The Eternal Flame

Chapter 6 - The Chase

I startled myself awake. Oh no, I fell asleep.

I scrambled up, frantically looking around for any unwanted strangers. I relaxed as I realised there was no one around. I walked over to the trench, where Drew was still asleep.

I decided to let him rest a little longer and go find us some breakfast. I grabbed a stick off the floor and drew a message on the ground, Back soon - Lou.

I grabbed my bow and jogged off into the woods. I went in a different direction that took me deeper into the forest.

I hiked through the forest for a while until I found a blackberry bush. My fingers pulled a berry off of the bush and popped it in my mouth. I crunched down on the berry, the sweet, tangy taste filled my mouth.

I picked off a few stalks of berries, careful to not touch the thorns, then tied a piece of rope around them and clipped them onto my belt.

On the way back, I spotted a couple of squirrels. The squirrels were harder to shoot because they moved so fast. I drew the arrow back, focused my aim and... my arrow went straight through its neck. Yes. I shot two more squirrels and decided to head back, Drew might have been getting worried.

I had nearly made it back when I heard footsteps approaching fast. I jumped behind a bush just before they rushed past me. Why were they running? Or who were they running from?

I was just about to get up when a second pair of footsteps approached. They weren't running though, they were just walking, strolling in fact. "Evaaaaan! Baileeeeee!" a sweet girl's voice called out. I recognised that voice, it was that girl, Layla, who was paired with the boy with the square jaw.

"We just wanna play!" she continued. I heard a slow thump following them as they walked. The boy, Harp, was carrying a weapon. It was a long stick with a sharp rock tied around one end. He swung it and thumped it against the ground as he walked. She spun her pocket knife around her fingers.

I held my breath as they walked past the bush, luckily they didn't notice me. Layla continued calling out their names as they strolled off.

I waited a few minutes before Layla's voice had become faint, then cautiously crept the rest of the way back as fast as I could.

I ran over to the trench and jumped down. "Drew? Drew?!" I called out. There was no sign of him. Shit.

I jumped back out, calling out his name. "Drew, where are you?" I cried. He must have been taken. Or killed.

Someone's hands grabbed my shoulders. I spun around and pushed them away. "Hey! It's okay, it's me," Drew held his hands up. I let out a sigh of relief and pulled him into a hug. "Don't scare me like that, Drew," I panted. "I'm sorry," he replied, squeezing me.

I pulled back, "What were you doing?" I asked. "I saw a rabbit and was trying to catch it," he replied. I shook my head.

"Did you catch it?" I smiled. "No," he sighed.

"Just don't go off again without warning me," I said. "I promise," he nodded.

I told him about seeing Harp and Layla going after Evan and Bailee, and how close they were to seeing me.

"I found a blackberry bush," I unclipped the stalks off my belt and handed them to him. "No way," he smiled. He picked off one of the berries and threw it in his mouth.

I ate a stalk of berries and let Drew have the other stalk.

Then, I unscrewed the lid on my water bottle and pulled up my bandage and poured water over the burn. I sucked air through my gritted teeth as the water cooled my skin. It didn't look so angry and irritated anymore, but pussy yellow blisters were forming. I pulled the bandage back on.