Walking Corpse

In spite of drowsiness and fatigue swallowing my mind, my hand was starting to get sore enough to the extent that the physical pain was, in fact, becoming the main intrusion on my mind—I was just an hour or so into the walk, yet it felt like many, endless and torturous hours had passed by now.

I put down the cart, turned around, and looked at both of them, "how could this happen… hang in there, you two," I voiced in a sympathetic tone regardless of my pain.

Afterwards, I sat down on the cart and lied down—closed my eyes, but then abruptly the inside of my head began strangling me; feeling as if blank ink spilled on the table of my brain, I instantly opened my eyes and got back to dragging the cart.

Breathing in struggles and looking ahead with my eyes wide open.

Suddenly, my eyes started stinging horribly—put down the cart and attempted to rub them with my right hand, just to realize I didn't have one; consequently, I did it with my left one and they were tearing up in pain so much so that I couldn't even open them.

I sighed—this was exhausting, and this was just the beginning of a trip that would probably take weeks—and I didn't even account for the need of shelter, food, and other necessities yet.

A few hours more had passed and I could finally see the forest now—it took just half an hour to get from there to the Town the first time, yet now it took me many, many unthinkable hours of pure agonizing dragging.

Every so often, I'd check up on my hand—it was getting purple and the rest of the arm was almost as red as blood now—are the veins on my arm on the brink of eruption?

I decided that I need to compose myself a bit before continuing—I couldn't possibly neglect the necessities of keeping myself alive, otherwise all of them would inevitably die along with me.

Evening already. I glanced up and closed my eyes—started taking deep breaths.

"The shoulder I got bit on… it's burning hot but there's no pain."

"I'm hungry and thirsty…"

"My missing right arm… no pain somehow."

"Left hand… can barely move or feel it; a disgustingly uncomfortable sensation."

"My mind… my conscious mind…"

Opened my eyes and proceeded to ignore the fifth, final devout cause of suffering.

Then the realization sank in—I couldn't possibly close my eyes in the state I was in, let alone sleep or rest for prolonged amounts of time.

Uncertain with what to do with that, I stood up and started dragging the cart yet again—quickly, darkness began embracing the atmosphere and I couldn't even see where I was going beyond the fact that I was moving towards the direction of Im City.

My mind was starting to blank out even harder—a walking corpse with nothing but mindless marching on its list of priorities.

Another while had passed and I couldn't see where I was going at all. Suddenly, from ahead, I heard a loud howling sound—is it wolves? Some monster, possibly?

I didn't care and continued stepping forward without the possibility of danger even existing.

As I was getting closer to the howling, I started hearing growling noises as well—before I knew it, I was surrounded by a bunch of animals that wanted to maul me.

However, I did not care and thus proceeded to step.

Then for just a second, I paused, and noticed that my legs were getting awfully sore as well.

Regardless, I did not care and then kept stepping forward.

The wolves came out in front of me and began growling at me.

Nonetheless, I stepped forward without a care in the world.

Somehow, the wolves didn't attack me beyond barky little threats of intimidation.

They all dispersed before I knew it—consequently, slight disappointment ran through my mind, as secretly, as a small little intrusive thought, I had hoped to get mauled to gruesome, unrecognizable pieces.

Finally, it was starting to get bright again—I was hungry, thirsty, dirty, exhausted, and in horrendous physical and mental anguish.

I didn't know what possessed me—I couldn't stop walking, as if something had taken over my body and compelled me to keep going without pauses.

The sun was high up—for the first time, I had paused, which instantly made me remember that I had two people behind me; their heavy breathing filled with struggles prompted me to think for just a brief second, then take out the spells Arial had prepared for me.

"How do I…" I spoke out loud.

4 green and orange ones, meanwhile 9 red ones… I'm supposed to use the red ones on myself, right?

Held up the red one on myself, and immediately my mind blanked out and went into chaos—any and all anxiety immediately became unintelligible—robotically, I went up and used the other two on Xter and Ella; unlike the red one, however, they didn't disappear after one-time uses.

Proceeded to drag the cart—I couldn't feel any physical or mental turmoil anymore.

Then, just minutes later, everything blacked out—I fell down on the ground and unwillingly passed out from what appeared to be exhaustion.

I don't know how much time had passed with me being out of it, but when I woke up, it was already completely dark; I was surprised that we didn't get eaten by either monsters or wild animals in the process.

My shoulder was burning hot—I put my hand on it and it downright scorched.

I started moving again, and my stomach started growling—how long has it been since I ate anything? Two? Three days? My sense of time was getting awfully distorted, I thought.

Struggling to drag the cart because of immense weakness flowing through my body, I understood that I needed more than just some sleep in order to proceed—I looked at Xter and Ella, and realized, I was in urgent need of some food and water.

Left the cart and started walking around the forest in search of anything edible.

Then I noticed some mushrooms next to a large rock—they didn't appear poisonous, so immediately I downed them without a second thought. I threw up and everything began spinning; they really were poisonous it appears.

Guess I'll die, I thought to myself.

Fell over paralyzed and closed my eyes.

Started hallucinating.

Strangely, the darkness from earlier didn't appear this time upon closing my eyes.

Peace.