Chapter 2; Episode 26 and 27

Episode 26

Outing

2016 Jul 15

"Ocean! I need more firewood over here!" Jessy squats by the stream and ignites the fire to burn under the grill. The charcoal in the grill is well placed, but the flames are guttering in the dark. Yuko looks on with interest, as this is her first time at an outdoor barbecue.

"I'm almost done chopping, but we probably won't have enough." Ocean waves the hatchet he borrowed from a farmer to chop up the dead wood and timber. Qian Qian and Chelsea attempt to cut up the food and balance the cutting boards on their laps. Besides marinating the meat slices, Qian Qian puts the mushrooms, peppers and meat chunks on skewers so they'll be easier to roast.

Chelsea’s also preparing the skewers, but her attention strays as she’s occupied with her phone, while Qian Qian obviously makes much more.

"Ahh... so slow... oh yeah... ah!" Chelsea snaps out of her trance. As if talking to herself, she says to Ocean and the others "I'll go get some!" Before anyone can say anything, Chelsea grabs her phone and heads into the woods.

"Ocean, Jessy, have you seen Chelsea?" When Qian Qian finishes the skewers, she’s surprised to discover that Chelsea is not around.

Episode 27

Communicate

2016 Jul 15

"Achoo, achoo..." Chelsea follows the forest path, leaning down every once in a while to pick up dry wood. A cool autumn breeze blows over Lan Kong Town. The leaves have turned yellow and dangle loosely between the branches.

The forest is filled with life as birds call out one after another.

Once she has collected a bundle of branches, Chelsea leans against a tree and pulls out her phone.

"Why hasn’t he replied? I don't get René. You shouldn't make people wait this long..." Chelsea looks through the messages that she and René have exchanged and the corners of her mouth erupt into a small smile.

"But René is really... Even though he's not here, but he keeps texting to check up on us. He may seem difficult to get along with, but underneath he has a heart of gold." Just as Chelsea is about to return, a flock of playful birds fly down from a tree, grabbing her attention.

"Hey, don't go..." Suddenly feeling playful, Chelsea puts away her phone, picks up the bundle of branches from the ground and chases after them. The birds seem to realize that she means no harm and just wants to play, so they fly around her in all directions. It almost seems as if they are laughing at her as they fly closer and then farther away.

When Chelsea finally comes to her senses, she is standing in a clearing. There are no signs of anyone being here, except for her own footprints in the grass.

"Huh?... Did I come from this path?..."

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