I stood up, wiping the mud off my face.

I did not look back even though I could hear the blades of the Sikorsky helicopter spinning as the aircraft flew away.

I looked around. I could see a dense forest in front of me. The air smelled clean, with faint traces of odors from flowers. There was little sound except for the chirping of birds and sounds from animals that I did not recognize. The air felt hot and sticky.

So here I was. This was where I am going to die.