Lay Down Your Head

 It had been almost two days since the men had been separated from the group. Two days without food and water and no sense of direction whatsoever. The men knew that you start to lose your sense of direction when you’re lost, dehydrated and hungry but the white space around them only seemed to exasperate this feeling.

Alone. Tired. Cold.

The men had nothing to go off of, the sun never rose nor set and the wind blew away their footprints in the snow. 

Hal had been following behind Jacques when he asked, “At what point do we just give up?”

His question hung in the air for a moment as Jacques pondered a response.

He was feeling like giving up as well, but felt responsible for Hal coming out here and also responsible for his life as he was his superior. 

After what felt like forever Jacques finally answered, “I’m sorry.”

Hal and Jacques remained silent for another hour.

“Jacques, I need to lie down man, my legs hurt, and I, I hurt all over.”

“We can’t stop moving Hal, we’re going to die out here, Jacques exclaimed, exasperation heavy in his voice.

“I know,” Hal replied dead pan.

Jacques looked at him with sorrowful eyes, and then he sat down right where he was standing. 

Hal followed suit. 

Hal went to lay down and just as he closed his eyes he saw a single tear fall from the corner of Jacques’s eye.