Lost In Dreams [Yolanda]

[ericthered]

On the one hand, the woman is both short and thin -- this could be a lot worse. on the other hand, Carrying a person isn't something that Yolanda has practised. She grits her teeth and trudges into the forest. Its not too difficult, though she'll have to stop and rest every so often.

She hasn't gone far when she sees her first piece of fauna. And its certainly not any earthly fauna. It looks someone rebuilt a bat along the lines of a starfish, maybe with a bit of insect thrown in. the creature is circular, she can't really count the wings, but they aren't paired, and there are little legs hanging down from what ever it is. And its big -- just under a foot across. It lands on a tree branch, which bows under the weight.

[Litvyak]

Human trafficking, Yolanda is thinking to herself. Her travelling companion isn't much of a conversationalist, but she's fine with that... it's given her time to think about her current predicament. Human trafficking is the best explanation for why she woke naked this morning in… China, maybe? It must be China. And those dreams… it must’ve been whatever they drugged me with.

“God Damnit,” she spits as she stumbles over some roots. So far she has mostly been cussing her way through the forest, as nature has been wearing her short temper raw. “I’m so over this hiking <bleep>”, she mutters, yet continues to trudge onward.

“Mutha <bleep>,” she suddenly exclaims as something lands on nearby tree branch. “Sweet Jesus, what the <bleep> is that??” She stops moving, her eyes wide. Don’t worry, it ain’t nothing, probably just hallucinations from whatever drugs they gave you, girl, she tries to reassure herself, but it’s not very convincing.

“Shoo,” she finally hisses at the thing on the tree branch, “Go on, get on up out of here.” While she speaks, she does her best to make a shooing motion with her hands despite her arms being mostly occupied holding the woman on her back. Her eyes narrow, and she adds sternly, “Hallucination or not, you do not want to go messing with me today.”

[ericthered]

The thing doesn't move from its branch, but starts scraping at the branch its own with one of its legs.

[Litvyak]

Seeing that the creature isn't going anywhere, Yolanda starts to move again, cautiously side stepping to give it a wide berth. Other than a few quick glances down to check her footing, her eyes never waver from it. "Okay," shes tells it tentatively, "I best be getting on my way now. You just stay right there, and we ain't gonna have no problems."

[ericthered]

The creature doesn't seem too aggressive. Yolanda makes it around the creature, and continues on her way. Its not the last of the things she sees. In a little bit more she sees another one, this one smaller, and flashing different colors. Its digging through the leaf litter as she approaches, but flies away. In a little bit more she sees another one.

After somewhere between a half hour and 15 minutes of walking, Yolanda realizes a couple of things:

1) her feet are killing her. Maybe if she wan't carrying another person it'd be different, but her feet are raw and hurting, and if she keeps this up she will damage them.

2) If the girl was headed for something, Yolanda has either passed it or its miles and miles away.

[Litvyak]

Yolanda stops at the most inviting spot she can find and carefully lowers the woman off her back and lays her down gently. With the load gone she almost feels like she's walking on clouds, except her feet are still killing her. After checking the woman over to make sure she's okay... well as okay as she can be given the circumstances, Yolanda plops down next to her.

A grimace shoots across her face as she rubs her tender feet. She sits there resting and nursing her feet for a while, when an idea suddenly comes to her. Then she puts her foot out next the woman's and ponders for a moment. Reaching forward she begins to take the woman's footwear off so that she can try them on herself.

[ericthered]

The woman seems to be stabilizing, but in a bad place: The stitches are still all in place, but the woman is dehydrated and suffering from general blood loss.

Its good to have all of that weight off of her feet. They seem to be more bruised and poked than blistered.

The woman's feet are as small as the rest of her, and Yolanda knows the fit won't be good. They are solid hiking boots though. Yolanda attempts to shove her feet in there anyways. Its of little use. even without socks, her feet won't fit.

[Litvyak]

Yolanda cusses angrily and tosses the boots down. With a heavily sigh, she slumps back to ponder her next course of action. She could backtrack... maybe she missed something, but... hell no... she's much too stubborn for that.

It's clear that she can't make it far dragging this woman along. On the other hand it's a big forest and Yolanda doubts her ability to find her again if she leaves her behind. After some more rest, though, she comes up with a new plan.

Retrieving the knife she begins to cut away the woman's remaining clothes. "Sorry," she apologizes as she works, "believe me, I know being out in these woods without a stitch of clothes ain't no fun. If I can't find my way back to you, though, being bare <bleep> naked ain't gonna make no difference anyhow."

She cuts the woman's clothing into as many strips as she can and stuffs them into one of the hiking boots. Into the other boot she stuffs the knife and the remaining useful items from the sewing kit. Then she ties the boots together and hangs them around her neck.

"Don't worry," she tries to reassure the woman, "I'll find help and I'll be back for you before you know it." With that, she starts off again on her journey to find help, pausing every so often to tie a strip of cloth to a tree branch or bush.

[ericthered]

How far apart will the strips be tied?

What will Yolanda use to guide her in her journey? what sort of things will she stop for?

She hasn't gone much farther when she encounters a shallow ravine, likely with water at the bottom of it.

[Litvyak]

((She ties the strips as far apart as she reasonably can within line of sight of the strip before. As for what she uses to guide herself... all she can really do is walk from tree to tree tying strips and hope she can stay moving in one general direction. She'll stop for anything that appears useful, dangerous or a sign of a direction to head in.))

As Yolanda comes to the edge of the ravine, she ties of one of the strips near the edge. After that she looks for a safe way to get down to the bottom.