LIGHTNOVELWORLD Chapter 2: Settling in
Jake's feet were aching from the amount walking he had done, it wasn't done in vain as he reached a area of the forest which he is all to familiar with. It was a small clearing surrounded by dense undergrowth and tall trees, The area sheltered enough to hide his fire's light and open enough to give him a view of any approaching threats. He set his pack down and took a deep breath, 'Come on man, you can do this, you have done this a million times by now.'
He set down his pack and started to think about the first thing to do. "Okay, first things first, Shelter." He remembered his father's instructions: find sturdy branches, lean them against a strong base, and cover them with foliage. He scoured the area for suitable wood, his hands quickly becoming scratched and dirty. 'This won't be enough.' After several trips, he had a decent pile of branches. He chose a large tree as the base, its roots creating a natural wall on one side. He leaned the branches against it, creating a frame. Then, he layered it with leaves and smaller branches, forming a rough but functional shelter. He crawled inside, testing its sturdiness. The shelter held, providing a small, enclosed space that felt slightly safer than the open forest. Jake came out of it to admire his work, a small smile of pride flickering across his face. It wasn't much, but it was his. "I told you old man!, I could do this but you never let me....." His expression turned somber "I really hope you guys are alive, that message wasn't so promising...Alright! Secondly I need to find a water and food, for water there is a lake just a bit farther and as for food, I guess it's time to pick some berries. This canned food won't last long." Finding edible plants was more challenging, He knew some basics—berries, roots, and leaves but he had to be careful.'I used to love doing this whenever we came....I also need to make traps, and it'll save me the effort of gathering berries and stuff' Jake set up basic snares, using the thin wire from his camping kit. He struggled with the knots, his fingers fumbling, but he persisted. He placed the traps where he had seen animals often, hoping for a catch. " Now that's done, the final thing is to gather some stone and some fire wood, luckily I have flint from the camping kit, it should make it easier for me to start a fire." He went to the nearby lake, gathered some stones and collected some branches on the way back. While he was setting things up, Jake's mind wandered back to the last few days. The world had changed so quickly. One moment, he was with his family, safe and secure. The next, he was alone, the familiar world turned into a nightmare. His parents had gone on vacation, promising to return soon. But soon never came. He remembered the day he found the answering machine message from his father. "I just hope you guys are safe." He took the flint he had and used a nearby rock to light the fire. It took a few tries but he successfully lit it. Jake was in deep thought as night fell. "It's already night?" He said with a incredulous tone " I didn't even notice. The nights are the worst, especially now that I am alone. I hope nothing comes by...Don't jinx yourself!". The forest was quiet, the usual nighttime sounds now seeming more creepy than usual. Jake sat by the fire, his knife in hand, listening. Every crack of a branch, every rustle of leaves, set his nerves on edge. He forced himself to stay calm, to focus on the small circle of light and warmth. And then he heard it, the one sound he didn't want to hear. A low, guttural groan. His heart pounded as he stood, "Crap Crap! Crap!." He saw the walker stumble into the clearing, its vacant eyes fixed on him. Panic surged, but he pushed it down, gripping his knife tighter. Jake froze when he looked at it coming towards him, He was shocked, it was his friend Austin's dad. The walker lunged, and Jake Trying to stay as calm as he could, sidestepped, slashing at it with his knife. The blade barely nicked its arm, and it turned towards him again."Stop! Or else You'll get hurt!" His cries were on deaf ears as it didn't stop the walker advancing towards him. Jake's mind raced, remembering what he had seen in that one survival game he used to play, This one phrase was always repeated, "Go For the head" And that's what he did. When the walker tried to fall on him and bite him, he stabed it in the jaw, the blade sinking in with a sickening crunch. He pushed it in deeper as he saw it trying to grab him and after a moment it stopped moving. The walker fell, and Jake stumbled back, gasping for breath. He stared at the corpse, his hands trembling. He had killed it." I-I.....", As he looked at the motionless walker, he realized how different it was from killing zombies in a game. On a screen, it was easy, almost fun—a way to pass the time and feel powerful. But this was real. The sight, the smell, the sound of the knife entering the walker's jaw—it was all too real. He felt a wave of nausea and had to fight to keep from throwing up. There was no reset button here, no going back to a safer place."So Scary....." It was in that moment that Jake truly understood the new reality he was living in. The stakes were higher, and the consequences were real. One small mistake could lead to death. He had only himself and he needed to adapt, fast. He want and sat beside the fire, thinking if things will be like this every day and it's a thought that made his spine tingle. But his parents words echoed in his mind,"Survive....No matter....what." He resolved himself "For my mom and dad, I have to do this." He Crawled into the makeshift shelter he made and looked at the crackling fire and stayed awake even if he was getting sleepy, the event just happened fresh in his mind but soon exhaustion enveloped his being and he fell into sleep.