It took them almost 2 days before they arrived at the cavern. In just a few hours the sun would begin rising. Val seemed to be doing alright with the lack of sleep, unlike Blake. The sleep deprivation going on day 3 was beginning to kick in with hallucinations.
The past few hours having Blake grow paranoid of his surroundings. Seeing distorted creatures snap away from the bark of mangled dead trees. Or things writhing in the mud as they die like trapped in quicksand. He twitched and jumped from being startled by the disturbing sight. Trying his best not to draw attention to himself. He couldn't afford Val thinking he was sick right now.
"here we are." Val said as she ducked into the small opening. Blake cautiously following in behind. Stopping to look over the large cavern room. The roof covered in long stalactites with pools of water sitting in all the indents of the rock walls. Blake froze with the memory of the last time he was in a cave.
Surrounded by enclosing walls, chased through water with live electrical wires dangling feet above. Bodies nailed to walls, skeletal alters. The memory's seemed to drown out everything around. With his sleep deprivation being so bad the hallucinations began taking place.
Bodies appearing on the walls, writhing and screaming as blood dripped from them like rain. He froze down in fear at the sight. His breathing growing difficult as his chest constricted at the panic. Then he was scared back by the sudden flame of a torch.
Val towering over him torch in hand. The blood pooling over her soaked naked mud form. Stepping closer toward him blake panicked. He stood suddenly to prepare himself to run. Almost falling over instead after slamming his head up into the low cave ceiling.
The hallucination was broken by the pulsating pain in his skull. Realizing now that Val had started a fire and was calling to him.
"fallen, are you alright?" Val asked, standing nearby.
"yeah, just … not good with small spaces. I'll just stay outside." he said, going back the way out.
"that's not a good idea. You should rest inside." Val spoke with minor urgency.
"I'm not going to rest. I'll just be look out tonight." he said.
"i don't recommend being out in the open." Val spoke as she came out with a torch in hand.
"I'll be fine." he growled, not liking the vision of Val holding a torch while next to him.
"you have to come in." Val insisted.
"why?!" he snapped, paranoia peeking up.
"the wolves will get you out here." she said with a gesture to the darker areas of the tree line.
"there aren't any wolves." he huffed.
"there are. They used to haunt Templegate when the poison had the sheep and cattle fall. They would swarm for blood and eat anything alive. We eventually chased them off with fire or lit torches around the town. If you are going to stay out here you need at least a fire to fight them off." Val said, holding out the torch for Blake to take.
"ill just go inside." he grumbled as he stood back up.
"but I'm staying at the entrance." he spoke while walking back. Fearing deep down that he mite hallucinate once back in. thankfully not this time as he slowly entered to sit by the entrance. Looking over to a pool of tempting water. He still hasn't drank anything for the past 2 days. Despite when Val actually had them stop for some water at the river during their travel. The hallucinations he saw in the water kept him from going near.
Half the time on there travel he could barely tell were Val was. Nothing in his situation was keeping him calm. He knew he needed to or else he wouldn't last long.
"maybe this was a bad idea. I should have gone my way. Alone and without that insane psychopath. Who knows what she's thinking, planning, or doing behind my back. It's why she wants me to sleep so bad. She wants to do something to me when I sleep." he thought, not noticing he was shivering from the cold breeze blowing over him from the entrance.
"it's warmer by the fire. You'd be better sitting over here." Val spoke over to him from the small fire pit.
"i am fine over here." Blake said as he stayed seated in his dark and damp spot by the entrance. The fact that his pants were still soaked from his spill in the river didn't help from his temptation of the hot fire.
"lying doesn't suit you." she spoke with a smirk, calling him out on the small lie. Blake silently grumbled to himself as he ignored her. Not even wanting to face her at the moment.
"you must be tired. I haven't seen you sleep at all these past 2 days." Val spoke to him.
Blake remained silent, unable to come up with a reply to that. He didn't want to show how tired he really was. He'd stay awake for days if he had to. Deep in his mind however, he knew that wasn't possible. A human can only go so long without sleep before they just collapse.
"i can't sleep, it's hard now, but once were traveling again I can stay awake." he thought, trying his hardest to keep his eyes open. The shivering being the only thing keeping him awake at this moment. He looked down at his injured hands wrapped in old bloody bandage.
