The Wisely Christ and Five Pretties

About Bread

"Are you okay?"

The question naturally made Christ shake his head slowly. His breath came in brief gasps. His eyes stared in disbelief. He was sure he was running in the opposite direction, following the source of the rustling leaves Mads had first seen.

Christ sat down and cried in confusion. He didn't even know what to say when he saw the other three approaching. Realizing Mads was standing in fear, Christ immediately got up and pulled Mads to sit face to face.

"Tell me, Mads! Tell me what you saw! Who are him? Why are you silent when you see him, Mads? Tell me, Mads! Tell me something!"

Mads looked shocked. He was speechless to show his fear. A fear he had never even imagined before.

"His head! That crazy man pulled his head off, Christ!"

Suddenly, Clarissa and Anne were in hysterics. Both of them even fell down to avoid the reality. But unfortunately, Christ refused to believe it. Although there was a part of his heart that realize how horrible the forest they were in now was.

Christ still looked calm. He got some mineral water to give directly to Mads. "Are you sure what you saw, Mads? Who's pulling who? Do you recognize him? Tell me the truth!"

Seeing that Anne and Clarissa couldn't help themselves, Christ took charge of the situation. He left Mads to take the other two women away so as not to overhear their conversation.

But Mads refused to be left behind. He was still so frightened by what he saw he had to follow where Clarissa and Anne were being taken.

The three of them were still trying to calm down as Christ returned his attention to the surroundings. There was something he wanted to confirm. But he himself didn't quite know what could be done amidst the limitations faced in the middle of the forest.

"Where are you going, Christ?" asked Clarissa shakily. Her face was wet with tears. There was even a palpable fear in her sharp eyes.

Christ didn't have a choice. He grabbed the few bags of bread he could find to give to his three colleagues, who were in post-traumatic shock.

"Forget what Mads said. I think this is just one effect of our own fear. We're just being paranoid. Not to mention we're hungry. I'll go around. At the very least, I'll gather some food that I can get my hands on."

Instead of looking happy, Mads returned the bread he had so desperately wanted. Let alone eating, he couldn't even imagine what he could do when he got back, considering how hard that man's hand had pulled to sever a human head.

Mads was restless. He approached Anne, trying to calm her down with stories.

"Listen to me, Anne. I'm sure I saw it well. Even our gazes met for a second. I think he's a local. He wasn't even dressed properly. His body was so dirty. His teeth were black. Even his eyes looked like a tiger ready to pounce. It was only a split second before the head was severed at the neck! He pulled the man's body quickly. Even with just one hand. That's not human, Anne! That's not human!"

Mads' whisper made Anne even more uneasy. Instead of crying out in fear, she turned her head, noticing where Christ was.

"We have to get out of here, Anne. It's only a matter of time before that man comes back and we'll be the next victims!"

Anne shook her head, asking Mads to sit down while she held on. "Listen to me, Mads. Christ is over there. He's even alone. And he's not afraid at all. It could have been because you were hungry and tried a new trick to fill you up."

Clarissa glanced at Mads after hearing about the possibility Anne had mentioned. The look in her eyes was much more threatening as Mads looked agitated. "You did it on purpose to get bread? Are you kidding me?"

"Enough, guys!"

Christ brought some long, wide clothes, presumably for the trolley table to provide food for the passengers of the special class airplane. Some tree trunks obtained after combing the area around the airplane were also brought to serve as the intact foundation of their shelter later.

"What do you want to do with that? You want to make a house? It's almost night and we can't just sit down! There will be more horrible wild animals! Or even those crazy people will come back, Christ!"

Mads could no longer contain himself? This time, the look in his eyes wasn't just fear. It was desperation. Loss of hope. The light of life in Mads' eyes actually burned brightly, but also fade simultaneously.

"You're just hungry. Eat and finish your bread. You need time to calm down and take a nap."

This time, the disappointment in Mads' eyes was really evident. He even handed back the bread he had been holding to Christ with annoyance. His gaze didn't even move from the still calm Christ.

"I no longer need your bread, Christ. I'm pretty sure I saw that crazy guy pulling someone's hair until—"

"Climb up to the second tree trunk in the tree to keep you calm. Clarissa and Waterston," Christ paused his sentence as he patted Mads lightly on the back. He glanced at Anne, who signaled to only say her name rather than her last name. "Clarissa and Anne will sleep up in that tree over there, close to the trunk door. If there's any danger, we can go in there."

"What about you?" asked Clarissa anxiously. Ignoring Anne and Mads, who had already made their way to the tree Christ was referring to.

"Take this for a blanket, while the others you can spread out on a roof. I'll stay downstairs checking things out."

Anne and Mads climbed up as Clarissa stood closer to Christ out of curiosity. The two now looked very close when viewed from a distance. Even from different sides, the two seemed to be kissing each other, making Anne, who was about to wave from above, cuss at the empty air.

"What the f**k with all of you guys?"

Meanwhile, Clarissa, who stood on tiptoe, bringing her face right next to Christ's, with her hands resting on both of Christ's shoulders, whispered softly.

"Tell me, what exactly did you find, Christ? Is it true what Mads saw earlier?"

Clarissa's breath brushed lightly against Christ's ear and jaw. The cold suddenly hit, making both of them freeze in place for a moment. It was as if they felt the same feeling.

Christ smiled faintly. His hands pressed against Clarissa's shoulders to keep her off her tiptoes, then turned her over to get up as he whispered behind her ear.

"I didn't find anything. I mean, I know there were more than 40 passengers. But obviously, I don't know the exact number. Strangely enough, if there was a head severed from the body, shouldn't there have been blood splashed? So far, I have found no other blood far from the vicinity of the crash. Most likely, he's just hallucinating out of fear and hunger. Now, go up and rest, Clarissa. Don't let the others slap me for thinking I'm harassing you at this crucial time."

Clarissa was silent despite the sarcasm, but Christ still smiled faintly. She moved away slowly after making sure that Christ was not playing on her fears.

Christ nodded as he took a step back. Instead of carrying a weapon, he carried a broken tree branch with a sharp tip. But his steps were halted when he faintly heard a voice in the distance.

Christ quickly turned around, making sure Clarissa, and the others were already in a safe place. "Stay on the top! And don't come down from there!"

Suddenly, everyone was surprised at Christ's worried expression.

"What's going on?"

"I heard a voice! I'll be back as soon as I can!" Christ ran towards the forest, but just before he broke through the thick trees, he turned around and pointed at Mads, who was still sitting back in fear. "If I don't come back, you're the boss! Show me you deserve to be the leader!"