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How Stupid
Ugh…I can’t see. Too bright. Too foggy. It’s so hot. I open my eyes only to shut them tight. This light hurts…and my body is so stiff. I can’t even get up.
“Argh…!” Even moving my fingers hurt, but I’ve got to move. If I don’t…man it’s hot. My breath come in short painful gasps. My throat is dry too. Being alive is such a pain, but who wants to die? How stupid.
I don’t know how long I lay there, but I’m sure this heat is making the hours an eternity longer. It’s unbearable; the sun. Ugh… The hours drag by and now the light along with the heat is steadily fading. My eyelids don’t seem so heavy now; I can open them.
The sky is pink; not like in the crowded villages where it is only stained and faded. No, the sky is pink, really pink. It’s amazing. Strangely, the sky makes me forget my troubles for a while. The air is becoming cool, and the soreness is wearing away. I smile; I can move my fingers now…my toes too! But my arms and legs are still being stubborn. I can’t feel them…no wait. They hurt Sigh…how stupid.
The sun is gone now, but I can’t see the moon. It’s freezing! So cold, so cold. I shiver. I can sit up now, so I hug myself; very tightly. Now that I can look around, seems like I’m in a desert. A desert! How stupid is that?!
It’s so cold I can’t think of anything else! … Just when I couldn’t take it anymore, my stomach made a weird noise. I clutched it.
“Shut up, stomach.” When was the last time I ate? A few seconds go by, or maybe it was minutes. I can’t tell, but it did it again. That noise. I groaned, and looked around my surroundings for any possible chance of food. It was all flat, besides for an occasional sand dune or cactus here and there. As far as I can tell, there’s no food in sight. How stupid!!
A sharp breeze blows right past me; reminding me of the cold and making me shiver. I’m just the type of person that gets all the luck. I’m hungry, I’m cold, and I have no idea where I am! Or how I got here for that matter.
I’m a little wobbly, but I can stand up now. It feels good to stretch out all the stiffness and soreness away. I sigh. It’s dark all around now. The only things in the sky are the stars. I need food. My stomach reminds me of this fact multiple times, no matter how loud I yell at it to stop.
There is a loud screech over head, and I look up. A bird. It’s not very big, but I’m almost positive that it’s edible. What? Eating a bird does not make me evil.
“Of course not…” I say to myself to convince for the sake of my poor tummy. After all, a growing boy has to have his dinner; even if it’s a wild bird, even if it’s in the middle no where. I shift my gaze from the bird to the desert around me, for something to shoot it down with. Nothing. I can’t find anything! How stupid.
The bird is getting away. I ran after it as fast as I can, but it’s almost useless. My legs haven’t yet regained all their strength, that bird is flying too fast. Maybe it has seen me. No. I can’t give up; this might be my only chance at meat for a long time.
As I run, I see a rock in my path, but I don’t stop. I keep running and stoop to pick it up. It fits my palm perfectly, and it’s so smooth. A perfect throwing stone. Perfect. I grin widely, even though smiling so big hurts my chapped lips. Now I have a chance!
The bird is slowing down. I think it’s about to land. Good thing too, I’ve been running a long way, and I’m beat. The bird lands near a bush. Maybe it has chicks. In other words, more food for me.
Huff, huff, huff…I tiptoe toward it, trying to keep my ragged breath quiet. After all the trouble I went through, I don’t want it to take off again. The sand pads my footsteps.
Where is it? I can’t see where it’s gone. It’s so dark. The bush is only a couple yards away, but I can’t find that bird. Suddenly a chorus of chirps reach my ears. My spirits rise. There are chicks!
I tiptoe as softly and as light as I can closer. My palm tightens around the rock. Rustle. There it is! The dark brown feathers make it hard to spot, but I see it now. Just a little closer. Despite the freezing temperature, I’m sweating.
Snap! My eyes widen at the sudden noise and it sends the bird into the sky. “No!” I desperately flung the rock at it with all my strength. I need food! I must have hit it somewhat, because a loud terrible screech suddenly sounds overhead. The rock drops, but the bird is far away.
I sigh. It was only frightened to find a rock thrown at it. I walk over to where the rock had landed and pick it up. I’m sure that it will of some use to me, hopefully. I slump down from where I stand, pouting, I think.