"why don't you sleep by me? Afraid I'll bite?" Val teased. Blake glared as his hands in anger.
"something like that." he thought angrily.
"i just want to get to the town and sleeping slows us down." he spoke.
He sighed and began unwrapping his hand bandages to change them. Moving his hand as he checked around the wounds.
"they still work." he sighed to himself. Taking out a couple fresh bandages to re-wrap them. Slightly happy to see the wounds looking healthy without smell of infection.
"i can get something to help those." Val suddenly spoke from behind him, having Blake jump again.
"no. i am fine." he snapped at her, wanting to be left alone.
"herbs will help them heal faster. Should also cauterize them" Val pushed.
"they'll heal faster at a hospital in the town. By someone who knows what there doing with surgical tools!" he grumbled.
"hm." she hummed while walking back to the fire. Blake gave a sigh of relief after she left him. Tensing up when he saw her relight the torch she offered to him earlier.
"what are you doing?" he asked out of paranoia.
"going to collect herbs. I won't be far." Val answered causally.
"i told you I don't need herbs!" he snapped.
"it's still best to have them on hand." she spoke before heading out of the cavern. Leaving Blake alone with the burning fire.
Blake sighed while rubbing his head. A headache quickly growing inside his skull. After being alone long enough he was tempted by the fire once again. The shivering not being as bearable as it was earlier.
"i shouldn't risk another hallucination or risk getting too comfortable. Falling asleep while Vals off somewhere I don't know. I should have had her stay inside where I can watch her." he thought in his dark corner.
"miss me, fallen?" Val said to announce her arrival back inside.
"fallen, is that what she calls me?" he thought, watching her out of the corner of his eye.
"i don't need the herbs." he spoke to reaffirm his position on the matter.
"i still have to crush them first." Val replied to reaffirm her own side.
"your going to need them at some point." she added as she took out assorted leaves or fern looking plants. Setting them in a large rounded dip of a large rock. Picking up a nearby rock that fitted into her palm to begin slowly grinding the herbs down. Some dips looking hand made from crushing herbs against them before.
"have you been here before?" he asked after watching her for a moment.
"i should question her. Find out what she knows about this area. Where the town is. Maybe if I can figure things out I can make a run for it on my own. Better to have a plan anyway in case something happens to make us split." he thought.
"this was my home for a while. … When I was a lot younger." Val spoke a little more quietly than usual.
"why'd you live out here?" Blake asked despite knowing the reason why.
"Her mother being sent to the scalled with the town forcing her out like vultures. If the journal was correct anyway." he thought.
"issues." she simply stated as she began crushing the herbs a little harder.
"did you learn about herbs out here?" he asked, trying to keep the conversation going.
"no. … my mother, before she joined Knoth, was a forest ranger." Val spoke, a tone of aggression when knoths name was spoken.
"she taught me as much as she could before being sent off to the scalled." she continued with difficulty on the subject.
"she tell you about the town too?" Blake asked. Trying to turn the subject back toward information of the land over back stories.
"heh, no." Val spoke with more satisfaction.
"as I was beginning to lead my loves another from knoths flock wanted to join us. It was one of knoths errand boys he would send into the outer world for supplies. I said I would accept him if he did something for me. I had him go and make Knoth paranoid about his flock losing numbers. That there were rumors of Templegate about to be attacked.
The plan worked well with Knoth sending the boy off with lots of money. Told him to buy as much supplies with all the money before returning. He got the supplies, but instead of delivering to Knoth he came back to us. The fat priest never recovered after that." she told happily as she finished crushing the herbs. Laughing toward the end of the story.
"he told us where the town was, where to go, and look for supplies." she finished.
"have you traveled to the town before?" blake asked.
"no." she answered.
"no?!" Blake exclaimed in question.
"no, but I know the way." she assured with confidence in herself.
"what if you don't?! What if the ways changed because of the storm?!" Blake exclaimed as he stood.
"then we can find a different way." Val spoke calmly toward him.
"we could have gone my way!" he snapped.
"there's no way to cross the gorge that way." Val stated.
"you don't know that! My town could have been a lot closer! Maybe a week of walking!" he argued, getting more agitated over Vals calmness on the matter.
