Chapter Ten
The students gathered around the makeshift cooking areas, the forest air alive with the sounds of rustling leaves and the distant chatter of birds. Each student, regardless of their background, was tasked with preparing their foraged goods, turning their gathered plants, roots, and fruits into something edible. It was the next step in the challenge, and an essential one—after all, there was no going back now. The survival aspect of the retreat was about to get real.
The elite trio Zed, Khalil, and Lotus stood by their cooking area, baskets in hand, staring at their meager and mostly unidentifiable haul. Zed flicked the edge of a large leaf with the tip of his boot, his brow furrowed as he scanned their pitifully small collection. "So... now what? We're supposed to make something with these?" He gestured to their baskets with a flick of his wrist, as if to emphasize the absurdity of the task.
Khalil leaned over the basket, trying to identify what they had picked. There were strange weeds, a handful of thin roots that looked more like twigs than anything edible, and a few odd looking mushrooms that, if he were honest with himself, he had no clue whether they were safe to eat or not. "I swear, half of this looks like it's from the weeds section of a garden" he muttered, rubbing his temple. "We're going to get sick!"
Lotus was already beginning to pick through the contents, looking for something, anything that could pass for an edible ingredient. His expression was unreadable but internally, he was seething with frustration. He had no interest in being out here in the first place, and now it was clear that they had no idea what they were doing. His fingers brushed against an unfamiliar root, its long, thin, yellowed edges covered in dirt. He frowned.
"Just... let's hope we don't poison ourselves" Lotus muttered, his voice tinged with irritation.
Zed eyed the other groups, watching them with growing unease. The public school kids Lena, Cris, and Jay were already hard at work, their cooking areas surrounded by piles of edible looking fruits, herbs, and roots. They were chopping, peeling, and boiling with ease, their baskets brimming with an assortment of carefully selected ingredients. It was clear that they knew exactly what they were doing. Zed could hardly believe it. He'd never considered that the poor kids would have such an advantage in this setting.
The thought of being outclassed by them only added to the growing pressure, the reality settling in. They had no idea how to prepare this stuff.
A few feet away, the organizer of the retreat, a middle-aged man with a kind but authoritative demeanor, walked among the groups, inspecting what the students had gathered. His role was clear: make sure the food was safe to eat and that everyone followed the guidelines. He paused at the cooking areas, nodding as he checked each group's selection.
The organizer began with the other students, offering light comments on their food and methods but when he reached the elite trio, his expression shifted. His eyes narrowed slightly as he surveyed their baskets.
"What do we have here?" he asked, inspecting the contents of the basket carefully.
Zed, feeling defensive, straightened up and tried to act casual. "A few berries, some roots, you know... basic stuff. Nothing too fancy" he said with a grin, though his voice lacked conviction.
The organizer's face remained neutral but his eyes flicked between the items in the basket. The weeds, the roots, and the strange, inedible plants all stood out like red flags. A frown began to form. "These roots are from a plant that isn't safe for consumption. You should never eat anything that looks like this... this is not only inedible but could cause severe stomach issues" he said, pointing to the roots Zed had gathered.
Khalil winced, suddenly more aware of the fact that they had no idea what they were doing. He opened his mouth to speak but nothing came out. His face turned slightly pale.
"And this" the organizer continued, pointing to the handful of mushrooms, "These aren't edible either. Some of them are toxic. You've picked a few plants that could make you very ill if consumed"
Lotus rubbed his hand over his face in frustration, his earlier frustration turning into embarrassment. "So... we're basically screwed, right?"
The organizer sighed, clearly trying to keep his composure. He spoke gently but firmly. "This is a survival exercise not a joke. You need to be more careful. We can't afford to make mistakes with food. The other groups seem to have a better grasp on what's safe and what isn't. I'm going to have to confiscate what you've gathered"
Zed opened his mouth to protest but immediately shut it when he realized there was nothing to argue. It was obvious now: they had no clue what they were doing. The weight of their situation sank in, and it was heavier than any of them had expected.
With a nod, the organizer carefully removed the basket of misidentified and dangerous plants. "I'm going to set up a meeting to go over what is safe and what isn't after lunch. For now, I recommend you head over to one of the other groups and see what they've gathered. This is a learning opportunity. Take it seriously"
Feeling the sting of failure, the trio stood in stunned silence as the organizer moved on to the next group. They watched him walk away, the embarrassment of the situation weighing heavily on their shoulders.
"This is so humiliating" Zed muttered under his breath, clearly struggling with the loss of control. His usual swagger was gone, replaced by something far more vulnerable.
Lotus didn't say anything but his expression was hard to read. He didn't like feeling out of his depth, and this situation made him realize just how dependent he had been on wealth and privilege. He never had to learn survival skills because he had always had everything handed to him and now, here he was, struggling like a fish out of water.
Khalil, always the most easygoing of the trio, tugged at his collar clearly uncomfortable but determined. "Uh... I saw an edible looking bird at the river earli—"
"Zip it, Khalil" Lotus only rolled his blue eyeballs while Zed gave a short bitter laugh.
They stood there for a moment, each of them lost in their thoughts, the reality of their failure settling in. But it wasn't just about the foraging anymore. It was about more than that, it was about the uncomfortable truth that no amount of wealth or privilege could save them in situations like this. They were facing something they couldn't buy their way out of: their own lack of experience.
In the distance, Lena, Cris, and Jay were already moving forward with their meals, confident and unbothered.