When Luan next woke, it was hard for him to pry his eyes open. He was still exhausted and wanted to sleep more, but felt too uncomfortable. It was the pain of trying to shift positions that finally roused him enough to glance around. The forest was familiar in that it looked the same as the rest he remembered traveling through. The slight familiarity brought him some comfort despite being someplace foreign. However, the similarity and not being thoughtful before he slept meant Luan was unsure which direction he had come from. Luan groaned as he stood. Upon seeing the road, his mind latched onto last night's addled memory of stopping at it.

Of course, knowing the road was there did nothing to help tell Luan which way he had come from and which way he should continue. Nor did it stop him from noticing the ache in his stomach and the dampness of his clothes. It would be best to remedy those problems sooner rather than later. Maybe he should just stay where he was for the time being? Luan decided that was the best course of action.

Frowning, Luan noted his missing slippers, stained clothes, and numerous rips. He pulled off his sweatshirt and his layers of socks to leave them out to dry in a sunny patch. Next, he began foraging for food. The search for edible plants went a lot better than Luan had expected. His yield was made up of dandelions, clovers, and red berries. The dandelions were rather bitter to Luan, but they reminded him somewhat of asparagus. The clover also seemed to be fine with a leafy taste. Sadly, Luan had not seen a four-leaf clover despite his efforts. Finishing with the red berries, Luan's face scrunched up at the sour taste. A small brook he found quenched his thirst even though the water tasted different from what he was used to.

Reclothed and with his back resting against cool grass, Luan gazed upwards at the interconnecting branches. Perhaps it was somehow still morning or sometime in the afternoon. In the absence of a clock, Luan was not practiced enough to tell the time, especially with no clue which way was east and which way was west. He sighed. At least, the clouds were pretty. The light, fluffy, and white wisps left after the storm floated lazily through a break in the leaves. Their meanderings from shape to shape were beautiful in Luan's sparkling eyes. Basking in the calm peace, Luan forgot of his torn clothes and battered skin. A bird could be heard chirping over the rustling leaves and the almost inaudible burbling from the brook. Serene and lovely, the forest's ambiance pulled Luan into a happy daze.

Until a jolt of sudden pain shot through his stomach, ending his tranquil smile. Luan rushed to his feet only to double over and heave out what he had consumed. Using the back of his hand, Luan wiped bile from his mouth. Feeling dizzy, he did his best to stand up and stumble back from the vomit and to a different tree. He slid down the trunk and let his head fall back against the bark. Something he ate must not have been edible after all. Any amount of energy he had gained flowed out of him like water through open fingers. He could try eating again, but which food should he exclude? What if all of them were bad to eat? Not to mention, it was fall, so there weren't many options to begin with. His first meal hadn't even fully filled him. In his despair, he slumped further to the ground. Certainly, the facility was still searching and would find him sooner or later.

He huffed at himself. Why did he keep thinking of going back? Luan knew he had been determined enough to escape the facility in the first place, so why wasn't he determined to face the rest of the world? A few small snags shouldn't stop him. Just because he felt like he could only stay in the forest or go back to the facility didn't mean there weren't other options. He just needed to find a different way. Furthermore, if his Plan B did not work, he would just keep going through the rest of the alphabet. Now, he just had to decide what Plan B was.

A light bulb went off in Luan's mind when he thought of the road. Surely, it would lead him to a town or somewhere he could find a way to get food. It did not take Luan much more effort to find the road. With a random decision to go left, he set off on the new path.

Besides stopping to watch a couple of squirrels or birds, Luan continued at a consistent pace. He did his best to ignore the occasional pebbles stabbing through his socks and his growing hunger. However, the ignoring seemed to be working as Luan entered an awake stupor as he walked. Under two hours had passed when something caught his attention. Pausing, Luan looked at a sign painted bright yellow with neat, dark green letters largely painted across. It read "Welcome to Hazel Pine National Park." To Luan, a national park sounded like the perfect place to find food and avoid suspicion. He could take food when people weren't watching and he could just tell anyone who saw him he had just come to hike. Maybe he could even ask someone which plants were edible. Luan shook his head to clear his thoughts before he got to far ahead of himself. First things first, he needed to get there and find food as soon as possible.

Therefore, Luan continued onwards again. Soon, he came to a parking lot with a building on the other side. Skirting around the lot, Luan did his best to stay hidden behind trees before he came closer to the building. It appeared to be some sort of lodge for people to check into. Luan decided to sneak around to the back and see if there was a door he could use to go in without being seen. If he couldn't get food here, he could at least see if there was a map that could guide him to the campsite. Much to Luan's amazement, there actually was a door and it was even unlocked. It was a wonder he still managed to get lucky. Breathing in deeply, Luan opened the door.