Abandoned and Alone | Open

They continued shouting, ignoring the sick feeling in their stomach.

Jay just sat there.

They stopped shouting and turned to Jay. "Do you actually want to split up, like you suggested before?"

"It might help find him, sure I can't see but I could hear pretty well." Jay said to them.

"Alright… Try not to get hurt alright, and shout if you need me." Kale slowly started walking away, then started to run through the trees, calling out Jordan's name.

Jay stood and walked through the forest listening for Jordan. Or at least something that could indicate where Jordan was.

Kale ran by the treeline of the orphanage road, thinking that they may have found Jordan there, and still they called his name.

Jay kept walking. The forest was becoming more and more silent as he walked. A feeling of vertigo overcame Jay and he started falling. He caught himself on a tree and put his back to it. The vertigo was becoming worse and worse, but he knew this feeling. Soon breathing became harder for him. The sound of the silence was becoming deafening to him.

"What's the use in this?" Kale paused, feeling their throat become hoarse and their legs start to tremble. "How hard is it to find one guy in the dark? In the… dark." Kale started running again, calling Jordan's name with both urgency and fear laced within. They stumbled a few times, catching their jeans and jacket on branches, cutting slightly into their skin. Please let Jay and Jordan be alright…

Jay knew and hated this feeling. He never told or let anyone know of this. How it happened every night to him. Though usually it wasn't this bad. Usually he could just get through it. But now he had slid to the ground his head pounding louder than the silence.

Jay started hearing a voice. So he yelled "Trees." He was only able to say trees. his breathing still was tough and he still felt dizzy.

By now, the anxiety had shot into Kale's head, and his eyes darted vigorously at everything around them. "Jordan? Jay? …. Anyone?" They shouted, hearing their own voice quiver. As breathing became harder, Kale came to a stop, propping themselves against a tree. They began coughing, and grimaced as something dark splattered onto their hand. They stayed there, calling for literally anyone who could hear. Kale, although they wouldn't admit it, was scared.

"I shouldn't have left Jay… Who knows what's happening to him…" Kale continued coughing but started walking again, brushing their bloody hand across every tree on their left. "Why can't I hear anything…."

"Jay, can you hear me? I'm sorry!" Kale kept coughing, and their body kept shaking, and more blood splattered their hand and clothes. I just need to keep moving, I'm bound to find one of them eventually.

Jay just stood against the tree. The overwhelming silence everywhere.

Kale heard a voice from behind them but believed they were hallucinating. They slumped down, leaning on a tree, shivering. I need to get it out… More coughing, more blood, more lightness in their head. Every part of Kale felt like caving in on itself and their stomach churned even more than before. Kale managed to force everything out of their stomach, along with a fair bit of blood, and slowly crawled away, not having the energy to stand anymore. You're fine Kale, you're over thinking everything again.

"Vegetables…suck?" Kale managed to wheeze. "Jordan?" They wiped their bloody hands on their jeans while shakily standing up. They had to lean on a tree for balance. "Jordan!"

Kale started laughing and crying gently, a bloody cough interrupting every so often. "You're alive!" They staggered towards Jordan, holding onto low branches.

Jay felt the tears falling down his face. The pain still in his lungs, restricting his breathing. The silence penetrating him. The darkness that was always there seemed darker. His head pounded as the sensation of the area spinning took over.

"You had me thinking you were planning to get killed…" Another cough spluttered from Kale's mouth. "Were you hurt?"

"Water." Kale laughed at their own stupidity. "Where were you hurt?"