Summary: This one will be longer. But for now I can only squirt out this small excerpt to let you guys know I ain't dead. Exam season is fast approaching so I'd like to leave the chapter written before that, most of the basis are done and it's around 7000 words, but still needs a lot of polish and I'll probably end up cutting a good chunk off it. I'll try to post very short 1000 or so word segments but I'm not sure yet.
Cheers

A night’s rest, one Anon hadn’t experienced in a long time, ended by the faint echoes of birds singing their morning song. Blinking twice Anon tried to discern anything in the cave, but the tenuous darkness kept him laying still “Where?” he was alone, resting on a pile of small branches, leaves and whatever other cushioned vegetation could be foraged from the surrounding forest, after a few moments he shook some of the lingering dizziness “Lucy!” he shouted slightly concerned. Sitting up his breathing accelerated, looking from side to side his eyes tried to swallow any light dim as it may be, eventually after some deep breaths and a few mutters the outline of the cave began appearing “Not dreaming right” he spouted out loud. Anon looked besides the ‘bed’, he could barely make out the shape of a backpack sitting up right at the edge of the ‘mattress’. “Shit, the flashlight” he slapped his forehead frustrated while images of the slippery torch escaping his grasp and making for an impromptu ‘lime-light’ came to him. “Lucy!” he yelled even louder and waited for a response, “dammit…” he exhaled defeated. While deliberating whether to stay and wait another low chirp bounced its way to him, he sprung up from the bed with the backpack in his hand and listened attentively for any small noises. He heard another one, quiet as a mouse squeak and turned his head towards the direction of the noise, a few seconds more and yet another chirp sounded off the cave walls, it was useless to stay there any longer so he decided to get up and make his way up the cave stopping from time to time to listen to the birds, eventually the dim dots on the walls and the gravel growing as he went signalled that he was heading in the right direction, it wasn’t long until he spotted the soft light gleaming from the entrance, and finally he stepped out, a gentle breeze and the pure notes of the birds welcoming him back outside.

What now? He sat outside and pondered while staring vacantly at the visage from cliff side, “Fuck” the past five months, the past week, yesterday; it all derailed inside, he couldn’t decide whether to smile or close his eyes and cry. He instinctively lowered his hand and looked for a cigarette pack on his pocket but found only the lighter, no cigs left “Shit”. Grabbing the lighter he took it out again and contemplated it a while longer, from the outside it was just another mundane object its value determined only by its material quality, it used to be just that to Anon too, but recently it had transformed into a shard of the past, a tiny spec to look through. He waited some more, maybe she’d come around some time soon, in the meantime he remembered what the man had told him before he left and recalled the radio on his backpack, taking it out he examined the rectangular object: painted olive green, corners faded and turned blackish grey by the scratches revealing the plastic underneath, the buttons tired and sunken into the casing from all the years of service. He pressed the a button on the centre of the radio and it came to life, the small screen blinking with numbers, Anon had never used a radio before but from all his time watching old movies he could more or less figure out how to operate one. “Hello?” he spoke into the small microphone as he pressed the switch on the side “anyone there?” he brought it down and expectantly stared at it, hoping the magic box would give back an answer. “This is sector D6, station alpha. Identify yourself. Over” indeed the box answered, sounding like the man from before “This is uh… Anon…” Anon replied, unsure of what proper ‘radio etiquette’ would sound like “over” he clumsily added after finishing his message. A few too many seconds passed as Anon held the radio in front of him “Good to hear from you Mr. Mous. Can you give is a status report? Over" Anon looked tentatively at the flashing light on the radio, he had so much to say but again, he couldn’t bring himself to articulate anything. “She’s…. She’s here.” he paused briefly “Was here yesterday.” letting go of the button he licked his dried lips, in vain as it seemed that his mouth was as dry as the dusty rock he was sitting on. “Good, that’s good Mr. Mouse.” the man sounded just as he always did, Anon wondered if it was disinterest or professionalism that dictated his voice. "Can you tell us in what state you found her? Over.”
“State? What do you mean?” Anon stated confused. “We need to know if you’ll be safe up there” some mumbling was heard on the other side as the man paused “Its for your safety, and hers. Over.” Anon understood, now the words seemed to ease their way up to his mouth. “She’s… uh fine, doesn’t look hurt bu-” Anon was cut off “Listen kid, pay attention now” the man seemed worried, he broadcasted fast over the radio as more mumbling could be heard behind his voice “I need to go, now. Stay put and wait by the radio. Out”
“What! How long am I going to have to wait for?!” He babbled into the microphone but it was useless. “What am I supposed to do now?!” He kept going for a while, mixing in insults with his questions, when he realized that no one was listening on the other side he came to a stop, thinking about chucking the fucking thing over the cliff.