of here any time soon."

[Mistress of Whispers]

"Feli, stop please," Karrin sounded tired but neutral. "I know you prefer to go out on your own and find things, and that's usually good, but right now it's not what we need. We need to talk and decide what to do from here. We might -" she hesitated and then decided to just be blunt "- we might not even stay here. With no rescue forthcoming, it might be better to move out. And if that's what we decide, finding a water source here will do us no good. I know you're disappointed, but let's talk first, as a group, and then act."

Edited June 6, 2013 by Mistress of Whispers

[Shyrus]

Feli looked back at Karrin, her face expressionless. She looked to the ground as if thinking things over. Then hesitantly she shuffled over and sat herself down on the ground. "Okay"

She looked to the sky and wondered just how far they fell from the air. It was a miracle they were alive so that was one good point.

Edited June 12, 2013 by Shyrus

[Rarek]

Cody was a little deflated when the helicopter left. But he nodded slightly at Karrin's assessment. "We need to get out of this forest, there's no way we're getting out of here like this. We need to start building the components of a mobile camp, things we can set up and tear down easily." With a great effort, Cody reached for a nearby branch whuch happened to have a split at his shoulder height. He hauled himself up using it and hooked it under the arm nearest his bad leg. "I can move, I can stay off this leg so long as I have a branch like this." He looked around camp at everyone else. What do you all think?"

[Mistress of Whispers]

"Yes, with that support you'd be good to move", Karrin confirmed to Cody. The others, while still in varying state of injury, should also be good to travel if they didn't push themselves too hard.

 

While the others mulled over their options and possibly cast their vote on what to do, Karrin took a moment to track the direction the helicopter had flown off to with her compass. It had been flying in a straight line before circling back to view the wreckage and then it had moved off again in the same direction, so there must be a base that way. At the very least, it gave them something more to go on than picking a direction at random.

[Shyrus]

Feli took a look around. She knew everyone’s condition was bad but now with this amount of light and not running back and forth she really did know how bad things were. Yes she did help out with patching some things up but it still looked worse then she remembered. Maybe it was just because everyone looked so glum. Who wouldn't be in this situation?

She walked over to her back pack and pulled out her rubbing alcohol again and treated her arm the second time since the crash. The bottle was now around one fifth empty.

Even though it was a rather bad injury she knew it could heal on its own given time. Medical supplies where very valuable and she could bear whatever pain this gave off long enough until they got out of the rainforest. Well, if they get out.

Someone said something about having a shelter that was easy to set up and take down. A lean-to defiantly wouldn't be that easy. An idea popped into Feli's head. "If we have any leftover parachute cord from using it to store food and supplies, we can use that. We just tie each end to a three and hand a parachute over it. Easy."

 

[Rarek]

Cody nodded at Feliceia. "That could work temporarily, but we all know that one parachute is only wide enough for one person to float down safely. If we find two, or even three, we'll be in better shape." He winced as he placed too much weight on his leg for a brief second. Give it a week, should be fine. Cody was particularly anxious to become useful again, his leg injury was only a few days old but he was irritated already by it.

[Shyrus]

(It’s been a while, forgive the crappy post of crappies.)

Feli couldn’t help but feel upset about the helicopter. What Karren said was true- Feli did like going off on her own. It wasn’t because she didn’t like anyone here- she was rather glad she wasn’t alone. But being alone helped her think and calm down. Not only that but she usually found supplies along the way.

“Okay we missed the first helicopter- big deal!” Feli faked her enthusiasm- hoping a cheery mood would help everyone get started this morning. However it was hard to fake; she felt angry and oddly enough, like she had failed. Despite this she was able to pull off the act rather well. “I’m sure another one will come around! Everyone will heal and we’ll all get back home after a while…”

“Stop lying to yourself.”

Feli didn’t want to think so negatively but she couldn’t help it. “Let’s re-prioritize. We need a way to at least temporality keep out precious items and food away from animals and insects. We need a better shelter and maybe even a better camp site. We still need to find a water source and some more food. So I vote we break into groups. I know some of us aren’t exactly in good shape but I think we can pull it off.”

Feli still felt her arm stinging- it had been a day and yet it still hurt. It was bad but as long as she kept treating it, it would be fine. She had to ignore it for now. They couldn’t afford another setback. She could tend to it later.

(

 

[Mistress of Whispers]

Karrin looked at Feli for a moment, then shook her head. "A better campsite? A water source? I thought we had agreed to move out of here since the helicopter won't be coming back? And if we move out, we need to stay together or we run the risk of not finding each other again."

 

She waited for a moment and then continued.

 

"Unless you're having second thoughts about moving? If you do, now is the time to tell us."

