Lost in the Crossroads

Two - Conclusion and Exploring (Fenella & Blake)

They were not in their Country. A conclusion they all have agreed upon after seeing the Sea-Monster and a lot of hysterical screaming, cursing and shouting.

Everyone only calmed down when Abel pointed out that the monster doesn't seem interested in eating them which was proven by it disappearing beneath the water, never to resurface again. Though, it doesn’t mean they don’t have questions. Abel having the highest rank within their group in the Military, a Captain, suffered from it.

Fenella released a heavy sigh. An action noticed by Drishti helping her out with sorting the bags inside the car. Blake has already cleaned up the broken glasses.

They admittedly overacted, again. Pushing Abelone to her limits. Of course, with the pressure and stress tripling on her, Abel will snap.

And snapped she did.

Abel shouted back at them with a few creative curses that made them shrink back and Fenella covered her ears. It's the first time Abel shouted ever since they arrive in the foreign land.

Fenella had a good look of everyone and saw clearly how they stop mid shout when silver eyes flashed in anger and Abel started spouting words like the Drill Sergeant from hell.

“Stop with the goddamn whining and f*****g questions! I don’t know anything on this land or about that bloody overgrown snake! Don’t make it sound like I know f*****g everything just because I’m a Captain! You make it sound like I jump one place to another with weird animals and lights on daily basis! What the hell? If you want to find out, which I know you do, why they have things like that then get your asses on the move and let’s see why they have freaking snakes that big!”

Suffice it was to say, they were properly scolded. They were like a deer caught in headlights, expecting Abel to throw one of her infamous knives on each of them with impeccably aim. But she wouldn’t do that. Everyone knows it was Alex who have the tendency to throw things at people when angry, be it a scalpel or injection. They just couldn’t help but flinch knowing that the woman has the skills to kill them. Not that Abel would kill them.

They make preparations for their trip after that.

Breakfast was a first.

Since, they packed for a road-trip in the first place they have the tools to cook breakfast. A kettle with some spices inside and a frying pan. The small cooler filled with beers and soft drinks were a mess. Somehow, the glasses broke from all the jostling it received. Alex said it doesn’t really matter. They wouldn’t be able to bring the cooler. They only need to pack light and their tumblers is what they only needed. And most of them got first aid kits. Some of the junk foods they bought the morning before the earthquake flew outside of the broken window.

That was actually a great morning, away from the Military base for the first time together they finally squeezed a vacation in their schedules. They ate outside, joked at each other and talk about the latest pop music, who’s the hottest in Abel’s squad, books, movies…etc. It felt like they were back in college. No war. No duties and responsibilities. No patients.

Just them.

No one actually anticipated the incoming earthquake.

Breaking from those thoughts, Fenella gazed around her friends to check on them.

Abel, still simmering in anger, choose to climb the enormous tree they were using as a camp just to find her Zen. Not even Alex’s fretting could stop her.

Fenella felt guilty for their treatment of Abel. The situation was already stressful and them added to the mix that made Abel climb up an enormous tree in her favorite white-dress shirt, ripped jeans and sneakers, to find her Zen.

Note, her Zen.

Kara has found out on her smartphone that there are No Reception, No Wi-Fi and No internet connection. Anything that could define as normal in their life.

Kara, being an expert from the Communications Division, tried to use Abel’s laptop, it surprisingly survived the whole ordeal in the car, and to hook-up to some kind of satellite for coordinates of their location.

She got nothing and started sulking.

There is no internet, I’m dying—manner of sulking.

Most of their gadgets survive actually. Solar USB Chargers and power banks courtesy of Kara, PSP, Cables, personal usb’s and Hard drives, Smartphones, Alex’s speaker and Tabitha’s tablet. They don’t have a use now without electricity or connection. And their smart phones don’t really matter, they don’t have anyone aside from each other. Their family died when the war erupted.

Fenella was pretty sure no one have a permanent boyfriend in their circle.

She caught Geneva’s gaze and they both rolled their eyes at Kara’s dilemma. Always the dramatic one.

