“Finally fresh air!” shouted Mark as loud as he could as he hopped out of the bus. After a few hours in a bus, talking, watching and sleeping, the dance club finally arrived at the camp spot. Mark was wearing a simple black T-shirt and comfortable jeans. Even though he had gone shopping with Junior ( and JB but Mark just hate to admit), he didn’t want to bring a lot of stuff in his backpack  so it was not a burden for him. He just need to bring necessary things.

It was around 5 hours later when it was 4 in the afternoon, due to the lack of tent-setting up experience, everyone was already frustrated with their sleeping area.

“I know it was already in the evening but what camp without game is, right?” asked Mr. Hope who was standing in front. “Now, we are going to play treasure hunt. Myself and with the help of Yugyeom have hid some clues in the forest. Your job is to find them and guess the answer of the questions that was written in the piece of paper that will be given to you in a minute. Make sure to not go too far and please find your partner.”

Mark went to The8 and high fived him. As he read the question, correction, The8 read the question, he watched as Junior, Jimin and JB gathered together and read the same question. There was this feeling inside Mark that just wanted to go to them and interrupted them. However, his thought was disturbed by The8’s voice.

“So, what do you think?”

“Huh?” Mark leaned forward to read the question.

My _ _ _ _ _ beats like a Drum
My _ _ _ _ just wait for the day to _ _ _ you tight
My _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ just waits for the _ _ _ marked red
My _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ just waits for my _ _ _ _ _ _ _
Though I am still a _ _ _ _ _   _ _ _ _
I hope this _ _ _ _  I wrote for _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _  nights
Deliver my sincerity
Take one side of the _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _  in your hand
_ _ _ _ _   _ _ ?

“Ok, so find the paper that will give you the answer of the passage but you need to fix the words in random letters.” Said Mr. Hope for the last time before he released everyone, “good luck.”

The8 and Mark ran in the forest along with all the club members except for Yugyeom who will be staying in the camp area, talking to Mr.Hope. Mark searched between the trees, the bushes and between the fallen piles of leafs. It was a tense search so Mark cut off all his sense to his eyes, focusing to find random pieces of paper in the ground.

Mark was still focusing to the ground when he heard a cry, a cry for help.

“Hey, The8, did you hear that?” asked Mark for the first time lifting up his head from his search, “The8?”. Mark found himself alone in the forest, The8 was nowhere in sight. However, in the middle of the confusion, Mark heard the noise again.

“Help!”

 He didn’t waste any time and ran to the direction where the cry came from. After a short distance, he discovered someone downhill. He was not sure who it was but he was positive he was part of the dance club. With no second doubt, he tried to roll slowly downhill but gravity failed him. Mark ended up rolling fast to the ground under the hill. Once the friction was over, Mark hurt his arm. Mark looked at his injured arm but he totally forgot about it as he saw the boy laying not far from him. Mark hurry and went to check on him.

“Hey, are you alright?” asked Mark as he turned the boy’s body to face him. However, once he saw the boy’s face, he was no stranger, Junior. His face looked pale and there was a scratch on his head, probably because of the rocks he have fallen into. Some parts of his pants were ripped and most of his body bleed.

“Mark?”

“Junior? Are you alright? What happened?”

Junior explained to Mark that he was looking for the pieces of paper at that part of the forest while Jimin and JB looked for the piece of paper at the other part of the forest not far from him. However, Junior accidently slipped and feel downhill. Since he was not steady, his body posture was not good that cause unbalance and made him fell sloppily and injured his body in many ways. Junior had no idea what happened in the first place since he fainted but he woke up not long after. He tried to call for JB or Jimin but he thought that they were off somewhere a ready.

With worry, Mark took out a bandage from his bag and wrapped it around Junior’s injury. It took a while for Mark to clean all of Junior’s blood and keep the pressure on. Once he was done, Junior looked better already, but their condition was not that good either, they were lost.

“So, how do we get out of here?” asked Junior.

