Burning Daylight

Chapter Eight

The light from outside burns through my eyelids, ruining the blissful illusion of a safe environment. Stirring me abruptly from the safety of my own dreams, I open my eyes cautiously, revealing the spot that once had Luke beside me is completely empty, leaving no traces behind that he was once there before.

He didn't abandon me didn't he?

My heart sinks, not only at the thought of him leaving me all alone, but the thought that my mind instantly jumped to that conclusion after everything we've been through. Times have certainly changed, that's for sure.

The sunlight gleams off of the snow leaving a beautiful shimmer across the parts that haven't been stepped in yet, the bare tree branches have ice glazed over them, sparkling amazingly whenever the light touches them.

Where's Luke...?

Instantly, I shoot upwards. Sitting up straight and peering over the edge of the medium sized hole, Luke's orange sweater is noticeable right away through the mass of white as he walks towards the burrow with something swinging by his side.

It looks like an animal, but I can't be too sure.

Confused, I strain my eyes a little against the heat emitting from the sun, it looks to be an animal, I think a rabbit; oh boy.

Memories from the first rabbit come swirling into my mind, the scent that it emitted when Carlos cut that thing open, that disgusting smell really did a number on me.

He silently trudges through the powdery snow, carrying a white and brown rabbit by his side, not noticing that I'm awake at all.

Eventually, he gazes up, hesitating on my eyes and smiling faintly to himself, as he quickens his pace towards where I am.

My heart thuds lightly, it's been awhile since I've felt genuinely calm about right now, not to mention how much he means to me.

And then it happened.

It snuck up on him, like a silent breeze in the dead of the night, two men grab him and force him to the ground without any words being shared amongst them. Dropping the rabbit to the snow, his eyes pierce into mine with fear; fear for my safety. Quietly I slink back down in the hole in case I'm found, it's what he would have wanted anyways.

"Where the fuck is she?" That same voice, the one that gave the order to kill Kenny and Carlos bellows greatly through the dense forest covered in snow. The sound of silence lingers between them, Luke not wanting to say a thing.

Shit shit shit shit.... Do I go out and reveal myself? Or risk Luke being shot too...

The anxiety is unreal; my heart stops instantly realizing that this could be Luke's final moments.

"Tell Avery I said rot inHell-" The crack of the back of a gun echoes off of his face throughout the forest. Instantly shutting him up as he doubles over in pain, clenching his face in the progress.

"Why don't you, you cocky son of a bi-"

"That's enough, he's my brother. He is my blood, and my problem." A female voice, roughly ranging from an age that's only a little bit older than I am is heard, followed by the sound of her footsteps crunching in the snow as she approaches her two men and Luke who's still on the ground.

My eyes widen a little, taking just a quick peek over the edge and witnessing him on the ground with blood dripping down his face, and Avery crouching beside him with a smug grin. His eyes catch a hold of mine whereas the other two talk very low about what to do next, his eyes say it all.

"She's around here; you were headed in that direction; weren't you?" She sneers, lifting her head in my direction and slowly heading towards me while the two men stand over Luke in case he attempts to try anything.