The bush in front of me had somehow become an enemy. I glared at it. I fingered the rock in my hand. “How stupid.” Full of pointless anger, I chuck it at the bush.
Breaking twigs and scared chirping noises are the next sound to break the night. I grin suddenly. The chicks! I forgot all about them. I picked myself up and strolled to the bush; maybe I’m actually skipping. I don’t know! I’m so giddy right now. I will have something to eat.
I stare into the mess of bark and leaves. The chirping noises get louder, more frantic. I see them. I feel my mouth watering. I reach out my right arm and lick my lips. I have it now. The nest is shaped so that it can fit my hand, even though it is as twice as big. I put it on the ground.
The baby birds are such small, meatless things. How can my ravenous stomach be satisfied with such a tiny meal. If four little, featherless, meatless, raw baby birds can ever be called a meal. What should I do? I think this over for a while. I shiver. It’s very hard to think right now.
Chirp! Chirp! Chirp!
I look over at the birds. They’ll die in this cold and won’t be any use to me if they get all decayed and stuff. I take the nest and scoot over to the bush so that I can use it as somewhat of a very lousy shelter. I put the birds on my lap and huddle over them. Keep them warm. I shut my eyes. Heh. First I try to kill them, and now I’m saving them. Maybe I’m going mad.
Grumble…grumble. Ugh…I’m starting to doze off. “Shut up…”
The next morning the sun wakes me up with it’s oh so brilliant light. A little too brilliant, in my opinion. Choruses of chirps draw my attention. The birds! I stare at them, kind of amazed that I hadn’t squished them over night. Again, and I am sure this is not the last time it will do so, my stomach grumbles.
Er…I sneak a glance at the birds. I have to eat. Before I can change my mind, I snatch two of them and broke off some twigs. I tried to remember how to build a fire. It’s Boy Scout’s fault that I had to learn how. How stupid.
So…first, I have to turn my back to the wind. Right…now…hmm…
This continued on for a while, and after an hour, I finally made a wimpy little fire. But still a fire. I blew on it, so to make it grow. When it grew big enough, I think I regret the fire now. The sun is baking me all by itself. Wearily, I threw the birds into the fire. I know that this is rather barbarous, but I’m ravenous.
I could be rash sometimes, but I’m patient. I let the birds cook for as long as I thought should be right. Some time later, I removed the birds from the dying fire. I broke off one’s wing and plopped it into my mouth without thinking. I’m afraid if I think, I won’t be able to bring myself to eat it. Surprisingly, it turned out better than I’d hoped, and I devoured the rest of the other chick in an instant.
I licked my lips hungrily. I feel even hungrier now. That was nothing but an appetizer. I look at the two remaining chicks. It's so tempting. I can snatch them and break their neck and swallow them whole. No. What am I thinking? How stupid.
Huff…huff…Sweat is pouring down my face. This sun, this heat; it’s not even noon yet. I’m surprised that dehydration hasn’t killed me by now. My tongue is hanging out like a dog’s, but I smile. Now, I have a new mission to complete to ensure my survival. Water. I need water.
I’ve read many times of people lost in the desert. They get their liquid from inside the cactuses. Now the problem for me is not finding the water, but drawing it out. I have never figured that out and I’m sure that only reading about it will help very much.
I stand and stretch. There has to be a cactus nearby. Yes! I see one! It’s doesn’t seem too far off, hopefully I’ll be able to reach it in five minute’s walk.
It took longer than I had expected…but now I’m here. Wow. Cactuses look way bigger in real life…and so much pointier too. Ugh…how am I ever going to do this? I walk around this big green plant; in a complete circle might I add. Do you want to know what I have discovered by doing this? It’s so very, completely solid! How stupid!
I let out a huff as loud as my parched throat allowed me and sat down. You must know that I am still very much drenched in my own sweat. It is very uncomfortable. I sat there awhile; just sat there. I feel almost stupid, just sitting there, doing nothing…waiting for my own dehydration and death.
I laugh as all these thoughts go through my head, finding them ironically funny. I guess that’s what happens when you start to lose it. What can I do now? I’m at my wit’s end.
“How stupid…” I mutter, just before passing out.
