Chapter 28

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They walked hard all morning, pushing themselves to the edge of endurance. Several times the thunder of their feet attracted Infected, but they shied away the Infected since they are no trouble. Besides, Infected could not catch up unless they are Runners, and even f they did, the jackets are made of carpet coats around the sleeves and stomach while the young teens used their weapons to chop the monsters down.

At first, in the warmness of the dawn, they could manage the grueling pace, but as the clouds rose, the temperature dropped in coldness, and everyone began shivering in their wet sweat and their breath is seen in their eyes upon the cooling air. Finally Kal slowed down their pace to a walk and took a water break:

They took a bottle out from Johan's pack, one that's hot chocolate and let themselves drink to get warmed up. Then they walked on as the weather became an below degree weather.

On foot it was easier to follow the trial, too. The snow is clear to easily spot footprints of any game animal. However if they didn't the right kind of boots and shoes, and the wool socks for it, their feet would be freeze, maybe be frost bitten. At this point everyone uses their scarves, toques, and hats to cover their faces as the wind is starting to pick up. Max kept frowning and squinting and grunting.

Max stared at Kal, annoyed. He was exhausted from total lack of sleep, and the weather is getting worse. And every time the wind blew through the trees, he swore he could hear Mal calling out to him.

"You think there will be a storm?" Max asked.

"For the night it looks like," Kal muttered. "It's only the wind now. We can take more breaks if you want."

Max gave that a minute, then said, "Maybe more miles, then we have to find a shelter or camp out here. Just need our tools and get working fast."

They walked on, and Max hoped that they'd be able to make the distance since he felt this weather is losing upon them with every minute they stayed on foot.

All the kids reached up the top of the mountain; them the ground level out, and they found another trail of the white forest. Max disgusted as they came out from under another mile of the shade of the trees into a gorgeous field in which is clear of the fluffy white snow and there is no more wind. The sky was a distant blue, and the massive white clouds sailed across it. The image was so lovely that Max's mind saw but discounted the far distance of white fluffy clouds building around as a dark mist and probably now going to storm in the night.

"It's so beautiful yet frightening." Said Rin softly.

All Max could do was nod. Such a beautiful, and protective Ruins.

They reached the creek and turned north; jogging in silence for several miles til several hours later the sky is getting close to sunset and the clouds are building up.

They were led up thirty yards passing the creek and up a crooked path that had been carved by rain runoff and frozen by the snow, leaving no footprints at all. They follow with careful ways, being slow and graceful on walking down the path, not trying to slip by the ice rocks or fallen logs. Heading into the woods they find a path that whipped and turned, snakelike as it cut around the shoulders of the mountain. Killeen and Kal talk behind Max on the clouds that's building, knowing that the night will be tough of them and for tomorrow.

Then Max smiles. He finds a sheltered clearing by a rock cliff, through which a million years of erosion had cut a waterfall that fed all the streams thy ran down to a creek. Along the water that cascaded out and away from the wall, there was a cave mouth five feet high and seven feet wide. He went into the short, damp chamber. Max turns out his flashlight that's hooked on his front straps of his pack, and the comfortable yellow glow expanded out to fill the huge inner chamber. The cave is a trove; the temperature is cool yet not too cold, the waterfall roared softly in the background. Somewhere deep in the cave, water dripped with the constant rhythm of a metronome. Max stood there and called the others.

"In here!" He calls. "Let's take shelter here. Johan and Killeen, cut some branches and make a door, Rin start a fire."

And everyone did their job. Killeen cuts, saws, and breaks off the fresh branches, using the spruce trees with their pine needles while Johan puts eight solid tree branches as a stand. Putting the cut spruce trees, Johan using wire string, tying it secure to the branches, making sure there is no air pockets and this door can keep the cold wind out of the cave. Max and Kal take out some jerky and berries before long they were gathered around a small flame, damp clothes slowly drying. The cave was an ideal shelter, but it won't be long after they have to leave and tomorrow the storm will continue in the morning, so they need a rest for the night and wait out the storm. They had water, they had each other. For the night, everything seemed like it would be okay.

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