Chapter 16: The Tree House

Not a single word is spoken throughout the entire drive to our destination. After nearly two hours of driving, we finally stop near a desolate, open pasture out in the countryside. Looking out into the large field, I spot a huge, tower-like structure, held up by five, sturdy-looking metal poles. Ben turns on the hummer's radio and begins speaking through it: "Sarah, get the ladder ready."

Ben: "Welcome to the tree house, ladies and gentlemen."
Noralli: "Why do you call it that?
Charlie: "Well...because it's mounted thirty feet off the ground, see?"
Noralli: "(sniff)...oh god, what's that smell?!" she asks while covering her nose with her sweater sleeve.

Exiting the car, I finally realize the truth to why they actually called it the Tree House; speckled on the ground below the tower lay dozens of used marijuana roaches. Ignoring it, I follow the militants to it's base. A woman walks out of the building and drops down a latter for us to climb. "Hello!" she says, kindly.

Ben: "I hope you two have enough strength left to climb a rope latter."
The woman above, who I presume to be Sarah, points to Noralli.
Sarah: "Your gonna have to climb up first, ok, sweetheart?

Noralli grabs a hold of the latter, but doesn't even get ten feet off of the ground before she begins to cry.
Noralli: No...I can't do it!
Hearing another one of those infected shrieks in the distance, I run up to her and try to convince her to continue climbing, but she is too afraid.
Peter: "Noralli climb...Noralli sweety, please? You have to climb..."
Noralli: I can't, I'm scared!

The 50. cal gunner starts to grow impatient.
Trey: "This is some bullshit Ben, we're wasting time!"
Ben: "...Ok, a few of us will go first and we'll hoist her up to the top with some rope, problem solved."

Noralli climbs down and crosses her arms in embarrassment as I walk up to console her.
Noralli: "I'm sssorry. You should have just left me..."
Peter: "Shhhh it's ok, you tried...c'mon now Shhhh, don't talk like that..."

Ben finally throws down some repelling equipment to safely hoist Noralli up. I strap it on her and then they quickly begin pulling her to the top. I start to climb the ladder alongside her when, all of a sudden, I feel a hard tug on my pants. I look down, and, to my horror, I see a severely burned man trying to pull me off the ladder.

Peter: HOLY SHIT!!! Guys!!! ...Aw..shh..shit!...FUCK! Get off me!

I try climbing but the combined weight is too much for me to lift. Just as I feel my grip about to fail, the dead weight magically disappears. I look down and, buried deep within the man's head, is a long, feathered arrow. I turn my attention to the top where I see Sarah standing with a bow in hand.

Sarah: Hurry...tea's getting cold...