survive that the mind doesn't always track.
The forest floor is a tangle of roots and fallen branches and plants that look soft but aren't. He walks carefully, watching where he puts his feet. Some plants are passive. Some aren't.
An hour passes. Maybe two.
The river sound is loud now, a constant rushing that drowns out the smaller noises of the forest. This makes him nervous. He can't hear what's coming. He slows down, scanning the