 

She sounded sincere and non-judgemental. If Feli no longer wanted to take their chances in the jungle, then that was a perfectly valid choice; they just needed to be on the same page before they made their next move, be it setting up a better camp and finding water here, or moving out and hoping to find water along the road.

Edited July 24, 2013 by Mistress of Whispers

[Shyrus]

Feli nearly face-palmed. Words where coming out of her mouth but she wasn’t thinking straight. Of course what she said was a bad idea. “Stupid brain isn’t working.” She mumbled. “Right, right. Sorry my brain isn’t working at full throttle today.”

Why was she not able to think straight? The lack of protein couldn’t be affecting her already, could it? No. It hadn’t even been a full day, maybe twenty hours? She was just having an off day. She was sure of it!

 

[Mistress of Whispers]

Karrin's face darkened with worry and she reached over to place a hand on the other woman's forehead.

 

"You have a fever", she said after a moment's pause. "I doubt it's serious, but take these to be certain." She handed Feli two aspirin and a bottle of water.

 

"You're probably dehydrated to boot, so drink half of that." She didn't need to say that water had just become their top priority; they all knew it.

 

"Ok let's pack up and move out before the heat sets in. We'll take a break in the afternoon, during the hottest hours of the day. Does any of you remember the location of their parachute and would it be possible to reach them? The location of mine is a blur and even if I could find it, it's so high up in the trees that we would never be able to get to it."

[Rarek]

Cody had to think long and hard about his own parachute. "All I remember is that I had a nasty fall that opened up my leg. My parachute is probably just as inaccessible." He grimaced slightly as he pondered over other options. Not much came to mind.

 

"Alright. I'm mostly packed up already, I don't think I left anything." He turned around on his makeshift crutch and realized he wouldn't be able to lift his pack. He looked at the group sheepishly. "Can one of you help me put my pack on my back?"

[Shyrus]

Feli took the medication Karen gave her. Personally she would have tried to stick it out but she really needed to be thinking straight; not just for her but for everyone else. The more members of the group that where feeling bad the more trouble they would encounter.

"Parachute? Uh let’s see..." Feli kept making odd noises that suggested she was thinking. "Hmm... yea...no... Well.....hm...Wait, yes! I think I do! It might not be mine but I believe I did see one after I landed. When I woke up I remember seeing one in the trees above me. I'll go find it. I'm pretty sure it's salvageable."

Feli ran to Cody before running to get her parachute. She picked up his backpack and placed it on his back. "There ya' go."

Then she ran off to find her parachute. It wasn't too far, just a minute walk from the campsite.

After finding it, she started to climb the tree. The parachute was approximately ten feet- maybe fifteen in the air. She started to untangle the parachute from the branches. Some however where quite messed up so she just broke off the smaller branches.

After some time working on it, she got it to the ground. There were small rips in it but it would do.

 

[Mistress of Whispers]

Karrin smiled as she watched Feli run off, but offered no comment. Well, at least she gets things done, she mused as she looked at the mess that was once her backpack. Sighing to herself, she briskly unpacked the supplies that she has stuffed hastily into it as nigh fell yesterday and then repacked in a more orderly manner; it wouldn't do to her have searching for the right equipment if an emergency struck.

 

Meanwhile, Derek rolled up the one parachute that had served as the cover for their 'lean to' and wrapped the bundle tightly with the chords, making it easy to carry. Keeping one chord for himself, he seemed to deliberate with himself for a moment and then approached Karrin to confer quietly. She looked at him for a long time, then nodded and offered him several of her medical supplies. He, in turn, handed her something that looked like a pack of protein bars.

 

Her conversation with Derek finished by the time Feli returned, Karrin turned to the remaining survivors. "Derek has offered to stay here, in case that helicopter - or another one - comes back. He's confident that he can follow our trail if rescue does arrive at this site, or if circumstances force him to move, and he knows the direction we'll be headed in."

 

She waited for a moment to give the others time to voice any objections to that plan, while Derek silently took the second parachute from Feli and showed the journalist the best way to fold it for the journey.

 

 

[Shyrus]

Feli took the parachute from Derek, and unfolded it before folding it herself to make sure she could do it herself. It took her a couple tried but she got it in the end. “Thank you. Hey, be careful okay? I don’t want to find you dead anytime soon. If you think you can get to us, come to us if you run into trouble.”

Derek smiled before promising he would be okay. Feli thanked him one more time before walking to her pack back. She made sure she had everything and packed it all into the bag. “Okay I think I have everything ready. How about you guys?”

