"How long have we been walking?" Hilde complained.
"Silence, you forfeited your right to speak," Arlo snapped back, burdened by Hilde on his back and his bag upfront, both anchoring him down, as they sprinted across the verdant expanse.
Two days had passed since a tornado had swallowed them whole, and a day since they stumbled upon a nest of cockroaches. After fleeing from a swarm of hundreds of cockroaches for what seemed like an eternity, they noticed the insects ceased their pursuit once they crossed into the green grass field.
Arlo and Hilde speculated that the cockroaches were bound to their nest, obligated to safeguard their queens, but they were cockroaches, not bees. Cockroaches scatter when they detect danger.
After a day's journey, they sought refuge in the open field for the night, their only company being the stars and a full moon hanging in the sky.
The following day, Hilde was stricken with a fever, drained of energy.
