The night had been a blur of discomfort and anxiety, my body under constant attack from unseen forces. I had slapped and swatted at my skin, trying to shoo away the pesky insects that seemed to be feasting on me. But no matter how hard I tried, the biting and stinging continued, leaving me covered in red, itchy welts.
As the first light of dawn crept over the horizon, I finally drifted off into a fitful sleep, exhausted from the constant battle. But when I woke up, I was greeted by a sight that made my heart race and my mind spin.
My body was a mess, covered in red bite marks and swollen patches. I looked like I had been attacked by a swarm of bees, or worse. I couldn't understand how this had happened, how I had let my guard down so completely.
But as I sat up and looked around, my gaze fell on a sight that made my blood run cold. Gabriel was nowhere to be seen. His backpack was still there, his finished snack lying next to it, but he was gone.
I leapt to my feet, my heart racing with panic. "Gabriel!" I shouted, scanning the surrounding area frantically. "Gabriel, where are you?"
But there was no response, no sign of my little brother anywhere. I stumbled forward, my eyes scanning the trees and bushes, my mind reeling with worst-case scenarios.
How could this have happened? We had been together just hours before, huddled under the parachute material for safety. Had he wandered off in the night, confused and disoriented? Or had something more sinister occurred?
I stumbled forward, my heart heavy with fear, my mind racing with questions. Where was Gabriel? And what had happened to him?
I collapsed back onto the parachute material, my body trembling with fear and weakness. Tears streamed down my face as I screamed out Gabriel's name, my voice hoarse and barely audible. I was too weak to stand, too dizzy to even sit up straight. The bites that covered my body seemed to throb with a newfound intensity, as if they were sucking the life out of me.
"Gabriel! Gabriel, where are you?" I wailed, my voice cracking with desperation. "Where's my brother? Where's my little brother?"
I scanned the surrounding area, my eyes blurry with tears and exhaustion. The trees seemed to spin around me, their branches reaching out like skeletal fingers. I felt like I was trapped in a nightmare, unable to wake up from the horror that was unfolding before me.
I tried to stand up again, but my legs wouldn't cooperate. They felt like jelly, weak and unsteady. I collapsed back onto the ground, my head spinning with dizziness. I couldn't even crawl, couldn't even move. All I could do was lie there, helpless and alone, as the brightness kept lightening up the sky around me.
"Gabriel, please come back!" I begged, my voice barely a whisper. "Don't leave me, Gabriel. I can't lose you, not now, not ever."
But there was no response, no sign of my little brother anywhere. I was alone, abandoned in the wilderness, with nothing but my tears and my fears to keep me company. I felt like I was dying, like the bites were poisoning me, like the world was ending.
And in that moment, I knew that I had to find Gabriel. I had to get up, had to keep moving, no matter how weak or dizzy I felt. I had to find my brother, had to save him, had to make sure he was safe.
With a newfound determination, I slowly began to crawl, my body screaming in protest, my mind focused on one thing: finding Gabriel.
I felt a crushing sense of guilt and helplessness wash over me, like a wave crashing against the shore. How could I have let this happen? How could I have been so careless, so negligent, as to lose my little brother in this vast and unknown wilderness?
The weight of my responsibility bore down on me like a mountain, suffocating me. I had promised our dad, I had promised myself, that I would always protect Gabriel, always keep him safe. But now, where was he? Where had I failed?
I lay on the ground, my body wracked with sobs, my mind reeling with questions. How could I have let him out of my sight? How could I have let him wander off alone? The thought of Gabriel, alone and scared in this unforgiving environment, was too much to bear.
I felt like I was drowning in my own failure, my own inadequacy. I was only ten years old, but I had taken on the responsibility of caring for my little brother. And now, I had lost him.
The tears flowed like a river, uncontrollable and unstoppable. I felt like I was crying out all the fear, all the anxiety, all the guilt that had been building up inside me. I was crying out for Gabriel, for my dad, for someone, anyone, to help me.
But there was no one. I was alone, completely and utterly alone. And that realization was almost too much to bear.
I lay there, defeated, my body shaking with sobs, my mind numb with grief. I felt like I had failed, like I had let everyone down. I felt like I was too young, too weak, too helpless to be of any use to anyone.
But even in the midst of that despair, a spark of determination flickered to life within me. I knew I had to get up, had to keep moving, had to find Gabriel. I knew I had to keep my promise to our dad, no matter what.
With a newfound resolve, I slowly began to crawl, my body screaming in protest, my mind focused on one thing: finding Gabriel.