"do you know that?" she asked.
"n- y-yes!" he stuttered, hesitating when he really didn't want to. He let out a frustrated sigh before going out of the cavern. Being blinded by the just now rising sun.
"what are you doing?" val called to him from inside.
"I'm getting ready to head out." he stated.
"we were suppose to rest here for the day." Val stated.
"well i am going. I want to get to the town as fast as possible. You can come or stay here and catch up later." he stated back. Unwilling to move on the subject. He could hear Val sigh inside the cavern.
"do you never rest, fallen? You have to stop at some point, everyone has to." Val spoke in a somewhat ominous tone toward the end as she emerged.
"i sleep when i am alone. Now i am going to start walking sooo ..." he glared at her. His glare wavering to the side as her unbreakable stare slowly chipped away at his nerves.
"fine, if I must." she said before returning inside to gather up the various crushed herbs into there each separate bags. Soon joining Blake outside in the rising sun.
it was probably the first time Blake was ever this close to her in the day. Being able to see her better meant he could afford falling behind a bit. Tending to keep almost a 20 foot space between them if he could.
So being able to fully see her caught him off guard a bit. Wearing a dark blue dress with long sleeves. A low collar showing off her beads with cross wrapped tightly around her neck. A small black bag at her hip, black boots, and bright golden hair that shined in the sun. Her eyes being the most capturing feature with a bright deep blue that practically glowed in the light.
"what, fallen?" Val asked with a raised eyebrow at Blake staring at her. Blakes stare turning into a glare with that nickname. The memory of what she was hitting him like a truck.
"why do you call me that? You know i am not the dad of the Antichrist or whatever!" he huffed.
"i know, but you still fell from the heavens." Val smiled lightly as she walked by him to lead the way.
"i fell from the sky, because a giant white light blasted my helicopter from the sky!" he exclaimed as he followed behind.
"helicopter?" she said with curiosity.
"yeah, … its a metal thing with a spinning thing on top ... that lets it fly." Blake explained slowly.
"she doesn't know what a helicopter is?" he thought.
"oh, those. I've seen them flying before. Kind of like planes, right?" Val asked.
"yes, sorta. We have a lot of metal things like that. Some don't fly, but they get us around. Like a horse and cart, but much faster." he said.
"I've seen broken ones of the thing you describe. there are rusted ones in some places of the town. None of us were allowed to speak of them, or what they were. We used to have running tractors till the bastard demanded we throw the outsider machines away. The wagons with wheels were kept, but pulled by horses from then on." she spoke with a bit of anger.
"nothing from the outside was allowed to be spoken of. It was always called a evil dark place. A place full of sinners looking to lead us astray. Only a select few were allowed to leave the "sanctuary" to the outside for a list of supplies. Even then they weren't allowed to go but once a month, depending on supplies left." she said.
"oh, I think I saw some of those rusted pieces. didn't really have time to stop and look. … we also have other things out in the world. Like hold-able things in your hand like a radio, but you can talk to people from far away places." Blake began explaining.
"i know what a cell phone is. It can also look up information, and shine like a flashlight, right?" Val asked.
"uh, yes. How'd you learn about that?" Blake asked with his own curiosity peaking. She didn't seem to know much about other things, but knew a cell phone well.
"when we got the errand boy to join us and give us supplies over the fat priest. While in town he wanted to give us outside information from a book store. Things that Knoth did not allow. He brought back 3 books. A travel photo book, a book about home life, and a history of technology between 1990 to 2010. we looked over those books till they were falling apart." she spoke tiredly with a sigh at the end.
"what else did you learn from the technology book?" Blake asked out of curiously.
" things like TVs, music players, computers, phones, lots of things like that. Most of us have never heard of things that were mentioned. There were a few older members that helped clear some of our questions, but not all of them. They immigrated to Templegate years before many of those newer versions of technology were around." she explained as she hopped over a low fallen tree.
With Blake stumbling over it right behind. His body was not taking the lack of sleep well. It was slowing him up with his vision blurring.
"fuck." he thought, rubbing his face to try and help his tired vision.
"i have to sleep, but I can't, but I have no choice. If I keep going like this I won't make it." he thought, looking up toward the sunny sky.
"how far is the next place?" he asked.