Shaking her head in amusement, her hands found Drishti’s over Abel’s bag. The last from the pile of bags they dumped outside. Looking at the small red-head next to her, she moved her hands next to her, grinning at each other they both pull at the same time. The blue traveling bag was surprisingly heavy, they didn’t manage take it outside the back door and made some clinking noises.

Curious, she glanced at Drishti again only to meet equally curious soft-green eyes. With a silent agreement, they opened it. There are two guns, a few gun magazines, a black box, few of Abel’s clothes mostly were black or dull colors, and a collection of knives in a black strap.

“What’s with her and knives?” Drishti asked, holding up the black strap with a collection of knives. The metal handles of the knives made another clinking noises, attracting the others. Alex gazed at them, questioning. Drishti raised the black strap for her to see. Alex nodded in understanding. Abel’s affinity to knives is well known in their circle.

Fenella was wondering the same thing.

“Who?” Dein inquired, peering over their shoulders and look at what they are looking. Her brows shot up at the array of weapons inside Abel’s bag.

“Ah. Probably because they don’t need bullets?” she answered, quite unsure.

Fenella shrugged when Drishti looked at her for confirmation. She wasn’t really a fighter. As a nurse, she was much prone in staying in the medical ward unlike Alex and Dein who was at the field sometimes. She does know how to properly shoot a gun but never manage to actually shoot someone unlike Abel who do it in what most like a daily basis.

“A soldier without bullets is a dead soldier, is what some says.” Hailey who have heard what they’re talking about said, backing Dein’s claim before she went to Geneva and Tabitha who was preparing their breakfast.

Satisfied by the answer, Drishti zipped Abel’s bag close. And Blake called them for breakfast.

What Hailey said does have a point. How are the soldiers going to live in a war without their bullets? It relieves her that Abel have a back-up weapon whenever she has no more bullets. She doesn’t really know how intense fighting in the front-line was considering she’s stuck in nursing duties but she could hazard a guess from all the wounds Abel received and brought home with her.

It was always nerve wracking to wait for her return when she was dispatched in some area in the front-lines only to know she will come back with more bullets in her guts or dead. Alexandra was actually the worst of them in those waiting days, she was still reliable as a doctor but easy to be provoke and invoke her tendency to snap and throw things at people and patients alike. Drishti and Dein wasn’t going to hold her back. They mostly helped her. It always brought the Head Doctor, their superior, screeching in distress.

Hailey and Tabitha find it amusing while Blake was running herself ragged for additional data any squad needed in the front-lines. Kara, on the other hand, became utterly serious and responsible. She, along with Geneva in the Communications Division, is their only way to know if Abel was still alive or not.

Speaking of the devil, Abel has already climbed down the tree with some leaves stuck on her wild raven hair. Her white-dress shirt is dirty and got some mosses printed on it. The typical soldier.

“Found your Zen?” Alex inquired, caramel eyes twinkling in amusement at their friend’s disheveled appearance.

Abel pursed her lips before taking in a particular deep breath as if steeling herself. “I’m sorry for my outburst but you guys needed to stop bitching about almost everything. You can’t expect me to have answers to all of your questions because I wasn’t really familiar with this place but I’ll try.” She said, face unreadable but her eyes looked apologetic enough.

Fenella smiled and so were the others. Outside the base or the mission, there are no more ranks. They were just friends here and all are equal. Besides, Abel never use her rank on them. She was soft like that.

“We’re sorry too.” Alex apologized in their behalf. The eldest taking charge. “This place was just weird and we don’t know what to do.”

Fenella nodded at that. She would probably pass out in panic if they weren’t there. Their presences are grounding.

“I know.” Abel smiled, her eyes catching the still sulking Kara. “What’s up with her?”

Their eyes turned to Kara, sulking with her smart phone. Geneva sitting by her side wrinkled her nose in distaste, “She’ll live.” Kara shot a glare at her direction.

Abel, understanding the drama merely blink.

