The next day, the choice between life and death

Once again, it was hunger that woke me.

After a night of restless sleep, a fierce headache throbbed in my skull. But there was no other choice—I couldn’t just sit here and wait for death to come. The battle between mind and body lasted a long time before I finally managed to rise.

The campfire had long since died out.

I began to survey my surroundings, hoping to find fresh water as soon as possible. As for coconuts, I dared not eat them again unless I was truly desperate.

My thoughts were simple now: find a high vantage point to better understand my environment. Climbing trees was out of the question for me. The only option was the rocky hill in the distance. From what I could see, it was perhaps several dozen meters high. I had no choice but to head that way.

Moving through the forest proved far more difficult than I had anticipated. The dense vines tangled at my feet, each step a struggle. My hands were slashed open several times as I tried to push them aside, which left me feeling both frustrated and annoyed.

But then, an unexpected discovery brought me a flash of joy: in a low-lying patch, I found many plants with enormous leaves. The morning mist had gathered on these leaves, forming countless dewdrops, pure and bright.

This accidental find was as alluring to me as a feast from my past life.

I carefully cupped a leaf in my hands, bowing my head to gently sip a crystal bead of dew.

A sigh of satisfaction escaped my lips. I smacked them lightly—the dew was sweet.

Before long, I had consumed all the dew I could find here, turning it into the energy I needed to continue.

Peering through the thick undergrowth, I saw the sun was no longer overhead. It was then that a troubling realization made me pause.

I had walked for so long, yet I was still nowhere near the base of the hill. At this rate, night would fall before I reached my destination.

Should I turn back, or press on?

These two thoughts wrestled and tangled in my mind.

To be honest, the idea of crossing this damned forest at night was something I desperately wanted to avoid. But if I didn’t explore further, dehydration or death from drinking too much coconut water would be my only fate.

In the end, reason conquered fear. I chose to continue.

By dusk, as darkness gathered, I finally emerged from the woods to an open foothill. I decided not to go any farther. Here, at the foot of the cliffs, I would spend the night.

There was plenty of dry wood and fallen leaves in the forest. I gathered a pile and easily kindled a fire by the cliffside.

Lying down, my entire body felt numb. Even when insects crawled onto the tip of my nose, I lacked the strength to brush them away. The body’s reality was undeniable.

No sooner had I lain down than I felt them again: thirst, hunger, pain. They tried to drive me to my feet, to force me onward.

But I closed my eyes.

Plop.

“Hm?” I sat up abruptly.

I seemed to have heard something fall into water—a clear sound.

To be sure, I slowed my breathing, making no noise at all. There was only the crackle of the fire.

The wait was excruciatingly long. I didn’t hear the sound I was hoping for again.

Disappointed, I told myself, “It must have been my imagination.”

No wonder people say that when hope is shattered, the heart plunges into an abyss.

That was exactly how I felt. I even wondered if, without that piece of driftwood, it might have been better to simply drown.

Once negative thoughts take hold, they’re hard to stop. They began to erode my will to survive.

I shook my head, unwilling to succumb. But it was no use.

…

Plop. This time, the sound was even sharper than before.

I heard it clearly, enough to know it came from my right.

Excited, I grabbed a burning branch and rushed in that direction. Yes, I was running—I was just that eager.

I could feel my heart pounding, and, as if by instinct, my mouth began to water.

Rounding the rocks to my right, I froze in place.

I had actually found water!

Hands trembling, I extended the dying branch toward it. I feared it might be stagnant, for stagnant water is undrinkable—bacteria would spell my end.

But what I saw next made me leap for joy.

From the mountainside, a spring was gushing forth, filling a small pool barely as deep as my foot.

Without a second’s hesitation, I rushed over and drank greedily until I was utterly sated.

A sudden wave of happiness enveloped me.

This was the water I had longed for, and now, at last, I had it.

Just then, the branch in my hand burned out.

Once again, plop.

Aside from a start and a jolt to my heart, I felt no fear. Instead, I wanted to see what had fallen and given me new life.

In the dim moonlight, I picked up a reddish object floating on the surface.

In the faint glow, I saw it was a fruit, though I didn’t recognize the variety.

Looking up, I realized that above the pool hung a tree laden with these fruits.

The saliva pooling on my tongue urged me to taste it. I felt as if my teeth hadn’t bitten into anything in ages.

And so, unable to resist, I opened my mouth and took a bite.

Juice ran down my chin—sweet, crisp, succulent, delicious beyond words.

Even if it was poisonous, I thought, I would eat to my heart’s content.

Excluding the rotten ones, I found thirteen of these fruits, which pleased me greatly.

Back at the fire, I ate them one by one, feeding the flames as I did. An extraordinary sense of contentment filled me. Not even fear could find a foothold in my heart.

Perhaps it was time to set a plan for myself. But first, I had to climb to the mountain’s summit and survey the land.

What worried me now was whether the rescuers would be able to find me.

While pondering this, I absentmindedly finished all the fruit. Fatigue rolled over me once more.

Above, birds and bats flitted through the night sky.

Night was the hunter’s domain.

But I had already fallen into dreams.

I dreamed I had become a successful man, leading the goddess of my dreams by the hand at a grand banquet. Dazzling dishes and fine wines intoxicated me.

For some reason, I let go of the goddess’s hand and made for the food and wine, devouring them greedily.

“What’s wrong?” the goddess asked with concern.

“Mmm… nothing, I’m just eating. I’m so hungry.”

“But you’re eating bugs!”

“Ah!” I looked down and saw the food in my hands had turned into writhing insects. I threw them away in terror.

Such was my dream.

Awakening with a start, I took several deep breaths, stared into the darkness, watched the lingering flames, and soon drifted off to sleep again.