Don't Send Help (Darker than Night 2)

Chapter Three - Starving

"So, what about your mother?"  Taylor asked me.  "She confessed to the murder and they executed her on the spot.  A few days later, after I left, they realized it was me.  I've been running ever since."  Taylor nodded and said "I'm sorry."  Not trying to make me feel better was probably the best thing that she could have done.  "Me too." I said. We went to sleep, unsure of what the future held for us, unsure of where we were going. But we slept well, for we both understood suffering, and that presence put us at ease. As we slowly drifted off asleep, I couldn't help but be glad that I had chosen to help this girl.

Taylor woke me up, saying we needed to move. I saw the sun rising above the horizon, which fully illuminated the cave for the first time. Three guns were on the floor, the automatic, the one I found when I killed the zombie, and the one I had given to Taylor. She picked up her's, and I took mine. I noticed towards the edge of the cave was a knife, thinking it might be useful, I picked it up. We then had a brief discussion about where we were headed. "I heard of this place, kind of like a quadrant, but it's a safe place, away from the government. It's called Runswick." Taylor seemed to think it was a good idea to go there. However she mentioned that she was very hungry. With my pistol holstered, and my automatic in hand, I decided we would need to find food. Neither of us had eaten in a few days.

We went out, searching for anything to eat, vegetables, fruits, animals, anything. Unfortunately, the desert doesn't have much food. Quadrant six was a few miles away. but going there would mean my arrest, and most likely execution. Taylor agreed that we would have to find our own, but as we weakened, the chance of finding food seemed to get lower and lower. Suddenly, like a bolt from the blue, A vulture flew overhead. "We need to follow it. Vultures head toward fresh meat!" I said.

We chased the vulture, making sure not to startle it. The vulture landed in some bushes ahead. Taking out my pistol, I fired at the bird. I missed, but as he flew off, I investigated the bush, which contained a black bear that had been shot in the head. "We need to get some of this and get out of here, before whoever shot it comes back." I said. "But, they could be starving too!" Taylor replied. "We need to think about ourselves right now." I said, taking out the knife I had found along the way, and cutting out some meat. "I don't like it either." I said. I only took enough to fill us, leaving meat for whoever had killed it. We moved away, and roasted it over a flame. Eating to our fill, Taylor refused to speak to me, upset with what I had done.

Taylor and I walked, headed towards the promised land, not sure how far it was. I turned toward her, saying: "Would you rather me have let us die?" She sighed, and turned away from me, pretending I wasn't there. We reached the summit of the hill we were walking up, and in the distance, we saw a large combine. "Runswick." I said. Seeing that it was about four miles away, I estimated it would take one more hour to reach it. Suddenly though, I thought that it might not take that long, as I saw a vehicle approaching us.