 

[Rarek]

"I think I'm good to go." Cody replied. "Everything I had is in this pack." He winced as he swung himself forward on his makeshift crutches. Not quite long enough, but they'll have to do. He chuckled and made a lighthearted but at the same time meaningful statement. "Let's try to avoid steep hills so my leg doesn't fall off."

 

He turned to Derek and patted him lightly on the shoulder. "Good luck out here. We'll be travelling in a fairly easterly direction, so if you lose your compass, you can follow us with the sun." Cody smiled and turned to the rest. "Alright. It's nearly midday, let's get moving."

[Mistress of Whispers]

Saying her goodbyes to Derek and hoisting her pack on her back, Karrin set out with the group. She gave Cody a questioning look when he said it was midday, but then decided that he had probably just misspoken. Still, she made a mental note to be alert for any other signs of confusion or delirium on his part.

 

She noticed that Lani was oddly silent - perhaps her injury was bothering her more than before, or maybe the severity of their situation hit home. Either way, Karrin also added Lani to her 'to keep an eye on' list.

 

"All right, let's all keep alert for signs of food and water. Feli, I assume you'll want to scout? Make sure that you let us know before you do, so we'll know to keep walking in a straight line until you've caught up again. And for my peace of mind, please don't range too long or too far?"

 

Settling into a slow but steady pace, with Karrin checking her compass every now and then to make sure they were still going in the right direction, the group started their trek into the Amazonian jungle.

Edited July 31, 2013 by Mistress of Whispers

[Rarek]

Cody set off after Karrin as she led the way. He couldn't help but feel a little excited as they started their move. As a Biology student, he would be fascinated by the wide array of species that they'd surely encounter along the way. There was apprehension as well however, his thoughts straying back to the Red Sharpbeak. How many more are as fearsome things will we find...

 

He soon realized Lani was not with them. A look of surprise later, he turned to see the engineer staring off into the camp. Was she not ready? Nervous about leaving?

 

"Lani? You alright?" Cody asked. Startled, she turned around abruptly. "Coming, coming. I was just lost in thought is all." Cody wasn't entirely convinced she was alright, but at least she was moving.

 

"You have any ideas, Karrin? Perhaps something we missed that could steer us the right way?" He looked at Feliceia as well. "Of course, any of you can add in an opinion."

[Mistress of Whispers]

"Well," said Karrin in response to Cody, "I marked the direction in which the helicopter flew off. Since they'd have no obstacles or roads to go around, it's fair to say their home base is also in that direction. Granted, we don't know how far it is, but an unknown distance in a fixed direction is still better than no direction at all. So that's the course I've been taking us on. If we find signs of a settlement or river before then, we can adjust our heading. Unless there are objections to that?"

[Shyrus]

“I don’t really have anything to add. I think going the way the helicopter did is out best bet. And by now I sound like a broken record I know but if we find a water source I think we need to find a way to stock some up for the journey. And yes, I’ll be scouting around.”

Feli looked around, but she couldn’t see too far because of all the trees and brush in her way. “Like you said. As long as you go in a straight line I can find you.”

Feli walked up to Karrin and looked back at Lani. “Hey, is it just me or does Lani look tired? I mean, we all are but she seems a bit more so.”

 

[Mistress of Whispers]

Karrin nodded in response to Feli's question and, making sure that Lani or Cody didn't overhear them, answered "Yes, I think the fullness of our situation might be hitting home for her. We should keep an eye on her to make sure she pulls through." She lifted her chin a bit to indicate the sun low in the sky and added "Cody too - he completely got the time of day wrong. It might be a simple mistake, but it could also be a sign of disorientation."

 

She sidestepped a branch, pointing out a spider hidden in its leaves to the others - its hairy body and legs the size of a child's hand. Most spiders wouldn't consider humans as prey, but it never hurt to be aware of its presence. The creature let them all pass, though it did turn as if tracking their motions, it's eight eyes almost lighting up green in the shadows.

Edited August 3, 2013 by Mistress of Whispers

[Rarek]

Cody looked to the sky, as though contemplating where the helicopter went to. A branch hitting him full on in the face. Muttering, he moved aside to see a spider which Karrin was pointing at. Pretty large, probably large enough for small rodents, he thinks. A shiver ran down his spine, continuing along on his makeshift crutches. Soon Cody had caught up to the rest of them, and he tilted his head to the side, looking off into the bushes. He turned around to Lani to get her opinion.

 

"Lani, do you see that? In the bush about three trees back?" He was pointing off in the distance at a blue speck in a bush.

 

Lani squinted at the object, putting her good hand over her eyes to shield them from the sun. "I see it. It looks to be some kind of...fabric?" She blinked and stood up straighter, as though surprised at what she said herself. That can't be right! "Karrin, Feli, come here. Cody's spotted something."

