In a hurry, Barry and the others returned to the shore. As they neared Max's tent, her mother was standing outside, waiting for her.
"Max, where have you been all this time? Didn't I tell you to be right where I could see you?" Mary Fernandez asked in a stern voice.
"I just went for a short walk with them, Mom," Max replied, pointing to Barry and Arthur. Mary shot them such a sharp look that they immediately understood something unpleasant awaited them if they lingered there any longer. Without hesitation, they quickly moved ahead.
"I know you went into the forest, Max. You don't realize the danger that lurks here. That's why you went along with them," her mother said. Hearing this, Max lowered her head, because she knew the mistake was indeed hers. After her mother's scolding, Max slowly walked inside the tent. The sun now stood high in the middle of the sky.
...
This time, the ones who ventured into the forest were Daniel, Francis, Juliet, David, and Daril. They had managed to capture a wild pig.
But the pig that first fell into their trap wasn't that big. Even though Francis was unwilling to go into the forest, he had no choice he was the only one who knew exactly how to set the traps. That was the only reason he had to go. Still, Francis had taught Daniel a little about it. The one now carrying the captured pig on his shoulders was Daril, the youngest among them.
This time, they were not heading back to the shore. Instead, they were continuing forward in search of fresh water. Their walk carried on with that purpose, while the sun moved gently across the horizon with them. They had chosen a path they had never traveled before.
Suddenly, a sight stopped them in their tracks. Before their eyes stretched a vast field of bamboo that seemed endless. The bamboo appeared in different shapes and forms some towering as high as the sky, while others were no taller than a human being.
"If we're lucky, we might find some fresh water here," Daniel said to the others with hope in his voice. A few of them understood what Daniel meant. He then asked Robert to hand him the knife.
Robert handed the knife in his hand to Daniel. Without wasting any time, Daniel went straight to the edge of the bamboo.
"If it has rained, usually water collects inside the bamboo. And it's clean water. But ever since we've been stranded here, it hasn't rained even once. So the chance of finding water is only about fifty percent."
Saying this, Daniel drove the knife hard into the bamboo. Picking up a stone from the ground, he began striking the back of the knife with all his strength. The bamboo was thicker than usual, so it took two or three heavy blows with the stone before the knife cut through.
Once he put the stone down, Daniel quickly uncapped the bottle he was holding and placed it beneath the back of the knife. Everyone stood watching as he pulled the knife out forcefully. From the hole he had made, water began to trickle out slowly. Joy surged in everyone's hearts at the sight.
But none of them showed their excitement outwardly. Instead, they simply looked on with cheerful smiles. Daniel collected the water dripping from the bamboo into his bottle. By the time the flow stopped, the bottle was three quarters full. He then asked Francis to drink first. Daniel firmly believed he was unlucky, and that was the reason he wanted Francis to try it before him. The last time, when they had found a small stream, Daniel himself had tested the water. He wasn't willing to risk his luck again. Francis took a sip.
"Ugh, this is terrible… filthy water," Francis told the others. At once, disappointment spread across everyone's faces. But moments later, they noticed Francis grinning.
"This is pure water. I only said that to mess with you," Francis burst out laughing.
The rest of them stared at him in a particular way.
"How can you act like this even in a situation like ours? That's a rare trait you have," Daniel said while taking the bottle back from him.
Francis, without making a fuss, stepped a little away from the group. From his pocket, he pulled out a cigarette, lit it, and began smoking it down slowly. Meanwhile, the others were each taking a sip of the water they had collected from the bamboo. A bamboo stem is divided into many segments. In a large stalk, there can be about ten to twelve sections, but only a few of them hold water. They filled the remaining bottles they had, though they carried no extra containers or vessels with them.
"We'll need to come back here tomorrow to collect more water," Daniel said. The others only nodded in response. After that, they all began their walk back to the shore. By the time they arrived, it was already past five-thirty.
Francis headed straight to his tent. Exhaustion weighed on him, so he lay down slowly, closed his eyes, and tried to sleep. Robert, however, wasted no time resting, since there wasn't much left before the pig had to be prepared. With his knife, he started cutting the pig. Daniel and Daril stood nearby, helping him by holding the carcass on either side.
"Daniel, Daril, come here. I can't peel the hide off on my own," Robert said. Hearing this, the two of them grabbed hold of the pig's skin and pulled.
"One, two, three…" As soon as the count was finished, the three of them pulled hard together on the pig's skin. After much effort, the hide finally tore away from the flesh. Robert then began cutting the pig into pieces. They kept aside only what was needed for the night and buried the rest a little distance away from the tents.
The reason for burying it closer to the campsite this time was to avoid the mistake they had made earlier. Even though there was still a chance of animals being drawn to the shore, it was safer than burying the meat deeper in the forest. The three of them roasted the meat together. By the time the pork was ready, it was already eight o'clock at night.
While eating, they told the others about finding the fresh water.
"If we're lucky, we might find clean water in at least half the bamboo stalks there," Daniel said.
Since there wasn't much else to discuss, everyone finished their meal and returned to their tents.
...
At the Doctor's tent.
Dr. John was looking after Rose. He gave her the sleeping pill.
"Doctor, have you found any way to save me from this situation?" Rose asked. Earlier that afternoon, he had explained to her what exactly was happening to her, and that was why she asked him such a question.
"I haven't found a proper solution yet. But Peter once told me of a way. I rejected it because it was extremely dangerous. Still, I promise I will save you somehow," Dr. John said, holding Rose's hand tightly.
"Doctor, I don't ever want to go through that again. It was terrifying. Are you sure the sleeping pill will truly protect me? No matter how dangerous the other way is, I am ready to do it. Whatever I've already endured… nothing could be worse than that." She pressed him to explain what it was.
But instead of answering, Dr. John placed the siren Francis had given him into her hand and asked her to sleep. Then, he left for the newly built tent. As he reached it, he seemed to have made up his mind about something. Turning back, he walked past Rose's tent without stopping. His destination was Peter's tent.
As soon as he arrived, he called Peter outside. Peter, who had been busy conducting some kind of experiment inside, came out when he heard the doctor's voice.
"I'm ready to carry out the plan you mentioned," Dr. John said. "But I need to know more about it."
To be continued....