Mark realized the reality that he was facing. He looked around him. Tress have grown tall above them and dry leaves covered the ground. The hill that brought them back up was just too high. The bright blue sky that Mark saw earlier in the bus have turned orange red, the shadows was forming. The cold evening air greeted them, so as the horror of getting back.

“What should we do now?”

“I don’t know,” replied Mark, trying not to be as worry, “I can try to call Yugyeom and- “

“I’ve tried,” said Junior, still laying down weak, “the signal is too weak here. Why do I shout if I can call.”

“Right,” said Mark trying to figure out a real plan, “let’s find our way out, can you walk?”

“Think so,” replied Junior. “Help me up.”

Mark reach out his hands and helped Junior to stand up, he was nearly unbalanced in the first place but Mark supported him. However, as Junior tried to take a step, he ached in pain.

“Damn it Junior! You can’t walk like this all through the woods.”

“What other choice do I have?” asked Junior as he slowly lifted up himself.

OMG why do he need to be like this?

Mark went under Junior and carried him.

“What, what are you doing?”

“I can’t let you walk like that, I just have to carry you.”

“Emmm, ok. Are you sure though?”

No

“Just follow my lead!”

With Junior weighing his back, Mark went and tried to trace back what route have he taken. It was after a few while when Mark realized that, they were more than lost. The sun went down and the tall trees surround them prevented them from getting any more sunlight except from the light of their phones. The light on their phones used to glow a lot bigger in the dark room. However, compared to the gigantic forest, their light was nothing.

“Mark, please rest,” recommended Junior finally after some time as he heard Mark’s obvious panting.

Mark usually would deny it and keep going but this time, he nodded and put Junior down by the tree nearby and sat next to him. The wind blew hard and Junior was freezing. Mark didn’t have any more clothing on him but his exercise have made him pumped up. However, as they were kicking their legs, there was a sound.

“What was that?” asked Junior as he heard the voice.

“That what? I don’t hear anything.”

“Shhhh……”

There was a dead silence. There was nothing between them. The wind was blowing and Junior was shaking, not of the cold, of fear. Mark squinted his eyes, he swore that he just saw shadows moving in a distance. However, what was that? Just when Mark realize what was happening, a big bear jumped out from the bushes.

“AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!” shouted Junior.

Mark stood there frozen as the huge beast just stood not far from him. He was just as scared as Junior but deep inside him, there was a shout that being the coward in this time wouldn’t be the best idea. Mark slowly walked backwards. However, each step Mark got further, the angrier the bear got.

“Run,” *hardcore music plays in the background* ( you know that run vine? No? Okay)

Mark ran as fast as he could while Junior followed behind him. The bear immediately followed behind them, roaring in anger. Mark still had no idea what did he do but he was sure that it was something not good. He kept running, running, promised himself that he wouldn’t want to look back.

Well, just what people say, not all people can keep promises. Even if they set it up for themselves.

“Mark! Mark!”

Mark stopped and look back to see that Junior was on the solid ground. The bear was just few inches in front of him, ready to attack him at any time.

“,” Mark rushed after the prey and the predator. His mind was blank, only his body was moving by themselves. A part of him even wanted him to keep running and save his dear life. However, Mark saw a long vine on the ground and took it with him. Thanking his high jumping skills, the next thing that he knew he was doing was jumping high in the air and landed right at the bear’s back. He managed to land on the bear, hard. Next, he watched as his hands uncontrollably tie it fast enough so the bear could barely move his paws. The bear roared louder as it was struggling under Mark who was sitting comfortably on top of it.

What the did I do?

The bear was still struggling under him when he realized his sense back. Junior widen his eyes like he was shocked of the incident more than the danger he faced earlier. Mark had a grin on his face. However, the grin was lost when he saw the bushes was shaking again.

However, four cute little cubs came out of the bushes. They looked similar like the bear Mark was sitting on and they were roaring softly. Once the bear saw the cubs, it roared so loud that the trees was shaking in fear

“Mark, I thought I figure it out.” Said Junior happily. “The bear thought that we are going to harm her kids so she chased us. She just wanted to protect her kids! I heard from somewhere, the best thing to do in this situation is to leave them alone and go away.”

