Day 43

Churchill Downs Day 43: It was dark. So this is what it was like to be dead. It was strange... Like being asleep. I thought of my comrades I let down. I thought about the fight with the giant, and the loss of gravity all before it went black. I remember my fall. My brothers and loved ones were all gone now, and replaced by a silence. It was so dark. What would become of me? I wished I could get back to my team and help, I knew they needed me, I could feel it. I can't let this happen. I must get back. I must get back. I will get back. I must get up and travel back... but nothing. No I wasn't going to stop. I had been so resistant. I wasn't going to let this apartment kill me. Not like this. "wes..." What was that?? It sounded again, "Wes...." Andy? Maybe Casey? "Wes!!" The sound wouldn't stop. "WES!!!! GET UP NOW!! WE HAVE TO LEAVE!!!" The voice sounded... familiar... and just like that I could feel the cold breath enter my lungs once again. I could feel my blood start flowing in my veins. I could hear my heart start to beat again. I took a long inhalation of the cold air, and slowly, opened my eyes.

          I looked at the figure above of me shouting. "WES LET'S GET OUT OF HERE!!! THE WHOLE PLACE IS CAVING IN!!!!!" Without wondering anything else, I took his out stretched hand and was yanked to my feet. "CAN YOU MOVE??" I struggled to get the word out. ".....yeah..." He threw me over his shoulder and as I was being lifted to his back, I looked and saw the massive hole in the roof of what looked like an icy cave. The giant must have fallen through that. Then I looked through another hole in the floor. The giant went straight through and must have tossed me to the close ledge looking over where it fell through by accident. "WE'RE ALMOST OUT, DON'T STOP BREATHING NOW!!" I wasn't about to. We saw the light of the entrance of the cave, and exited quickly. The cave entrance behind us collapsed in on itself to forever seal the beasts tomb. I was placed on the soft snow looking straight up into the sky. The man that saved me gave a great sigh, and walked over to the side of the mountain to look out at the mist. "Jesus Wes, what in the hell did you get yourself into that time?" I sat up to get a better look at the friendly and couldn't imagine who was staring back at me. "...ugh.." I grabbed for air, "How are you here...?" The man looked over and simply gave the answer everyone else gave. He came to my door and was sucked in. "Auburn was having a lame weekend, so I came to see what you guys were up to here." He chuckled "You didn't disappoint." "Oh" I said in an amused voice, "Then It's good to see you too Jake."

          Jake McPheeters was like another one of the already many brothers I had. "How did you survive?" I took no time to get straight to the point. He looked at me almost smiling. "I found a village not far from where we are in a jungle valley" he said "The people there are friendly... for the most part." I stopped and only really paid attention to one word he said. "JUNGLE?" I asked amazed. "Yeah" he retorted, "Right below this mountain." I thought of my brothers on the journey for the heart. They were probably days ahead of me anywhere else but that village. I wondered when I would see them again. If I would see them again. The thought of their own deaths turned my stomach. I cannot wait here. I slowly placed one of my hands on the ground, and tried to raise myself up to my feet. "WOAH BUDDY, I don't think so. You're not going anywhere for a while Wes." I looked at Jake as seriously as I could through the pain of what I was sure was all types of contusions. "I have to go. Anywhere but here Jake. I have to find everyone." Jake took a moment to pause. He didn't ask me about what had happened, or who I was with, he just said, "Not without me." Jake picked up a type of spear with wolf skulls fashioning the handle. "I'll tell you everything Jake, but we need to get to that village first. I think the warm feeling in my chest isn't just from seeing you." I coughed up a bit of blood on the snow. "I don't know how good I'll be in a fight Jake, I'm sorry." He simply smiled helping me up. "Than get behind me."