“This was the trial?” Gretel screamed. “He’s just going to leave us in the middle of nowhere for three months!”
Victor tried to calm her down, the others sat quietly and contemplated their situation. “We wouldn’t have been chosen if there was no chance of our success,” said Victor. “They obviously think we have what it takes, though I can hardy conjure a reason why they’d ever think this to begin with.”
Hansel turned to him. “Don’t doubt yourself, you’re smart enough to get out of this, we all are!”
But Gretel only shook her head. “Don’t you get it? He led us back and forth between the mountains so we’d lose our way. It’ll be impossible to find our way back!”
Hansel agreed. “Then we’re stuck here and we might as well accept it. Isn’t that what your father told us?”
“I wouldn’t believe everything he says. You don’t know him like I do.”
“Regardless,” Hansel went on, “I choose to believe him.”
The following days were some of the hardest they had ever suffered. The initial shock of being abandoned by their teacher eventually passed and in the cold reality of their situation they began to think of how they were going to survive. Even still, both Gretel and Astrid insisted on separating from the group, claiming that in any situation they worked better alone. There was nothing Sam, Victor or Hansel could say to stop them. Thus, only three remained. With no food or water their first objective became to find higher ground.
They spent the first day scrambling up to a ridge that allowed a view of the surrounding area. Its beauty had faded. They had eaten only the small amount of food that remained after Rodrick’s departure, as there were no signs of life or edible plants to be seen, except for a small body of water far off in the distance. “Well at least we’ve found water,” Hansel mumbled. “But we won’t reach it before sundown, and I don’t want to be climbing around in the dark.” The only choice now was to rest.
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