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The Only Important Question; [Single Post]
Topic Started: Jan 16 2014, 09:25 AM (235 Views)
Czernobog
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Best Influence.
He had cut his rope in two, and put one length of it between two trees, stretching it tight. Beneath it he had lain one tarp, and he had laid another over it, weighing down each corner with a good, heavy rock. The ground was covered in a thick layer of pine needles, and that, plus the tarp and the sleeping bag, had made for a soft -- if cold -- bed.

In the morning, he set up a firepit, making a circle of stones and building dry branches into a zigguraut in the middle. He moved a small log over next to it to serve as a chair, and only then did he allow himself to make a breakfast of dried nuts and fruit. In a metal canteen he boiled some water and prepared it with a powdered drink mix. Nature was difficult when water had an acidic effect upon your skin.

He had brought some books from his weakest subjects -- Civics and German -- and they sat in his backpack in his tent. He thought about studying, but decided against it.

Emptying his pockets, he found a bit of twine, and thought. He needed to be sure he could find his way back.

He set the lightning bug on the log and crouched in front of it. He was reasonably certain that the little thing wasn't aware of its surroundings. It was, after all, just clockwork. It was also the only companion he had brought with him. Still, its behavior indicated a degree of intelligence greater than a simple mechanical system should have.

"When y' hear me shout..." he began, then paused. "When y' hear me shout 'Marco,' I want y' t' rise up 'n' do a little dance in th' sun, then come back down. Straight up. Y' unnerstand?"

It lowered its head and then raised it again as if to look at him. The two copper-wire antennae that it had put on its head bobbed up and down. They looked rather sad, like he was trying to make it cute and not quite succeeding.

He thought that it did, but wasn't sure.

"You do 't 's many time 's I shout, got it?"

It moved as if cleaning its antennae, and Naoya was as satisfied as he was going to be. He pulled a small bag out of his backpack, the metal disks inside jangling against one another, and put it in his pocket. He scattered about a quarter of them as he went down the mountain. Small medallions of intentional metal that had imprinted on him and would hopefully confuse any scannner. He didn't know if they were going to try to bring him back, but he didn't intend to come back on anyone's terms but his own.

The snares were trial-and-error. Still, he didn't have enough food to last him indefinitely, and while he had made gestures toward being back before exams started, he wasn't sure how long he would be. He would learn.

When he finished, he shouted "Marco!" and looked in the direction of where he thought the camp was.

He followed the flashing bronze-and-brass beacon of the lightning bug and settled back into his camp.

He studied for a bit, and when he felt his brain turn to mush, he moved on to the least pleasant task of preparing his camp site. It would prove unnecessary, he told himself. Everything would be fine. He just wanted to be prepared. He just wanted to keep his promises to himself. Just wanted to make a gesture toward having the will to do what he had told himself he would.

You know. All those reasons.

Right?

He climbed one of the trees on the edge of the campsite and held on to a good, sturdy branch with his wiry legs. He tied one end of the rope firmly to branch, and took the other end. He looped a long bit of the end back on itself twice, making a sort of N shape. He took the last of the three sections, and looped it around the upper portion of the other two six times, making a study knot able to slide.

He looked at the noose and swallowed.

Better or not at all, he had decided.

Those visions wouldn't come to pass.

Not if he could help it.
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