Chapter 97
We stood there for a second, both of us staring at the violet flag like it was some holy relic.
Maya dropped to her knees dramatically.
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“THANK YOU, UNIVERSE,” she screamed, wrapping her hands delicately around it. “THANK YOU, MOTHER NATURE, THANK YOU TREES, THANK YOU ~~”
“Maya,” I interrupted, breathless, “get up. We need to move.”
She grabbed my wrist and stood. “We’re done. Aria, we actually did it. We legit did not die”
“Just get up gurl.” I groaned.
I tied the violet flag beside the others around my waist. Eight colors now but seven real ones. I hope the purple will not make us lose since we were not given any instructions about it.
Maya looked toward the lake. “Okay. So we saw the lake from the rocks, we will go back this way.”
“Yeah, I can still remember a bit of our path from the last time we came here.” I really hoped I remembered.
We started walking fast along the sandy shore. The sun had shifted now–lower, warmer and almost golden. It had been hours but I didn’t want to think about how many. My throat is so dry and my feets hurt badly.
“I cannot believe we survived all that,” Maya muttered, pushing branches out of her way. “Like, Aria, do you know how many times we almost died?”
“We didn’t almost die. All those are scenarios playing out in your head. You thinking we had a near death experience and survive are all in your head sweetheart, you need a brain check.”
“It’s not. We almost died emotionally. That counts.”
“No it doesn’t.”
“It does.”
“Okay.”
We moved around the bend of the lake and hit the familiar path, leading back to our building and not far away is a fallen log in the middle of a cluster of pines creating a narrow trail. My heart kicked. At the end of the narrow trail is a few feet away from where I bumped into the Liza girl.
“I know this place,” I said. “We’re close.”
“Finally!” Maya whooped. “Way out! I knew my left foot wasn’t tingling anymore for a reason.”
“Your left what? How is it related to this?” I furrowed my brows.
“I’ve been feeling a tingling sensation in my feet ever since we missed our way but it disappeared as soon as we got here.”
“Uhm?” I sniggered
“It’s a survival thing I just discovered. Don’t disrespect it.” She rolled her eyes
We hurried through and out of the forest.
I could hear voices, shouting, even laughters.
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19:54 Tue, Jan 20 GE
Chapter 97
People were already back.
Maya slowed a bit. “Wait, WAIT. Did people beat us here?”
“Seems like it.”
“Damn! I can’t believe all those trauma we got from there are for nothing”
“We should count it all fun.”
“It’s not.”
We stepped into the clearing, and heads turned.
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Mrs. Hopkins stood near a table, clipboard in her hand, her sun visor hat slightly crooked. “Aria. Maya.” Her brows rose. “You two took your time.”
“Took our time?” Maya gasped dramatically. “Ma’am. You have no idea what we’ve been through.”
Jamal jogged toward us. “Finally! What took you guys so long?”
“We got lost,” Maya spat. “Just lost. Slightly. Well–completely. But it’s fine, because WE GOT ALL SEVEN FLAGS.”
She spun me around by the shoulders so the flags tied at my waist were visible.
“One. Two. Three. Four. Five. Six. Seven.” She counted smugly.
“Oh my,” Mrs. Hopkins stepped closer. “Is that… an eighth one?”
I froze. “Uhm what do you mean?”
“That one.” Mrs. Hopkins pointed at it. “Where did you find that?”
“Uh…” I swallowed. “In the forest?”
“That’s very specific,” Jamal joked.
I glared at him. “The thing is, we found it and it looked exactly like the other flags; same texture and same cut, we decided to bring it along even with no instructions about it. Are we in trouble for that?”
Mrs. Hopkins gently held the purple flag in her hand, turning it over. “This… I’m proud of you both.”
“W what?” I stuttered, bewildered.
“We are not in trouble?” Maya asked, her expression mirroring mine.
Mrs. Hopkins chuckled. “How exactly did you find it?”
“I climbed a rock,” I whispered. “And we saw it from up there. It was tied to a dead tree.”
“Well,” She cleared her throat. “Regardless of how you did, this is impressive. You both think like a leader by giving this odd flag a chance.”
Maya slapped my back. “SO WE WIN?”
“Maya-” I hissed. “Calm down!”
“What? We’re basically champions.”
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Chapter 97
Mrs Hopkins looked down at her clipboard. “Let me check songthing”
We wanted while she flipped through papers.
Three other trams were hack before you guys. Two of the team did not find the complete flags.”
1 looked over to see Chloe and Nora sitting on opposite logs with Nora looking like a traumatized rabbit while Chloe scowled. picking leaves out of her hair.
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“Welcome y’all” Mrs Hopkins waved as team seven, team four, and team five. Their flags are unfortunately not complete. Mrs Hopkins went back to checking her clipboard. They sat around, drinking water, comparing scratches and talking about their experiences in the forest.
Hopkins finally looked up. “Well. According to the points.. Team Four was first to return with just five flags. They have 35 points. Each flag equals to 3 points each, plus 15 points plus as being first to arrive minus 5 points for not finding all.”
Maya groaned. “I don’t think I love where this is going.”
“Team Seven was second to return and with all flags.”
Jamal pointed at himself. “That’s me.”
“We know,” Maya muttered smugly.
“They have a total of 45 points including an extra of 10 points for arriving second.” Mrs. Hopkins continued. “Team One got 20 points.”
She looked at us.
“Aria and Maya–Team Two.”
Maya stood straighter.
“You returned fourth,” Mrs. Hopkins said.
Maya sagged.
“But.” Mrs. Hopkins lifted the strange purple flag.
“We win?” Maya asked again, her voice breathless with hope. I almost chuckled, she sounds like a child begging for candy.
Mrs. Hopkins shook her head. “You don’t get the winning points
“What?” Maya shrieked. “We almost died!”
“But,” Mrs. Hopkins smiled, “This has a special something attached to it.”
Maya inhaled. “So…?”
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