 

As Cody looked closer, he realized what it was. A torn up backpack that looked like it had been there for ages. Looks like we weren't the only ones here. He too waved Karrin and Feliceia over. The contents could possibly prove useful.

[Mistress of Whispers]

Karrin moved closer to see what Cody was pointing at and smiled when she saw the backpack. It was bang up and torn, but judging from the way it was bulging, still full of goodies - goodies that might be of use to them.

 

Almost without thinking, she started forward - the bushes between them and the backpack were not that dense - when she caught movement behind a leaf. It was another green-eyed spider and, like the first one, it seemed to be watching them. Karrin wasn't normally afraid of spiders, but she was aware of their possible toxicity and she didn't like the way it seemed to be tracking them. Adrenaline started pumping through her body, heightening her senses and now she spotted five more of the spiders; all hidden behind branches and leaves, unmoving and watching - and all positioned between the group and the backpack.

 

Karrin took a step back. Spiders couldn't possibly be that smart. Could they?

 

"Wait," she said before anyone else could move to get the pack, "look there -" She pointed the spiders out to them.

[Shyrus]

(Today I woke up and saw it was eight in the morning. Whoever invented the morning needs to have his eyes taped open to watch Barbie movies while bbq sauce is forced down his throat. )

Feli started to think about what would happen next. If they would find water, find a source of food, maybe get a better shelter. She nearly tripped like an idiot over a branch when she started to think too hard.

“Karrin, Feli, come here. Cody's spotted something."

Feli turned around and looked back and saw a bush of some sort. What was so special about that? Looking a bit harder she saw that there was something inside the bush. Continuing her way back she saw it more clearly. Was it a backpack?

Feli nearly jumped for joy! More supplies! Feli’s first thought was to jump the bushes and pull it out of the vegetation, however Karrin pointed out green eyes looking back at them. Feli stopped and stared back, it was rather large like the one on the trail. “Hold on I think I might know a bit about these. Oh if only I had my notebook. Let me think.”

Feli had studied different kinds of animals before coming here. She was a journalist so she had to do her research on both large animals and a couple insects and arachnids.

The harder she thought the more came back to her although the information wasn’t much. She became frustrated with herself; she should have known this better. She knew she studied a bit on this species but she couldn’t remember. She started to get a little angry and very quietly started to curse and tense up. She took a deep breath and tried to calm down. Feeling useless in the context of the situation she gave out what information she had. “Well first I need to make sure I’m talking about the right species here. Let’s see…” Feli noticed spiders from different places; finally she found one that was almost completely exposed to view. It had a large grey marking on its abdomen. The marking looked like a stitch mark with three lines going across. “I think it was called the stitchback spider, or crosshatch? Either way, I think it said something about venom being very quick to course through your body. I can’t remember all the symptoms but I remember vomiting and headache. I think it said you can be sick for a while but then it goes away after a period of time. However the venom is probably more poisonous the more you get bit wich might help explain the army of spiders. How severe it is I can’t tell you. I’m not a doctor like dear Karrin here but I’m pretty sure we want to avoid these guys.”

Well the information wasn't that bad. She would have liked to have known the symptoms more, along with how bad it was, or be certain as to why there where so many. Information on how they hunt would be nice as well so they could avoid falling into whatever devious trap they divised.

[Mistress of Whispers]

Karrin nodded as Feli spoke. "Yes, I've read about these. They're hunter spiders, hence the lack of webbing, so they stalk and jump their prey. Still, I'm sure we're not on their menu. Although -" she contemplated their situation for a moment "- they might be on ours."

 

The thought of eating spiders made her skin crawl, but the reality was that they would run out of rations soon. Plus, if that survival guy from TV was anything to go on, large spiders were full of nutrients and didn't taste too bad when cooked on fire.

 

She looked around and pulled a long, straight branch from a tree. It was a young branch and too thin to function as a real spear, but it should do fine for spiders. Carefully stepping forward, she lifted the make-shift weapon to skewer the nearest spider... when the creature suddenly leapt up at her. Startled, she jumped back and, in a reflex that amazed even herself, used the stick to knock the arachnid out of the air. It was a lucky blow, fuelled by adrenaline, and the spider lay stunned for a moment. Karrin stepped closer and hefted her weapon again, but before she could spear it, the spider righted itself and scuttled away under the bushes.

 

Still breathing heavily from the unpleasant surprise, Karrin surveyed the scene anew. The remaining five spiders were still in the same 'hiding' spots as before, though each had inched a bit closer to the human group. The sixth, the one that had jumped at her, was nowhere to be seen.

 

"Okay," Karrin said, "so they're aggressive and fast. Now what?"