"not far, need to pass the upcoming cliff side." Val spoke.
"... cliffside?" Blake paused in walking.
"yes, its why I wanted us to sleep back there before crossing. It's not the most stable, but the only way to cross around the mountain." she said, continuing to walk forward.
"how longs the crossing?" he asked, trying to swallow. Being unable after refusing to drink anything in the cavern.
"its very long, and can get very thin at some parts. It's important to watch your footing the entire way." she spoke in a serious manner.
"you … you think you can cross?" he asked, getting nervous about the task ahead.
"i have crossed it many times before along with many edges like it in the mines." she spoke over her shoulder to him.
Blake turned silent for the rest of their walk. It wasn't long before they reached the start of the edge. The sun high over head for the after noon bearing down to bake Blakes back. He looked over the mountain scraping the sky above them. Then down to the rocky canyon far below with a little trickle for a stream flowing at the bottom. The drop making him feel dizzy and light headed already. He looked back up to trace the edge following the whole shear side around the mountain. The little sliver of edge disappearing far around the rocky side.
"we have to follow this whole thing?!" he panted from the heat.
"yes, if you want to get there in a month. Going the low path will gain us another 2 weeks of traveling." she said over to him as she carefully started along the narrow path.
Blake watched her cautiously walk by the 2 foot wide edge that quickly grew more and more narrow. He tried to swallow again before nervously making his way around. Stopping just at the start as his head felt light again. He managed to swallow this time as he closed his eyes. Taking deep breaths to regain some focus that only a miracle could provide.
"are you coming, fallen?" Val called from further up the narrow edge.
"yeah, … and my names Blake!" he spoke while hiding his nervousness. Slowly moving forward on the edge. Watching as it quickly grew narrower and narrower. The 2 foot wide path turning more into just 6 inches.
"just, don't look down." he fought with himself. Despite the good advice he still had to in making sure his next footing would be safe. A few close calls with shifting gravel almost having him slip a few times.
"h-how long till the edge widens again?" he asked nervously. Panting under the boiling hot desert sun. even the mountain breeze blowing down wasn't enough to keep him cool.
"in about 10 minutes there will be a wider edge for a couple of feet. We can sit there for a moment before continuing forward." Val said. Stopping when she noticed Blake looking ill.
"you don't look well." she stated to him.
"it's just the heat and dust. Its acting up my asthma up here." he made up in an excuse.
"will you make it, fallen?" Val asked him.
"yes, just keep going." he growled, not wanting to spend anymore time on the incredibly small ledge.
Val didn't argue, simply continuing forward with a roll of her eyes. Blake catching that and giving an aggravated hum in her direction.
Blake took a few steps following behind Val. Getting a terrifying glance down the cliff. His body locking up at the sight. Another hallucination coming to the surface as he was now looking down into a dark well.
He swallowed as he looked deeper and deeper. A strong sense that something was staring back from the darkness below. The sound of many whispering being heard. Blakes heart tightening in his chest as he tried to listen carefully to what they could be saying.
Val stopped as she no longer heard Blakes shuffling. Turning with her eyes growing huge as she saw him leaning dangerously forward right out into the open air. She watched him for just a second more before grabbing upon instinct at him letting go of the cliff wall.
Managing to pull him back and swing him around into a panicked hug as she slammed herself back into the wall. Blake barely realized what was going on till he swooped over a near death experience down the massive drop. Both now being chest to chest with Vals back as far as it could go into the wall and Blakes hands clawing into the dry earth.
Both taking deep breaths to calm their hearts. Val looking over as she heard a small crackling with rocks following after.
"move, go back! Right now, get back!" she commanded, helping Blake rush back around. Both making it just out of the way to watch a small landslide. Chunks of rock slamming into the edging to break off even bigger chunks down the rest of the way.
"fuck, can we still go forward?" Blake asked, just barely seeing some of the walking edge crumble away past Val.
"no. unless you want to jump." Val stated.
"were you trying to kill yourself?" she asked seriously with a side glance toward him.
"what, no!" he stated, with a furrowed brow.
"I've only seen people look that far off an edge when they have a purpose to it." she spoke as she looked fully at him.
"i wasn't trying to kill myself. Why would I be stupid to do that after how far I've come?" he said as he frustratingly continued back to where they started.
