Touchstone 1 - Stray

fruit which look like red pears, and I don’t know if eating them will make me drop dead.
    The birds seem to like them, anyway. It was hard to find any that hadn’t been pecked to death. So here goes…
    Floury, but it’s been a few minutes and I don’t feel any odder than I was before. I’ve only eaten one, and I’m going to wait a while before eating any more in case there’s a delayed effect. I’ll take the least pecked with me, since they might be the only thing I can find that’s edible.
    Last night was a black eternity. I don’t feel like I really slept, just dozed, constantly starting awake. I’m heading in the direction the sun rose because it looks flatter that way. No mobile signal. No buildings, powerlines, planes, etc, etc.
    I’ve never walked so much in my life.
    Camp
    It’s an hour or two before sunset, but I’ve reached a clearing with a stream and stopped to sit with my feet in the water.
    It looks like there might have been a fire here a few years ago: the entire slope of this hill is covered in grass and burnt-out trees. The clearing’s given me my best view yet of Planet Endless Green Carpet. It’s all so empty and untouched. I’m still not 100% certain whether this is or isn’t Earth. I’ve scared off a few animals walking along, but the only one I caught a good look at was a deer, which doesn’t exactly narrow things down continent-wise, and I guess there could be deer on other planets.
    There’s a curving glint of water down below which I’m hoping is a river. I mightn’t be able to see any fields or signs of settlement nearby, but I figure if I follow a river I’ll find a lake or the ocean and then – I don’t know.
    My school uniform is nothing but sweat and itches, so if ever a rescue plane wanted to fly over, I’m about to wash everything while the sun’s still strong. Never thought to pack a spare pair of undies when getting ready for the exam. There’s no cloud today, so at least I can hope to try some star-spotting tonight. Astronomy’s not my thing, but the Southern Cross is the easiest constellation in the world – or off it! Too much cloud last night to even see if there’s a moon.
    Knowing whether this is Earth is really important. If it’s Earth, then I might be able to recognise edible fruits and vegetables. And it might be MY Earth. Not another time, or an alternate or whatever. I could just be in somewhere really unpopulated and foresty, and that would mean home is still there waiting for me.
    There are no really obvious clues so far. Gravity seems the same, the sun looks the same, the sky is blue, the leaves are green. If I see something which looks totally not from my Earth, I’ll have to face not being able to walk back home. Even without being sure, once I follow that river I’m going to have to think about something other than going forward. But until then, just to keep it all in steps that don’t overwhelm me, the plan is to get to the river, to follow the river.
    Sunday, November 18
    Riverward
    I’m no good at estimating how far I can walk in a day. I might get to the river today. I’m going very slow because of my feet, plus overall not feeling well. The nights aren’t impossibly cold, and I made a nest in the grass which was more or less comfortable, but I woke up covered in dew, and my throat’s sore. I’m out of tissues for toilet paper, too. History notes just aren’t…up to scratch.
    I cut my tie into two pieces and have padded my shoes as best I can. Awkward bandages. Paper scissors don’t cut cloth well, but I had to wonder what I would have done if they hadn’t been in my pencil case. The things I have with me are irreplaceable.
    Better living through bare feet
    So here’s the plan. Barefoot unless the ground is really rough, and only then the torture devices. My feet are quickly collecting bruises, but I just couldn’t go on in my black leather school shoes. My heels are a raw, bleeding mess.
    I spotted a tree critter just now, and I’m waiting for it to come out again while wondering if I’m capable of killing animals for food. Food is my biggest issue, since I’ve finished the last of the red pears. They’re not the only fruit I’ve found – there’s lots of green berries, for instance, but they’re so sour I think they’re not ripe. I picked a bunch of tiny, thumb-sized apples, but they made my mouth go numb.

    - Red Pears – good.
    - Thumb Apples – bad.
    - Green Tearberries – sour/not ripe.

    I’ve