We walked all the day long.

Ashley was taking little objects or signs from the ground to understand where the biologist went. She didn't want to talk, so we followed her silently. Mike was walking slowly, John collected some plants from both sides of the improvised road and I followed them writing notes on the papers I took with me". The night came, we started the fire and we cooked something. After dinner I took the chance to talk to Ashley privately while the other were already in the tent totally tired.

"Do you want some tea?" I asked smiling.

"You!" said Ashley with a face full of rage.

"I trusted you, I thought you were different, you would make the right choice! It's true this mission, is important, but not over someone life!"

I glanced at her worried and I replied to her putting a little cold object in her hand.

"I know"

She opened her hand and saw the coin.

"So what?" she insisted.

"You decide on other's life tossing a coin, it's just something you all writers do?"

"Watch it carefully" I added. She looked at me like if I told her I could spit fire from the mouth and then looked at the silver object in a ironic way. After a few seconds she exclaimed.

"You bastard little cheater, liar! Why did you do this?"

"Shhhhh" I said, putting a hand on her mouth before the others could listen. She realized that the coin had twin faces.

"I was on your side and you did it well to trust me, just know I'm by your side but expose myself would have create divisions in our group that is far worse than loosing Luke, so let's find him so this little cheat wouldn't have been in vain!"

"You ask me to trust you even if you cheat, that's risky but I believe I'm left with no choices. I'll take gladly a tea with you anyway"

She said kissing my check and smiling.

"I will take the coin too so you won't have temptations"

The following day we woke up early and Ashley was very motivated. At midday she screamed:

"I found the tracks!" everybody got close and saw a mark of a boot in the solid dirt.

"It's not so old we are close" said Ashley with a smile.

"Let's go! We are two day close"

Before sunset, I asked Ashley "How come you are so good tracking animals?"

"My father taught me so, I went in the woods with him hunting when I was a little child. Instead of hunting I devoted my life in taking pictures while I could have been a cold heart killer"

"You would have never been one" said John.

"I know you too well"

"Why don't we camp here?" said Mike, interrupting the doctor.

Once camped, they prepared the tent and the food while I was making some magic with words and the things I saw that day.

Creating new metaphors was harder and harder but thanks to Ashley's photos it became not so impossible. Gathered around the fire, our yesterday worries seemed lighter and we found again our smiles cheering for Ashley. "The huntress" who did a wonderful job. In that moment we couldn't feel the sore feet and the hungry stomachs and even the food left was almost over we were dancing around the fire, hugging each other and laughing.

I went asleep so tired, I had a dreamless night and the morning after I could not wake up without John throwing some cold water on my face.

After packing our stuff, we started walking with new strength and Ashley leading the way. We never stopped until we reached a familiar point that was the same place where we camped the night before.

"We are moving in circles!" said John, when he found out the marks on the ground.

"How come?" replied Ashley "I'm sure I was following the right track but I lost them!"

"Don't be hard on yourself" I said " It rained a lot these days, it's possible the ground is not reliable to find Luke, we will think of something else"

We seated and start looking for a solution. Suddenly Mike stood up and said:

"To find Luke, we must think like him! First at all, starting here what would we need to survive alone after the heavy rain?"

"Some shelter and a warm place" suggested Ashley. Mike shook his head.

"Water to drink, clean water" said John.

"Exactly" replied Mike. Let's find the nearest river and we will find Luke"

We were walking in the mud from days and we forgot how precious was clean water for someone lost in this jungle. Mike studied the place and then he decided the direction to follow. After a long time we made it to the nearest river but there was no sign of footsteps on the ground. We teamed up once again looking for a new plan. We decided to follow the river that would have brought us to a bigger one.

We camped there for that night but our supplies were few and things were getting worse from the day we divided from Luke. There was not the same harmony that we had in the beginning and the strength of the group was reduced. I kept on writing about our journey that night using the sky and the stars this time. It was hard because I could not see them clearly cause to the treetops crowed with huge green leaves. That night Ashley prepared some tea and brought me a metallic cup. I looked at her smiling and I invited her to sit next to me.

"Sorry, I couldn't help with the photos today" She said.

"No worries" I replied back "As long as the sky don't fall on us, the waters stay still and don't submerge us, once again, we will be fine"

She believed I was making fun of her, so she gave me a soft punch and then laughed.

Next morning all was still a little wet but the ground was not slippery like before. We managed to walk faster and reach another stream at sunset. We climbed up a hill where no trees were allowed to stay and we camped there.

The horizon was amazing, all colors met on that thin line just to dance around it and disappear in the dark. My Aunt Martha was right, that moment was worth every struggle but I did not know that the best part of the trip was yet to come.

We made it to the great river in two days. We were very tired and all our supplies had run out. We started collecting fruits and other eatable things we found on the way, so our journey took more time.

We were before a cliff very high dug through time by the water just below our feet. Mike started studying the ground while John was applying some crème on Ashley back, filled up with mosquito bites. After that, she reached me to show me the pictures she took, so I could use that precious time to write.

After a little time, Mike started saying that something went wrong.

"I think we are in big troubles"

"What do you mean Mike?" said Ashley "Explain to us"

"Look for yourself" he said staring scared the other side of the river.

We looked in that direction but we could see nothing except the change of color of the ground in different parts. Ashley took her camera and zoomed in the direction of the other side of the cliff.

After a while, we saw something shining in the middle of a darker rock.

"Don't you understand?" said Mike.

The shining object was Luke water bottle hanged on a root coming out from the ground.

"This means" Ashley put both hands on his mouth.

"Unbelievable!" said John, standing up and coming closer to give a better look.

"Don't come closer!" shouted Mike "The ground is filled up with water and it can collapsed like it happened to the other side!"

Unfortunately it was too late. When John stopped, we felt the earth moving and sliding down the river. That moment lasted for hours in my mind but it took just few seconds.

I saw Mike disappear into the precipice. John tried to run back to the trees but he could not make it. In the same time, Ashley took my hand and looked at me so frightfully that I completely immobilized in the position where I was.

I closed my eyes and I fell, the frozen water surrounding me completely. I was still holding Ashley's hand, but when I tried to swim up to breathe again, the current drove me toward a rock and I hit my head.

The last thing I remember was slowly losing Ashleys' fingers that get carried away by the frozen liquid dancing carelessly of the precious cargo it was bearing.