“So, Zen?” Drishti inquired, smirking mischievously.

“Found it.” Abel rolled her eyes, moving to sit by Alex’s side.

They laughed at her answer.

The day was finally looking good.

“Hey! Wash your hands!” Fenella admonished as Abel was handed by her bowl. The soldier has the nerve to stuck her tongue at her. “You’re dirty!”

“I thought you were looking for your Zen?” Alex demanded, marching right by Abel’s side. Their feet moving in sync together.

Blake was fairly sure they were all doing the same thing, following their footsteps.

It was kind of entertaining to find themselves marching inside a forest like a squadron of soldiers. Well, they weren’t really marching more like walking in pairs and sync. They looked more like hikers than soldiers with their travelling bags with a pan and a kettle hanging on their side.

Abel would probably have passed as one, with her camouflage pants paired off with sneakers and martial artist gait.

They were all wearing comfortable clothes and shoes. The flat sandals Drishti tried to wear was flat out denied for the trip. Shoes, they need. Abel doesn’t want them prickling their toes with something poisonous. The heels were almost thrown in the cliff. So, does the neon pink shirt, Alex tried to change into. It was admittedly a blinding choice of color. Abel didn’t like it. They needed to be as inconspicuous as possible. Though, it probably got to do with it being pink.

Dein was wearing a tank top for her bandaged shoulder. It was acceptable since she was injured but she still has a jacket to cover it, tied on her waist.

“I did!” Abel answered, leading the way along with Alexandra. The black strap filled with knives that Drishti was fiddling were already attached on her back, hidden by the black hoodie she was wearing. Ready to use against any enemies.

Abel actually gave each of them a pair of knives, just in case. Fenella had stared at her knives for a long moment, stunned and worried before hiding it under her clothes. No one interfered nor offered to take the knives from her. Everyone knows she was too much of a bleeding heart to kill someone but it was for her protection.

Kara have her own gun and walked at the rear guard with Geneva who has stun guns on her just like Drishti.

Alex was given a gun too. She was actually a good shot. She would have been a sniper, If she didn’t choose to be a doctor.

And the last gun they have with them, Abel hesitated on whom to give. Tabitha or Hailey. Blake understand the hesitation. They were both trigger-happy. In the end, Abel choose Tabitha. The lesser of the two evils.

And just in case, Fenella prayed over it. Just in case.

“Then how did you know there was a river?” Alex asked.

The river that Abel saw was their destination. It was safe to follow its path to the West without getting lost in the forest.

“I saw it.” Abel replied blandly. “While I was looking for my Zen.”

Blake choked back a laugh at the poor attempt of joking Abel did. It was admittedly cute no matter how bland it was.

Dein chuckled by her side and shook her head with amusement. Drishti and Fenella burst out laughing, they’re the one following closely behind the two. Hailey and Tabitha were the ones laughing the loudest.

While Geneva and Kara was left out since they were walking at the rear or they weren’t really paying attention.

“What? What is so funny?” Kara wondered, surprised as to why they’re suddenly laughing. “Did something happen?”

“Nothing—Ow!” Abel complained when Alex slapped her arm hard. “What?” she asked, stopping for a moment to cut a particular foliage blocking their way with her knife.

“Are you making fun of me?”

“No.” Immediately she answered, smart-enough not to invoke Alex’s wrath. “It’s the truth.” Abel elaborated.

“What is?” Kara inquired, raising her voice.

“Just about the river. Carry on.” Abel waved her hand in a dismissive way, having trouble from cutting the foliage blocking their way.

But Alex would have none of that, slapping her arm one more time.

Abel’s eyes widen, stunned for a moment before she scowled. The hand holding the knife successfully hacking the foliage blocking the way with a downward stroke.

Alex glared back, unfazed from the sharp gleam of knife in her best friend’s hand.

Blake caught sight of Dein’s shaking shoulder, both aware with incoming long argument about every little thing between the two eldest.

She rolled her eyes and hoped it wouldn’t last long.