Love Burned, She Rose Unscathed



Roseanne had no choice but to seek shelter from the pouring rain.

Everyone knows trees attract lightning, so taking cover under one was out of the question.

In a flash of lightning, the night sky momentarily lit up, revealing a boulder not too far away with a natural hollow at its base, just big enough to squeeze into.

The rain intensified, pelting her with drops so large they stung upon impact. She quickened her pace towards the rock, guided by its vague silhouette.

Just as she was about to reach sanctuary, her foot slipped, throwing off her balance. She tumbled down a slope, unable to stop her fall, instinctively shielding her head and face with her arms.

Thankfully, the slope was covered in something akin to a grassy lawn, softening her fall, and the rain-soaked earth added a bit of cushioning.

Dizzy and disoriented, Roseanne finally came to a stop at the bottom of the slope. She lay there in pain, her vision blurred, taking a moment to comprehend her situation.

Soaked to the bone and surrounded by darkness, she had a moment of eerie disconnection from time and place.

But she quickly shook off the feeling, clenched her teeth, and forced herself to calm down.

Taking a deep breath, Roseanne used the nearby weeds and tree trunks to pull herself up, only to wince at a sharp pain in her ankle.

She crouched to inspect it, using the dim light from her phone's screen to see the swelling. Thankfully, there was no blood.

It hurt, but she could move it - probably just a sprain, not a break.

With a sigh of relief, Roseanne then checked the seeds in her backpack. The bag was caked with mud, and its contents were soggy, but the seeds were intact.

She then dragged herself to shelter between two rocks to wait out the rain.

The storm was brief, lasting about twenty minutes before it cleared.

Leaning against the rock, chilled to the bone, she debated the lesser of two evils: keeping on her wet clothes or facing the cold without them. To make matters worse, her phone had died.

...

Mamie and Scales were beside themselves with worry.

They waited at the rendezvous point for what felt like ages, watching as daylight faded into night, with no sign of Roseanne.

As a storm loomed, their attempts to call her were met with silence, stirring a sense of dread in both of them.

"We can't just sit here; something must have happened. We need to find the team leader now!" Scales decided on the spot.

Mamie nodded vigorously. "Right, if

we get to the team leader, they can contact the park authorities. Maybe they can use cameras or something to find Roseanne's exact location. Then, we can go rescue her. What's Content

the team leader's number

belongs to noveldrama

Scales froze.

"Isn't it in the group message?"

Mamie: "...Our year hasn't set up a group."

Their year was scarce in elective course enrollees, just the three of them along with Slater and Sybil Given their mutual disdain, no one had bothered to create a group or invite the team leader.

Panic set in, but Scales tried to remain calm. There are three team leaders from our college. It's just gotten dark, and many groups are still out collecting their ten basic specimens. Let's head to the nearest large area; maybe we'll run into one of them. Or, we could ask any senior students we meet for help... Either way, we need to move now."