In the Valley
The birds warbled gently around him as he lay face down on the forested hillside, concealed amongst the foliage. The sky was overcast and dark save for the occasional pillar of sunlight breaking through the clouds, rain pattered softly on the leaf litter about him and far off to the east he could hear the distant rumbling of thunder. On his left he could hear the slow and steady trickle of a nearby brook. He had been perched on this damp hillside lying motionless for sometime; save for occasionally raising his head to observe his immediate surroundings. He was starting to feel weary and uncomfortable. He stretched his back, rolled his shoulders and took in a deep breath of the crisp country air, before once again raising his rifle and peering down the scope.
To the north, down below him out across a field and along a stretch of road, perhaps a kilometre away, he could see the shapes of buildings in the fog; the town he had been searching for supplies in the night before. He hadn't had much luck but now he lay in wait, hoping someone with something of value might pass through. His clothing was old and tattered, he hadn't eaten in close to a week, his water bottle was nearly empty and he only had three rounds left for his rifle. He could feel a sense of desperation starting to grow deep within himself, but he would not lose his composure, he would stay calm and collected and maintain a rational mind, or he would die here on this hillside.
He carefully scanned the horizon, moving his rifle from left to right in a steady attentive motion. Earlier he had examined the surrounding ridges and gullies, taking note of any place someone might hide, most of the slopes were sparsely covered but far off on the other side of the town, one or two of them were laden with brush and rocky outcrops, this made him feel uneasy and with every sweep of his surroundings he paid close attention to these hills.
Presently he shifted his cross-hairs over the run-down buildings of the town. He saw the barred up supermarket which he had searched only hours ago; he found nothing useful, the place had been stripped bare. Further down the main street a derelict church stood as a lonely monolith, it's immense doors wedged open and it's interior ransacked. The western edge of the town was dotted with large sheds and other industrial buildings, further afield of these was a great breadth of abandoned fields and an old windmill that was starting to rot away.
As he concluded his sweep, bringing his sights back towards the road and the town before him, a large silhouette stepped abruptly from the mist. A wash of adrenaline rushed over him, he blinked hard, took a few short breaths and steadied himself, once more landing his sights on the shape.
He saw a lone figure gradually ambling along the roadside, pushing a shopping trolley. The figure wore a thick winter coat, and carried a large military style backpack, it appeared to be a woman but it was hard to tell at this distance. He couldn't see the contents of the trolley but guessed that it must be filled with supplies as the woman pushed it slowly and with the utmost care.
He looked away for a moment and became lost in thought. Should he approach her? Should he rob her and let her be on her way? Or should he shoot her now at this safe, impersonal distance and retrieve her belongings later? He had already run through scenarios like this in his head, and had made up his mind long before he had even spotted the woman, but that did not stop him going over it again and again. He finally made his choice; it was not an easy choice to make but he was desperate. He loaded a round into the chamber, raised his rifle to his shoulder once more, placed the woman in his sights, breathed in softly, lead the target slightly; and exhaled slowly as he squeezed the trigger.
The shot rang out across the valley, the birds around him cried out and took to the sky. He saw the bullet hit it's mark; a rush of red mist burst from the woman's chest, she lurched forwards onto the trolley and then crumpled backwards, her body striking the roadside with some force.
