16 Scent of death

Becca

“Let’s look at that map again,” Jason says, reaching into my bag to pluck it out. “If no one has been there for two decades, we might have trouble finding it due to overgrown vegetation.”

“I was thinking the same thing,” I reply, sighing as the trees separate us again. Despite my efforts to pinpoint the exact location by the description of the closest pack and studying every map of the area, it could still take days to find it. And even then, we’ll have to wait for the right time when the full moon illuminates the forest.

I confidently take the lead. Thanks to the satellite images, I have memorized everything I could, even though the forest is so wild that it is impossible to find any track. My boots too often get caught in the tangle of vine and undergrowth to keep a decent pace. I find myself shaking my leg after every few steps. I have to constantly look to the ground, evading most of the vines since it is way overgrown, and the leaves from last fall are still here. This is t