Chapter 33: Chapter 33

David’s P.O.V.

Time flew so fast, and we didn’t notice that the Juniors’ obstacle course was done and because no one from them had seen the last flag, Helena was assigned to get it—to show them proof that there was actually a gold flag. I wanted to join her, but she refused. She tried to convince me that she could do it alone, and I should just stay here to continue hosting the Seniors’ obstacle course.

Another hour had passed, and Brent’s group won over the others. It means that the Seniors’ obstacle course was already done as well, and until now, Helena wasn’t yet able to find her way back. It only made me worry about her whereabouts.

Where is she now? Why isn’t she coming back? I asked myself while trying to think straight about what could have happened to Helena. Dread had started to surge within me as I looked at every second from my wristwatch.

One more hour had passed, and bleak darkness started to cover the place, but Helena was still not here. The faculty members were also becoming frightened and worried. Me? I was only carrying my backpack. I might not show it, but deep inside, I was already panicking—panicking more than anyone else here. I was already afraid and nervous, my hands were clammy and shaky, and my legs were wobbly with fear. Anxiety was slowly killing me.

Helena might be trapped somewhere and just waiting to be saved. I had to do something!

That was the main reason why I immediately grabbed a flashlight and took the direction where Helena had gone by. However, Mrs. Cheng held me back because it was indeed dangerous.

“But ma’am, what do you want me to do? Wait until tomorrow? If it was dangerous for me to search the forest, how much more for Helena when she was all alone? What if something bad had already happened to her? What are we going to do here? We will just wait for nothing, or just wait for her to return differently? If that’s what you believed in, then spare me! I will look for Helena, ma’am. Even if it is too dangerous for me to do, I will save her! I promise, I’ll bring her back here, and I’ll never give up until I find her!”

While enunciating every word, I was almost gritting my teeth. I could even feel the stretching nerves on my neck. In the end, no one was able to prevent me from leaving.

Until I felt someone who grabbed my arm. “But what if something happens to you, Dave?” Vanessa asked as I saw a hint of sadness through her eyes.

“It would be much better if I would be hurt instead of Helena. I can always risk myself for her.” I then removed her hand on my arm and started to walk through the wild forest where Helena went through.

While marching away, I heard Brent shouted that he would help me search for Helena, but I did not mind him anymore. I did not care about him. At this point, I could no longer care about anything more than Helena. Also, I didn’t have to join forces with him. I knew and believed that I would see Helena no matter what happened, and I would not give up even if I was all alone in this quest.

I had come a long way, and the darkness already covered the entire forest, but I wasn’t yet able to find Helena. The path at my feet faded as it began to lead me into the obscurity of the woods, yet I had to be strong for the sake of her.

Small sounds of rippling leaves and the wail of the strong wind occupied my ears, but I was staying focused to hear a female voice instead. I had no idea, and I did not want to imagine what was waiting for me here, but I prayed hard to find Helena at the end of this ominous journey.

Shit! I cursed.

It looked like the flashlight’s battery would be drained anytime soon. It was a good thing that I still had a small flashlight that I always brought with me just in case of an emergency. I was also able to pack some food in my backpack before I lost sight of Helena, but how I wished that I could have given her my whistle before she ran away to find the gold flag.

“Helena! Where are you?” I yelled. I also used my whistle to alert her wherever she was.

But no one answered me. Aside from the leaves and the wind, all I could hear was the sound of different insects and crickets surrounding the forest. I knew that it would not be easy, but I would not stop searching for her. I would not give up on her!

“Helena!” I screamed again. I was already sweating even though it was pretty cold.

Then, it started to rain until it had swollen the whole forest. Flood started to shroud the roots of the trees until I found myself seeing an almost horror movie setting. As I tried to look around, no signs of life could be found in the dusk. It was so dark that you were barely able to see where you were heading.

It made me worry even more about Helena’s whereabouts. I could not help but think about how she was coping up with this kind of scenario. I knew that wherever she was, she was too afraid because she was all alone. Choosing not to go further would never be an option for me because Helena’s life was at stake, and I would not allow something awful to happen to her.

Even though I was soaking wet due to the rain and I could not be sure if I was going in the right direction, I took a few more steps to find her. Exhausted while feeling my trembling knees, I sat down first to what I thought was a huge root of the tree and decided to rest.

I had not been resting that long when I heard a female voice shouting for help, but it looked like she was still far away from me. “Help!”

“Helena?” I murmured while creasing my forehead. Could that be really Helena? I dragged myself up and walked again because her voice encouraged me to continue my search.

My hopes went high, but my spirit bounded up higher. My heart leaped with joy because I knew that I would be able to find her soon enough. I just had to become more determined not to lose my perseverance.

After I used my whistle, I used all my strength to scream on top of my lungs. “Helena, is that you? Helena! Where are you?” I prayed for her to hear me from where she was.

But still, there was no response. I almost ran even though it was too hard for me to surpass the flood, the roots, and the mud since I wasn’t using a pair of rainboots. I didn’t care anymore about what was lying in this dark forest because Helena’s safety was more than enough for me.

“Helena!”

Panic seized my brain, but happiness tended to overcome it now that I knew she could be just around the corner waiting for me. I knew what I heard was Helena’s voice, and no matter what happened, I would continue searching for her. I would not return to the camp, and I promised not to leave her alone in this threatening and atrocious situation.

Even though I was already tired, hungry, wet, and cold, I continued searching the way I thought I heard her voice. I would find her, and giving up would never be an option.

“You can do this, Dave. Don’t give up on her,” I whispered with conviction.