Heaven in Hell

EVADE CAPTURE

ROSHESH'S POV:

The sweat provides more bite to the cold but I keep moving ahead. I have to reach a hiding spot fast and prepare the ground. I still have no idea where the hell am I and I haven't managed to find any food and water. Fear though is the greatest motivator providing fire to my ass. If I'm found now, Chief will torture the flesh off my bones.

When I hear the sound of a light stream flowing nearby, for the first time since SERE started, my heart has slowed down. I can finally have some water. I follow the sound to the bank and wait in the tree line, out of sight, just in case there is a surprise waiting for me. When I do not see any movement on the bank of the stream, I finally give way to a smile. One task about to be done. I wait in the shadows hiding and keeping alert for some more minutes before I'm sure it is clear. Once clear, I wash my hands in the stream and scoop up some water for my parched throat. God knows when I'll be able to have water next. Our gear bags have no bottle and I have no time to find or make one. Right now, this will have to do.

Once satisfied to the point of almost puking it out, I get in the stream and cross to the other side to where there are oak and willow trees. The cold water of the stream combined with the chilly wind reminds me of the Hell Week we endured. Chief would have been really proud to see me not chatter my teeth endlessly.

If I get out of the stream and start running, my wet footprints will easily give me away. I therefore walk in various directions, backtracking my footsteps in exact spots and creating multiple paths in all directions before carefully stepping on leaves and twigs where my steps will not be seen. Once at a safe distance inside, I start running again. The day has brought with it bright light and a man my size running would easily be detected. When I find the tallest oak tree, I carefully pull myself up to the highest branch and peek out to see where in fucking Netherland am I.

Fucking hell! I am smack dab in the middle of the place and except a few rough roads, I cannot see which direction I need to go. Letting out my frustration with another round of expletives, I get down and slowly start moving towards the largest road I saw. The jeep would need space to move and while all the roads were rough, I think that was the only one in which a jeep could be driven.

Keeping the noise level to a minimum and tracing my steps back, I keep my eyes open for any wood or plastic I can use as a bottle. I would need some water for the journey ahead. It is time to prepare a canteen. After fucking eternity, I find two pieces of plastic. Grabbing the lighter from my pocket, I slowly burn the edges and hope to hell that there is no leak.

Filing the bottle at the stream, I cut my pant leg and wrap a make shift bandage around the bottle. The plastic is not sturdy enough to survive on its own. Besides, I need a cover of cloth to work as a makeshift cap for the time being. I once again walk back and forth to avoid leading them directly to my path and slowly keep moving slowly ahead in the direction of the road. I keep my eyes and ears open for any possible sign of them and hope to god that there is something I can eat.

--

The sun is beating on my head and the constant walking has made me thirsty as hell. There is not enough water to give in to the thirst now. I keep looking for something to eat though. That will have to do for now.

--

I find some kind of berry like fruit and contemplate my chances of survival if I eat it. I wish I had paid more attention in class about these things. Well, worse case scenario, I die. I mean, everybody dies at some point in time. This will just mean that Dad will put 'Died of stupidity; Brainless inattentive son' on my headstone. Well, it is either drink the water and die later or eat the berries and die now. I think I'll take my chances with the berries because dehydration is a worse way to die. I think atleast. I mean, who knows what the berries can do. I don't even know if they are berries. They even smell awful.