Cat and mouse

Chapter 3

I awoke to the sound of a twig snapping. I gripped the piece of glass I had stolen from an old church and looked around. A squirrel blinked up at me, I waved my piece of glass at it and it scurried away, I made a mental note to keep an eye out for the squirrel, I didn't want it to steal my stuff, plus it would make good food, except I couldn't start a fire to cook it and I wasn't desperate enough to eat it raw, not yet anyway.

I shook out my sore limbs and stretched my arms before grabbing my blanket and fastening it around my shoulders in a similar way to a cloak. The sun was just a sliver on the horizon as I set off with my piece of glass and my pouch made of an old dress I'd found that was beyond wearing. I entered the small clearing near my hideout and began picking berries from the array of bushes surrounding me, avoiding the berries that had given me stomach pains and diarrhea when I tried them. With my pouch full I returned to my hideout, when I reached my tree hollow my pouch was only half full and my mouth stained from the berries. I set of with my glass towards the old town, I would start from the edge furthest to my hideout and then make my way back with whatever food or items I could scavenge.

I took a long drink from the well in the centre of the town before filling my water bottle that I had strung around my waist. It was dangerous to come here as this was the only water supply and therefore it often had many dangerous people waiting. I screwed my lid back on and jumped as I heard the safety of a gun removed, I took of at a zigzagging run as bullets ricocheted around me, not daring to turn around and waste precious time that could be used by running for my life. I sprinted into the plaza and took off towards the old church, I heard the shooter call out to his companion before giving chase. I ran into the church and dived under the altar as the two people entered. I cowered under the altar as they slowly crept further and further towards me. I pressed back against the altar hoping that they might give up, the edge of the altar creaked. I froze and looked up at where the altar had moved, I heard the two people start towards me, I pushed at the altar and watched it move away from me. The people were now just mere inches from discovering me, without a second thought I crawled through the small space and fell down a set of old stairs as the altar fell back into place with a bang.