The buzzing of a few bees was the sound that Arlo arose to. Lazily swatting and waving his hand back and forth in attempt to shew them away. Then, he quickly opened his eyes and sat up straight. He had dozed off sometime during the night but didn’t remember it. He couldn’t even recall feeling the least bit sleepy or even yawning. Nevertheless, he knew that had he had to get on the move. The sky wasn’t quite at full light because it was still covered with clouds. They were wavy and looked as if they were flowing, almost like what water would look like from underneath. Showing him that the wind was blowing quite nicely up there high above the trees. Arlo thought of how nice it would be to feel the wind again, or even a breeze. For it had been some time since he had experienced either of them. But this was not the time for him to sit and reminisce, it was the time for him to escape this place. A place, that he thought, would bring him endless enjoyment and excitement. Which, except for only a handful of moments, was a thought that couldn’t have been further from truth. The fact is that this place had truly changed him from the inside out. Changed him into something he didn’t recognize or understand. Slowly beginning to realize why he had been told so many times not to come here while he was a child. Arlo stood up and set off, in which direction though he did not know. But he needed to put as much distance between himself and the community as quickly as possible. He decided to head for higher ground, giving him a better vantage point for spotting the sun when it appeared, if it ever did. The vegetation also wasn’t as dense so there was less resistance. But most importantly, this gave him the ability to see potential individuals who might be attempting to find him. He assumed all the other individuals that had returned were caught somehow. Or had given up and turned around, to avoid some other cruel fate. Presumably the one that was met by those who had not returned to the community. But Arlo was determined not to do either of these things. Reassuring himself all along his walk, that this was the right decision. Even after momentarily berating himself here and there. Because there was a part of him that didn’t wish to leave the community. Eventually, after hours of traveling with sore knees and feet, he decided to stop for a while and take a much-needed break. Briefly thinking himself fortunate for not having seen anyone so far. In doing so, had to refocus and not let what little optimism he had get the best of him. Remembering that he still had an unknown distance to go. Not to mention the unknown obstacles that he would potentially face. Once resting enough to continue, Arlo made the decision to descend from his current position, knowing the risks that it would commit. But also knowing that water flowed downhill, and he was going to need some very soon. This was not going to be a sprint; this was going to be about endurance if he wanted to make it out of here successfully. Carefully, he made his way down from the top of the bluff, back to the forest below.