Chapter 19: Discovering the Stream

After dinner back at the shelter, it was time for some fun. Ever since I started exploring every day, Zoey had been super into sex at night, which made me pretty excited.

After we finished up, Zoey snuggled up to me and fell asleep. I planned out my next day and soon dozed off too.

The sun came up, lighting up the world.

I got up and stepped out of the shelter. One good thing about being stuck on this deserted island was going to bed and waking up early. With no lights at night, it wasn't safe to be out and about in the dark.

Staying in the shelter, all I could do was get busy with Zoey and then crash. So, early to bed, early to rise.

Once I was up, I started on breakfast. I didn't go for instant noodles or snacks since I was saving those for my explorations.

Exploring usually took all day, so snacks were perfect for lunch. Just open and eat, plus they were easy to carry.

I cooked up some fish and shellfish for breakfast. Normally, breakfast should be simple, but today I had to check out a new spot for a potential shelter. It was gonna be a tough day, so I needed a good meal.

After breakfast was ready, Zoey woke up and joined me. We ate together, and she held my hand, tenderly caressing my body.

After breakfast, I told Zoey about my plan for the day. I was going solo again. She was getting used to it after the past couple of days. She even helped me pack my stuff.

Once I was ready, I headed out.

With a Swiss Army knife and some snacks for lunch, I went towards the area I explored the day before yesterday. This time, I stuck to the edge of the jungle, not the beach.

I took my time, moving slower than last time. If we were gonna move the shelter, I needed to know the area well.

I checked out the sparse trees and scattered wood on the ground, noting their locations. If I was gonna build a new shelter, there was no need to haul the old framework over.

The old shelter was made of big pieces of wood, and moving them would be a hassle. It was easier to gather new wood and build a new one. The old framework could stay hidden there.

This way, if the new shelter didn't work out, I could always come back and use the old one without worrying about having nowhere to stay.

To get more info, I ventured a bit deeper into the jungle. It was riskier, but with my Swiss Army knife, I felt pretty safe.

I didn't go too deep, though. There was still plenty of sunlight where I was, so no giant lizards around.

The sunshine came down through the treetops and made patches of light and shade on the road ahead. Birds chirped nearby, adding some life to the place.

As I moved forward, I found new spots in the jungle I hadn't seen before, with trees and a big area of bushes. The closer I got to the new shelter spot, the more alive the jungle felt.

When I ventured deep into the jungle before, it always felt creepy and dead.

But this time, about a mile from the new shelter spot I had in mind, I suddenly heard the sound of flowing water. I stopped and listened carefully to make sure I wasn't imagining things.

I got down on the ground and put my ear close to it. Yep, I could definitely hear water, and it was coming from in front of me, not the beach.

I was pretty surprised. I didn't expect to find a fresh water source near the new shelter spot.

I hadn't found any fresh water even after going miles into the jungle before, running into scary stuff like that giant lizard. Now, just checking out the new shelter area, I found fresh water.

I headed towards the sound and soon saw a stream. It ended where I was, forming a small pool that flowed underground.

The stream came from deep in the jungle. I followed it for a bit and found a small pond surrounded by big rocks, with just two small gaps for the water to flow through.

The water in the pond was super clear, with a few small fish swimming around. I tested the depth with a stick, and it was about 5 feet deep. The pond was around 70 square feet, big enough for two people to bathe in.

It reminded me of when Zoey and I bathed in that other pond we found. I missed that.

The old bathing spot was a rain-formed pond with no flowing water. After a few baths, it got dirty, so we started fetching seawater for bathing. Naturally, we didn't make love in the water again.

After noting the pond's location, I kept following the stream to see where it started.

But after a few hundred feet, I only saw a small stream coming from deep in the jungle, so I gave up.

It wasn't safe to go too deep into the jungle. Even with a knife, I couldn't do much against a giant lizard.

I went back to where the stream started, splashed some water on my face, and continued looking for a good spot for the new shelter.

By now, I had walked nearly seven miles from the original shelter, close to where I reached last time. The trees were getting sparser, and there were several good spots near the stream for a shelter.

But I didn't want to build right next to the stream. We needed water, but so did other creatures on Resurge Island.

If the shelter was too close to the stream, we might run into other creatures needing water, which could be dangerous.

But we couldn't build too far from the stream either, as it would be a hassle to get water or bathe. So, I planned to find a spot nearby that was just right.

I walked a few hundred feet more and checked out the surroundings. The trees were sparse, with several clearings. Each clearing had its own perks, making it tough to pick the best one for the shelter.