Chapter 28: Fishing For The First Time

Chapter 28: Chapter 28: Fishing For The First Time She spotted another herb with small, curled leaves and instantly recognized it. Basil! "Basil is basically the foundation of good food," she declared. "If we’re stuck eating weird alien meat, at least we can season it properly." She picked some. [+2 Cooking] Moving further, she saw another plant with fuzzy, soft leaves. She recognized it immediately—lamb’s ear! Sheila frowned. "That doesn’t look like food." "It’s not," Isabella said smugly, rubbing the leaves between her fingers. "But it’s super absorbent and antibacterial. Primitive toilet paper." Sheila’s face twisted in horror. "Ew!" "Hey, we don’t have luxury here," Isabella said. "I’d rather use this than a random leaf and end up regretting my life choices." She plucked a few and stored them away. [+2 Survival] After collecting a few more herbs—some for flavor, some for healing, and some for purely practical reasons—she finally paused, wiping sweat off her forehead. She counted her haul: Ten different herbs. [+2 Survival points] She let out a deep breath. "Alright, that should do it." Sheila pouted. "I wanted to see you mess up again." Isabella shot her a glare. "I’m not some slapstick comedy character." Sheila just grinned. "Could’ve fooled me." Isabella rolled her eyes, but secretly, she was satisfied. Her Earth knowledge was actually useful here. Maybe surviving in this world wouldn’t be so bad. SOME TIME LATER The sun was setting, and Isabella was still lost in thought. She sat on a fallen log, staring at the assorted herbs and leaves she had gathered, mildly depressed. Sure, she had managed to collect a decent variety of plants, but none of them would save her from the tragedy that was dinner. No salt. No pepper. No seasoning at all. Just raw, bland, meat. Her stomach clenched at the thought. I refuse to live like this. She took a deep breath. Okay. Think, Isabella. Meat was out of the question. She wasn’t ready to skin anything, let alone deal with the trauma of gutting something with her bare hands. Which left... Fish. A lightbulb went off in her head. "I should try fishing." Ophelia, who had been quietly observing, raised an eyebrow. "You know how to fish?" "...Yes?" Isabella said hesitantly. Then she sighed. "I mean, I’ve seen people do it. And it’s just water, right? What’s the worst that could happen?" Sheila hummed, clearly entertained. Asael, however, just gave her a blank stare, as if already predicting disaster. Still, no one stopped her. They found a stream—not too deep, not too shallow. The water was crystal clear, (a miracle) and Isabella could already see a few fish swimming lazily near the rocks. "Alright," she said, rubbing her hands together. "I just need a fishing rod, a net, or maybe even a spear." Asael handed her something. She looked down. It was a stick. No, not just a stick. A long, sharp piece of bone attached to a wooden handle with some kind of vine. "A spear?" Isabella blinked. Asael nodded once. "...Do I look like someone who can spear a fish?" Asael stared at her for three solid seconds before shrugging. Isabella clicked her tongue. "Fine. I’ll work with what I have." She cursed silently as she adjusted her grip, the bone tip feeling heavier than expected. "You just... stab it, right?" she muttered to herself. "Yes," Asael said dryly. Isabella took a deep breath. "Easy enough." She crouched by the water, watching the fish swim in slow, hypnotic circles. Just a little closer... Then she lunged. SPLASH. Water exploded as the fish darted away effortlessly. Isabella blinked, watching her reflection ripple in the water. "...Huh." Sheila burst out laughing. Ophelia sighed, rubbing her temples. Asael just exhaled through his nose. "I wasn’t ready," Isabella said quickly, trying to salvage her dignity. "You stabbed the water," Sheila wheezed, wiping away a tear. "It was a warm-up!" Isabella huffed. She tried again. SPLASH. Nothing. Again. SPLASH. Again. SPLASH. She stabbed at the water a total of fifteen times before she finally—miraculously—managed to pin one. She gasped. "I DID IT!" The fish flopped violently, trying to escape, but she held onto the spear for dear life. "One down, one more to go," she panted, exhausted. After another round of splashing, cursing, and nearly falling into the water, she managed to get a second one. She collapsed onto the shore, drenched in sweat and defeat. Sheila leaned over. "That was the most painful thing I’ve ever watched." Isabella groaned, holding up her two fish like trophies. "I did my part. Now, does anyone want some?" Silence. She looked around. Ophelia looked away awkwardly. Asael was blank-faced as usual. Sheila just wrinkled her nose. "We don’t eat fish," Sheila finally said. "It’s too bony, and the taste is weird." Isabella stared at them. "Are you sure?" "We’re sure," Ophelia added. Isabella squinted. "Because it might turn out amazing." Sheila snorted. "Might?" "Try your luck," Isabella grinned. "No," they all said in unison. Isabella shrugged. "Welp. Guess I didn’t really want soup that much anyway." Isabella stared at the two floppy, slimy fish in her hands. Now what? There was no way she was stuffing them in her pouch with her precious herbs. That was beyond disgusting. She wasn’t about to smell like rotting fish for the rest of the day. She turned to Asael. "Hold these." She shoved the fish toward him. Asael blinked. "Why would I—" She gave him a look. Not a request. A demand. Asael exhaled sharply through his nose but took the fish anyway, holding them at arm’s length like they personally offended him. Sheila snorted. "Wow. I think she just made you her servant." "Shut up," Asael muttered. Isabella, pleased with herself, clapped the fishy slime off her hands. "Alright, let’s go." Sheila still looked deeply disturbed. "I can’t believe you’re actually going to eat those." "Just wait till I cook them," Isabella said smugly. "You’re all gonna regret saying no." Asael, Ophelia, and Sheila exchanged looks. Then, in perfect unison— "No, we won’t." Isabella scoffed. "Haters." And with that, they headed home—Asael still carrying the fish like they were a cursed object. ————————— As they walked back, the sun dipped lower, turning the sky into a swirl of orange and purple. Isabella yawned, stretching her arms over her head. That’s when she noticed something. A patch of small red berries hanging from a bush. They looked oddly familiar. She frowned, stepping closer. The scent hit her first—a faint, peppery aroma. Her eyes widened. Is this... some kind of wild pepper? She pinched one between her fingers, crushing it slightly. A sharp, spicy scent wafted up. Her heart skipped a beat. "Guys," she whispered dramatically. "I think I found seasoning." Sheila peered over her shoulder. "Oh, cool." "COOL?" Isabella gasped. "DO YOU KNOW WHAT THIS MEANS?" Sheila blinked. "...That your food won’t suck?" "YES!" Isabella grabbed a handful. "This is the greatest discovery since fire." Ophelia tilted her head. "It’s just berries." "It’s flavor." Isabella hugged them to her chest like a lifeline. She scanned the area and—there! Another plant with long, green stalks that looked eerily like... Scallions? Her soul left her body. She practically dove toward it, yanking some from the ground. The strong onion-like scent filled the air. "This is beautiful," she whispered, cradling the herbs like they were her children. Asael narrowed his eyes. "You’re crying." "It’s the onions," she said quickly, wiping her face. Sheila crossed her arms. "You look way too happy over grass." "This ’grass’ just saved my taste buds." Isabella took a deep breath, her soul restored. She had won today. She had fish. She had seasoning. She had hope. For the first time since arriving in this world, she genuinely smiled.