Efferent

Chapter 6

Painfully, I lay in a tangled heap with Clark. Our limbs were strewn about in odd knots, and I lifted my head to view where we had landed. "Ouch!" I rolled over, groaning lowly. I yelped when I raised my forearms and looking carefully at the multiple bruises and cuts gracing my skin. I picked myself up from the underbrush and dusted myself off, staggering as I tried to stand up.

Clark moaned and I quickly looked over to him, panic tinging my voice, "Clark?". He did not reply, instead his eyes rolled back in his head. My hand shook slightly, as I reached forward to clutch at his shoulder. "Are you okay? Clark? Hello?" I asked, shaking him slightly. Clark grunted as his pale skin regained a bit of color.

As I struggled to get him upright, my hand brushed against his forehead, which was burning up, probably with fever. His cheeks were sallow and sunken, his lips blue. I groaned and propped him up against a tree.

"Clark? Answer me." I bit out sternly, but his eyelids fluttered shut as he flopped towards the ground in a swift motion. "Please?"

Nothing. He lay unconscious, completely motionless save for the slight changes in his facial features.

I spent the next ten minutes trying to revive his slumped over figure, resorting to slapping him, tickling him, shouting in his ear. I heard the sound of rushing water, and even flicked the water in my cupped hands that I found in a nearby creek, but he would not wake up. Instead, his skin turned paler and his lips turned bluer.

As I examined his still body closer, panic crept up my spine, and I wished that I could slap myself for my own oversight. If he was sick, I really should not be pouring cold water on him. I took my cardigan off and draped it onto him. Pulling some logs together, and surrounding it with rocks as I had watched on television. Then I frantically rubbed two sticks together, which ultimately... did not work.

Helplessly, I just sat there next to him until it began to rain. The rain turned all of the dirt around us to mud, and as I dragged him under a jagged rock outcropping, mud covered us from head to toe. "Ugh!" I muttered.

I was already so done with this. The day was already bad from the start, and now it was probably the absolute worst it could get. As the downpour grew stronger, and lightning crashed down, I just rocked back and forth, wondering what to do. I had read a survival guide, but that was a few years back.

"Ar-Arydn..." Clark mumbled, I flew towards his side.

"Yes? What? Is there anything you need?" I asked, but he did not reply. Instead, he immediately resumed his slumber. The sound of chopping helicopters suddenly filled the sky again and I fought the urge to scream.

Pushing Clark away from their view, I quickly hid the small brown backpack he had. "Search this area with the spotlights." I heard the voice broadcasted on the speaker, full volume. Covering my ears, I peeked outside and immediately shrunk back in.

Five helicopters surrounded the forest, with their bright lights contrasting the dark sky, shining and searching the floor. They were flying dangerously close to the top of the canopy, and their blades sent everything flying, including branches and leaves that slapped me in the face.

With my breath bated, I sat, holding my muscles in a tensed position. Sometimes I could swear that they looked directly at our small shelter, but nothing happened. Clark snuffled in his sleep, and I panicked, immediately covering his mouth.

"There's no one here. They're probably at Area 34, Section 2. We have not checked that part of the forest yet." Someone said, and as fast as it came, the helicopters left. I breathed a sigh of relief and peeked outside as they left. Then I headed towards Clark, who was having a restless sleep.

He was shaking and trembling, murmuring words that I could not understand. Suddenly, his hand flew out and grabbed mine. Startled, I stared at him, and his eyes opened for a second. "Stay." He whispered, and I froze, watching as his eyes drew closed once more and he slept again.

I frowned at his message. It was night time, and therefore time to sleep. Besides, the officials were gone, searching a different part of the forest. Just thirty minutes. I nodded to myself, and then curled up to Clark, closing my eyes.

***

I woke up to arms around me. Not used to it, I immediately threw them off and kicked the person with the arms. If I had been more awake, I would have been able to guess who it was. But I was not, and when I opened my eyes, I noticed Clark bending down in pain.

"Oops, sorry. I... I just kind of reacted." I laughed nervously. "I act before I think sometimes. I am just not used to it, so my first reaction was to get away."

Clark groaned. "Do you have to kick that hard?" He questioned, ignoring my statements.

I shrugged. "I do not know. I do not kick that hard."

"Sure, sure." Clark said sarcastically, standing up. "Anyways, I wanted to tell you that we need to go. Like, move. I am surprised we have not been found out yet, actually." He frowned. "They usually search thoroughly."

I laughed. "Actually, I think the rain hid us from them, and I did hide us in here. I am sure that from an aerial view this just looks like a rock to them, since the crevice is hidden nicely."

Clark pursed his lips. "I am sure they were just being careless. Anyways, we have to move. When they check everything again, they will be much more thorough this time." He held his hand out, and when I did not take it, he growled in frustration. "What are you trying to do, get them to capture you?"

"No." I muttered. "It is just that last time you nearly died and you want to try it again? I do not have a death wish, but I think that you do." I snapped, arguing.

He suddenly paused, staring at me. "You do not have to care about me, Ardyn. After all, what is my death to you anyways?"

I glared at him. "Was that supposed to be sarcastic?"

"No. Yes. N- whatever. I am leaving. You coming or not?" Clark said, shuffling his feet on the ground. Rolling my eyes, I placed my hand in his, and then the world turned blurry again.