Four
Menstruating. Sorely missing the existence of ibuprofen and hot water bottles. Stayed at camp and felt sorry for myself, quietly hating the world.
Thought I heard the crunch of small footsteps in the sand one night. It was too dark to really see. Really, really hoping that it wasn’t a predator keen to the scent of blood. By the time I got up to go and search for prints, the sea had already swept them away.
I did manage to go on a small walk to gather grass. Making cord is easy yet satisfying work, though the spaces beneath my fingernails are sore from the effort. I have several metres of cord now, and lots of dry plant scraps that might make good tinder.
You can use cord and wood to start a fire, I think. It’s the friction of it. Some sort of bow? When I lie awake at night, I turn the potential contraption over in my head.
On the days where I do not stray far from camp, I ration my food as much as I can. The bare minimum I can eat in one day without feeling weak is a quarter square.
Thinking of ways I can supplement my diet. Could there be fish in the sea for me to catch? Or safe plants to eat?