Chapter 20: Determining the Position

I was super torn about where to set up a new shelter. But I kept moving, thinking and checking out the area as I went.

Suddenly, I stumbled on the perfect spot. The other places I saw were okay, but this one was way better.

First off, it was just over a hundred feet from the beach, which was pretty safe. Jungle critters usually didn't wander out this far, and beach creatures didn't head into the jungle.

Being close to the beach also meant we could keep an eye on things. If any wild men showed up, we'd see them coming.

Moreover, despite its proximity to the beach, dense bushes and a sprawling, sideways-growing tree obscured the open space, rendering it invisible from the outside.

The best part was how hidden it was. I wanted to move because I found out there were cannibal savages around. Our old spot was too obvious and easy to find, so I needed somewhere more discreet.

This place was perfect, surrounded by bushes and that big tree, making it invisible from any direction. If I hadn't walked right up to it, I wouldn't have found it.

There were also a few big trees nearby that were easy to climb, with lots of branches and leaves. If something went down, we could climb up and hide, making it hard for anyone to spot us.

Looking at this almost perfect spot, I decided to set up the new shelter here. It wasn't even noon yet, so I wasn't in a rush to head back. I figured I'd wait a bit before returning.

If I went back now, it would be almost afternoon, and I'd have to wait until tomorrow to start moving. So, I started gathering some wood for the shelter framework. The trees were pretty sparse here, so finding wood was tough. After a long search, I didn't find much, so I had to go back and grab the wood I saw on my way here.

Even though the area was great with a small stream, there wasn't much wood around. Burning pottery needed a lot of wood, so it wasn't practical to do it here.

We'd have to burn pottery at the old shelter where there were more trees and wood. Winford would have to stay there to handle that.

The old shelter's spot was good too, near the jungle edge and not too obvious. With my and Zoey's shelter providing cover, Winford would be relatively safe there.

I gathered enough wood for the new shelter framework, piled it up in the open space, and by then it was noon. I pulled out some snacks for lunch.

Back when I was a doctor, I rarely ate snacks because they weren't healthy. But now, they felt like a treat. I sighed, "These snacks are so good."

I finished all the snacks I had and licked my fingers, still wanting more.

The snacks were tasty but not very nutritious, and our current food was pretty bland, so I really enjoyed the snacks.

If I could find some ingredients to use as seasonings on Resurge Island, I probably wouldn't be so into these snacks.

Then it hit me—I remembered seeing something that looked like chili peppers at the place where the cannibal savages held their rituals last time. But back then, I was too focused on the altar to think about it.

In hindsight, I regretted not taking them then, but I resolved to make sure I grabbed them on my next visit.

After setting up a rough framework with the wood, I started heading back to the original shelter.

By the time I got back, it was getting dark.

Zoey was on the beach, staring in the direction I left. When she saw me, she ran over, jumped into my arms, hugged me tight, and said, "Why'd you come back so late today? I was so worried, I thought something happened to you and was about to go look for you!"

I patted her back to calm her down and said, "I found a new spot for the shelter. It took some time to set up the framework, so I got back a bit late."

Zoey nodded and said, "As long as you're okay."

She knew something must've held me up, but she couldn't help worrying and wanting to know what I'd been up to.

Seeing her like this, I thought that after moving to the new shelter, I should take her with me when I go out exploring.

Back at the shelter, just like yesterday, Zoey had already made food for me and kept it by the fire, still hot.

Coming back after a busy day to hot food made me feel all warm inside. I sat on the ground eating, while Zoey sat next to me, propping her chin with her hand, watching me eat with a happy gleam in her eyes.

Seeing her like that, I was a bit puzzled and asked, "Why are you watching me eat like that?"

Zoey blurted out, "Because I want to watch you more!"

I was a bit stunned. Did I hear that right? Was this still the shy Zoey I knew?

She quickly realized what she said, her face turned red, and then she pretended to be busy, looking around and avoiding eye contact.

I couldn't help but smile at her actions, and when she noticed I was staring at her, she shyly retreated into the shelter.

After Zoey went inside, making sure he wouldn't disturb us, Winford came out of his shelter and sat down next to me.

After I finished eating, Winford asked, "What's the plan for tomorrow?"

I said, "Tomorrow we can start moving the shelter, but there's less wood at the new spot, so pottery making can only be done here. So I plan to have you stay here."

Seeing that Winford had no objections, I continued, "If you stay here, you can make pottery and also keep an eye on things. And if we all gather in one place, if something happens, we could all get caught."

Winford nodded, showing no resistance to my plan. In fact, he seemed kinda relieved to be apart from me and Zoey.

It wasn't that he had any issues with us. It was just that seeing us being all lovey-dovey every day made him uncomfortable. Plus, the noise we made at night when we were... well, you know, it affected his sleep.

After discussing the arrangements with Winford, I checked the raft I had stored last time to make sure it was still good. Tomorrow, I planned to use the raft to move the shelter since we had a lot of stuff to move, and doing it by hand would take forever.

After confirming the raft was fine, I went back to the shelter. By then, Zoey was already lying down. Her eyes were closed, pretending to be asleep, but the slight fluttering of her eyelashes gave her away.