The New World Order

Chapter 3

After two long days of trekking through the wilderness, I made it to my winter home that I called the Valley. It was surrounded by thick trees and mountains with a small brook running through it, perfect for me. I had found it last year and had a relatively easy winter and I had decided to come back to it. I had left food caches around the area and had built some small wooden shelters. It was well protected from the winter storms.

Smiling, I began checking my stash, but to my disappointment most had been raided by the animals who lived here. My feeling of security began to disappear. A couple places had remained largely untouched, but it would not provide me near enough food throughout the coming winter.

I headed toward one of the shelters to bed down for the night. There was nothing I could really do about my situation that night. It took me a while before I fell into a fitful sleep.

I was suddenly woken from my slumber as someone dragged me out of the small shelter by my hair. Screaming, I frantically grabbed the hand as it drug me out, digging my nails deep into the flesh. They let go, grunting, and I spun around into a crouch reaching for the knife on my belt.

A tall man dressed in a combination of animal furs and regular winter clothes stepped forward and said in a deep voice, "Who are you? This is our place, and you should not be here!"

With a growl I replied, "I found this place last winter and was returning to spend this winter."

The group looked at each other while the leader said, "No. This is our home now. I do not want to support another and risk someone in my group suffering. You will leave now."

Seeing no alternative, I nodded my head yes, "Fine, but I want to grab my things first."

He was silent for a moment before giving the go ahead with one single nod of his head. I sheathed my knife as the group gave me room and moved away slightly. Quickly, I packed my meager belongings and the food I had grabbed from one of my caches, hoping they would not see. I had run into groups of people before this, some were polite and others, like this bunch, not so much. Some wanted me to stay, but I wasn't much of a follower and always butted heads with the "leaders". Others wanted nothing to do with me.

As I finished packing, I stood up and walked out of the small shelter. Before I could do anything, I was grabbed from behind and quickly subdued. The head guy grabbed my pack and dumped the contents on the ground. Taking a knee to go through the pile he said, "We will take what we need as payment for your trespass."

"You can't do that! That's mine!" I said as I was roughly searched. They took my knife, compass, and canteen off of me.

"You should have thought of that girl, before you came here!"

When he was finished, I was let go and roughly pushed towards the small pile that was mine and was allowed to pack it up. I was left with my bedroll, picture of me and my mom, a map, candy bar, two pieces of jerky, and my winter clothes.

Trying not to cry with frustration, I stood as three fell in to step next to me, escorting me from the Valley. "There is plenty of room here to share," I said as I passed the leader. Before I knew what happened I was on the ground, my head ringing. Blood trickled out of my nose as I shook my head. He had hit me.

"Get up and get out. Don't come back. If you do, you lose your life."

I stood and headed the way I had come, out of the Valley, my escort following close behind.