Mark stare at the cute little cubs, running to their mother like disaster just happen. Mark slowly get off the bear and loosen the tie so that once they ran away the bear could notice that they have no intention to harm.

Finally, the misery was over, Mark was walking through the forest, deep breaths. Junior have deep breaths too but it was worse.

“Mark, Mark.”

“What?”

“Can you slow down?”

Oh yeah, Junior is injured.

“It’s ok, let’s take a rest. I am tired too.”

Mark and Junior sat by the trunk of the nearby tree. The forest got colder by every second. Mark’s clothing wasn’t helping at all. However, he was not pity for himself, he was pity for the younger boy beside him who was vibrating up and down from the cold. Mark took his bag and searched something that might help. Well, maybe pack light wasn’t the best thing. The only thing he found in his bag was a hat, plastics and bread.

Bread? How long have we been out here? I even forgot about being hungry.

Mark took out his bread from his bag. For a second, he looked at Junior. His eyes widen in amazement like it was something amazing was invented. Confused, Mark was reaching out his hand to take out the plastic until he heard a growling sound.

“Sorry,” apologized Junior, “it is just my stomach.”

Mark look at Junior, without a second thought, he gave his bread to junior.

“Aren’t you hungry?” asked Junior who was tempting Mark.

Mark paused for a while. He let out his inner emotions out. Yes, he was ravenous, his stomach was very empty and was crying for the food on his hand.

“No,” answered Mark in a flash, “eat it would you?”

Junior looked at Mark for the last time and open the plastic like a hungry wolf. He had this amazing smile on his face like Mark haven’t seen before. He chewed down the bread like he have not eaten for days and have a refreshing smile as he finished. Unconsciously, Mark have a smile on his face too.

“Hey! What’s up with you? Why are you smiling like that on me?” asked Junior as he face Mark to say thank you.

“Eemm.. Nothing.” Said Mark embarrassed as he shook his head vigorously.

However, footsteps was heard nearby. Mark shushed Junior and listen intently on the noise. It was clearly a footstep, coming towards them, slowly but bravely. The moon gave too little light to outline the shape of the creature. Junior was trembling again.

“Mark, what are we going to do?”

“Shhh….”

Mark watched carefully as the mysterious shadow came to a close.

Wait a minute….

“MARK TUAN!!!!!” Shouted Yugyeom as loud as his voice could reach when he found his lost friend. “I HAVE BEEN SEARCHING FOR YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!”

“Yugyeom?”

The cool and clever boy that Mark have known as the ultimate dance leader in his life had turned into a baby and ran towards him in full speed. Yugyeom threw his arms at mark and hug him tightly. Mark was surprised by the sudden visit of his friend. That was the tightest hug Mark ever had from yugyeom. Few noises was heard. Not long after, Mr. Hope and JB appeared. JB immediately help out with Junior while Mr.Hope was going nuts about the whole incident. They were looking for them too.

Finally, everyone arrived to the camping spot safely. Yugyeom was crying, he couldn’t get over the shock that he almost lost his best friend in the jungle. JB was sitting beside Junior, talking slowly to him while Junior just stare blankly on his feet, didn’t know if he actually was listening or not. Mr. Hope called Mark’s parents that Mark was totally okay and The8 called Youngjae for Yugyeom that Mark was safe and sound.

When everyone was in a panic mode, Mark sat quietly on the hard ground, thinking about his experience of being lost in the jungle. For Mark, it was actually… a fun experience. Sure, he was afraid, angry and miserable but when he thought about it, his mood went up and a smile curved on his face. Even though Mark went to bed with an empty stomach, if you ask him, “Mark, how was your day in the dance club camp?”

“Oh, it was the best experience I have ever had in my life.”

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Can any of you guess the missing words? If u can guess it correctly, I wil subscribe to one of your stories :p