"what were you looking so far at?" she asked as she followed.
"just … leave it. I wasn't trying to kill myself. Let's leave it at that." Blake spoke, his exhaustion coming in full force now.
As he made it to the other side he leaned against the rock wall. Trying to fight exhaustion, dehydration, and panic all at the same time.
"i have to get moving again. Before Val starts to realize how i am doing." he thought, tiredly pushing on the rocks to get walking again.
"we should stop and rest. You need to be taken care of." Val spoke softly behind him.
"lets just keep going." he said, ignoring her words as he slowly walked forward. Not realizing if it was even the correct direction to walk in. stopping as his arm was pulled back by Val.
"i need to look at those." Val stated as she examined one of Blake's hands.
"their fine! They're scabbing without infection!" Blake exclaimed, yanking his hand back.
"scabbing doesn't fill the hole. An infection could just as easily fill inside and not at the scab. If that happens it'll have to be drained with a hot knife. Burning along with a herbal paste will have them close shut."
"they'll be fine. I can see a doctor in town and they'll fix them there." Blake growled, keeping his hands close to himself to keep from being grabbed again.
"after over a month of travel?" Val spoke with a raised eyebrow. Blake almost stumbled in his steps. Remembering that their trip was lengthened after the cliff side crumbling.
"yes." he tried to state confidently before walking again.
Val watched him walk with an expressionless face. Looking from him back toward the tree line not too far from the both of them.
"i have to get something." she spoke without hesitation on walking to her own goal.
"what, where, for what?!" he exclaimed, turning around as he saw her go off.
"come back! We have to keep going!" he yelled at her.
"stay away from the cliff edge, unless you want to fall off." she yelled back just before disappearing from view.
"i am going by myself!" he yelled back in a threatening tone. Letting out an exhausted breath when no answer came. Knowing he wasn't going to get his way with Val on the matter. He rubbed his face and looked out toward the direction he was heading.
"this probably leads to that little stream. I just got to follow it. It'll lead to a town … at some point … or the ocean." he thought staring far out toward the horizon. Startled by the sound of his stomach growling painfully. He brought out his food bag to pull out some dried pumpkin sticks.
"fuck, not going to have enough food. Hope Vals going to bring more back. What could she possibly be getting, more herbs?" He thought, chewing down his food. He tied the bag shut to set it back in his Velcro bag for safe keeping. Just as he swallowed down his mouthful of dried pumpkin Val had quietly walked up behind him.
"blake!" she said urgently behind him. Right after turning his head to face her he got a huge cloud of dust blown into his face.
"WHAT THE FUCK!" he yelled with mixed rage followed by panicked realization at what happened.
His vision quickly going double with tunnel vision. The world swirling around him as he grew weak and light headed.
"you never breath in as much as others do. Your asthma must cause the problem." Val spoke casually as she stood nearby. Watching Blake fumble in his steps.
"WHAT WAS THAT FOR?! WHAT- what ..." he shouted. Speaking becoming harder as his vision blackened. His final moments being awake had him feeling a fall to the hard ground.
Meanwhile officer wicker was losing patience. Dealing with incompetent soldiers who couldn't find a trace of the survivors. Managing to only find a nicely set up grave by a large tree. He already got chewed out by the CEO once. He wasn't going to get another chewing, at least not without a target to get his frustrations out on.
He grinded his teeth together till they found a comfortable setting for his jaw to slip in place. His radio crackling had his full attention. Pulling it from his belt to answer it with the press of a button.
"sir we found some footprints in gravel up flow of the river." one spoke through the radio.
"the one heading toward the facility?" wicker asked with his jaw cracking out and back into place.
"no, this one is the marked trail. You know, the one the crazies sent people for supply runs on to that town." the radio answered.
"that must be where they're heading. Send some helicopters to hunt the whole way. Get a blockade set up before the town. I do NOT want them reaching it. People see these nut jobs or worse if its the reporter, and Murkoffs going to skin all of us!"
"yes sir. What should we do when we find the survivors?"
"hmm, I'll ask the CEO. If it's the reporter, shoot him dead. If not, take the crazies back to the facility. Could use them for something like dissection study." wicker spoke with satisfaction at some news of findings.