Echos in the Dark

Chapter 16

"You're splitting us up. You sure?" I nodded.

"Yeah, we'll catch up to you." Shane said. I stood next to Rick with Ace holding to my shirt.

"I want to stay too." Carl spoke up. I raised a brow and looked down to Ace.

"Did you tell him?" He shook his head.

"I'm her friend too." Carl said. Kid makes a good point. And if Sophia is hiding, Carol won't be around so the kids can call her out. Rick walked towards his family, I looked away and started to the sky.

Please be safe you idjits...I look back to see the group walking back to the the highway. I walked to the guys and Rick said he was going to take a minute. I saw him walk back to the church. Guess he's going to pray too. We stood outside the church and waited for him. I took out another knife from my bag and handed it to Carl. He looked at it surprised and in awe.

"Listen kid, you gotta defend yourself, you and Ace are practically backups. Okay?" I winked at the two boys. They smiled and giggled. I saw Rick come out the church.

"Get what you needed?" Shane asked.

"Guess I'll find out." We followed behind him into the woods. I took out my gun and took out the magazine to check the bullets. 8 left. Good enough for me. I placed it back in side the gun and put it in my hostler. I went in front of them to see if I can spot any footprints. Suddenly I saw some prints, it looked like hooves-

Snap!

My head snapped at the direction of the sound of a branch snapping. I looked at the guys and then back at the direction before motioning them to follow me. We quietly made our way to the source of the sound. We looked to see a dark figure behind the bushes moving. I squinted my eyes and when I knew what had made the sound, I wanted to gasp. Right in front of us, was a live and beautiful deer.

I smiled in awe. It's been years since I've seen one. But, who knew that it would feel so magical? I quietly turned to the boys and held a finger to my mouth to keep quiet. I noticed Shane aiming his gun so I quickly pushed it down and shook my head before looking at the children.

They don't need to see that, let them see this. I removed my hands from his gun and pulled the boys slowly towards the deer. It hadn't noticed us yet.

"Keep going slowly." I whispered to them as I searched through my bag and found cookies. I took out three and handed one to them and kept one for myself. As we inched closer and closer Carl stepped on a twig and caused the deer to snap its head towards us. I slowly held out my hand out to it with the cookie showing. I motioned for the boys to do the same and they did.

I saw the smile on Ace's face and it made me happy. "Now go extra slow." I whispered to them as I scooted towards the deer. The deer kept staring at us but it looks like it sniffed out the cookies since it leaned its head a little towards us. We were so close when I suddenly felt the need to push the boys. So I did.

I pushed the boys to the ground and now I was starting at the sky and my side was in pain.

"AH!" I yelled.

"Mom!" I saw Ace shrieked, getting up from the floor and towards me.

"Daphne!" I felt panic rise in me as the pain became more and more painful. I held on to my side as I felt warm sticky liquid on my hands and drip down my side. I suddenly felt dizzy and started seeing black spots before I saw darkness.

-/-

As a gunshot rang through the quiet woods, Rick and Shanes's smile fell as they suddenly see Daphne on the ground yelling in pain.

"Mom!" Her son cried out to her as she covered her wound. The two men ran towards her and before they reached her her body became limp.

"Mom!" The little boy tried to shake his mother awake but no avail. Rick placed his fingers on her neck and he felt a small pulse.

"She's alive!" He yelled.

"What- Oh god! I'm so sorry!" A man came out the bush with a hunting rifle. Shane aimed his gun at the chubby man.

"Whoa hey! Look I'm sorry! I didn't see her!"