Demons V2

Chapter 43: On His Own

On his own...

What is Karl doing on his own? 😩😈😩🍆🍌👉👌
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Karl POV.
✨5 years ago✨

My eyes fluttered open before widening as I saw the campsite empty. Panic immediately built up inside of me as I pushed myself off of the dirt where I was forced to sleep. Nobody was around, it was almost as if they had disappeared from existence without a trace. As I quickly went from sitting to standing I began looking around the clearing.

“Josh?!” I called out. “Michael?! Dani?!” I began screaming out all of their names into the wilderness, hoping that it was some sort of prank and that they were hiding around the area so that they could scare me. “James?! Mia?! Where are you guys?! Please come out!”

Maybe they were planning on surprising me for my birthday? I thought in my state of panic, since that would be better than the alternative. I forcefully pushed down the piece of knowledge that none of us ever celebrate birthdays just to keep my hope of them being somewhere around alive.

It wasn’t just them that had disappeared though, all of the food and clothes that we had stockpiled up when we had travelled together was gone as well. All that I had was the two jackets (one which I had used as a pillow last night) and the fruit and nut bars that had been buried deep in their pockets.

But there was no sign of anybody. They were completely and utterly gone, having left me behind. My tears began pricking at my eyes. The intense and utterly upsetting feeling of abandonment began welling itself up inside of me once again, making me want to just curl up in a ball and cry, but I couldn't do that.

They couldn’t even leave me the fire that we used to keep ourselves warm in the night in the chilling Winter. A small whimper allowed itself to boil up in my throat as I shakily began walking off, knowing that there was no point staying here.

Ever since the demons had taken over our homes I had been in and out of groups. These groups had formed themselves for protection, kind of a found family thing since most of us had lost our real families. These families would stick together to protect themselves from the demon threat that had taken over the world.

My real biological family had left me. I don’t know if they had died to the onslaught of diseases that had run rampant without vaccines and medicines, or if they were still alive now, five years after we had been separated. I had been the youngest sibling so they decided to leave me.

A lot of other families did that too, leaving behind the young and the old and the sick and the already injured. As much as we all loved one another before this hell all started, they figured that having these individuals tagging along would just result in more deaths than needed. So I (and possibly my sister who was just a year or so older than me) were abandoned.

Often I would run into other groups of survivors, who would usually take enough pity on a teenager on their own to let me stay with them for a few nights. But then after a couple days or weeks of this pity they would realise that I was a liability and leave me. And even though I grew to accept it, it hurt every single time.

Although now I might be nineteen, I still had the mind of a fourteen year old since I never got the chance to learn past it. Most groups of survivors I had come across were over the age of twenty four or twenty five. They’d done most of their learning and didn’t want to wait around for someone who still needed to catch up.

If and when they did have kids, it would be their own children, sons, daughters, nieces, nephews, and young siblings. They didn’t want to waste their time and resources on a kid who wasn’t related to them by blood and wasn’t able to contribute any valuable hunting or navigating skills to the group.

After just circling around the clearing in self-pity for who knows how long I knew that it was about time for me to go. There seemed to be an unspoken agreement among most people that you should constantly be moving so that there was no chance for demons to come looking for you. I wasn’t too sure of the logic behind it but it did seem to work.

For a few days I was walking alone. Slowly rationing my fruit and nut bars since I wasn’t sure how long it would be before I came across another group of people who would be willing to let me stay with them. It felt like a lot longer than days though.

I finally finished all of my food and felt as though I was at the brink of dehydration since the group I had been with had taken all of my water. My body felt weak and dizzy and I wanted to collapse before I heard the sound of what I decided was my saviour. It was the sound of water coming from a river.

A grin grew on my face as I pushed myself forward onto the river bank and collapsed at the water's edge. I desperately lapped at the water like an animal, not caring about how I would look if I was found. After I gulped down the refreshing liquid for a few moments I sat up and began cupping water in my hands to drink.

Since it was Winter my hands and entire body were shaking from the water. When I finally sat back up I began rubbing them in a desperate attempt to warm them. I didn’t notice someone coming up behind me until it was too late. “Get the fuck away from my river,” a voice growled firmly.

In a state of shock I spun around and looked to see a brunette standing there, either my age or only a few years older than me. “What?” I responded, looking over at him confused.
“You heard me. This is my river so back off.” He was glowering down at me and had an accent which I recognised as British.

“I’ll be going in a minute.” I reassured him. “Just let me drink a little first.” He seemed fine with that and relaxed slightly. He had a sharp stick which had been made into a crude pointed spear which he held as he watched me. I went back to drinking, taking more than I probably could stomach, since I didn’t know when I’d next have a chance to stop for a drink.

The brunette looked around for a few moments, his gaze furrowed. “Where is your group?” He asked, clutching his spear closer in preparation to attack just in case there was an ambush.
“I don’t have a group.” I responded. “They ran off while I slept a couple of days ago.”
“Oh.” Was all he said.

“Where is your group?” I responded, peering up at him.
“Don’t have one either.” He replied. “lost my family like eight years ago, never had anyone else around for very long.” I decided not to comment about how the demons only appeared about five years ago.

For a few moments he paused before glancing upwards at the sky. “If you wanted. Since you are alone and it looks as though it is going to rain you could stay with me for the night.”
“Could I?” I asked, grinning internally at his kind offer.
“If yer want.” He nodded.

I stood up and nodded before he had the chance to change his mind. “Thank you.” I said with a smile.
“Are you fine with sharing a bed though?” He asked, and I nodded, the exciting thought of being able to even have a bed meant more than anything.
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1404 words

I saw the basis of the cover for the Split Personality AU that is coming next and it looks absolutely stunning. But you'll have to wait a few months for this book to finish so you can see it.
(Or maybe not months, I could be lying to you again, who knows? 🤷)