Look for the Light (Joel Miller fanfic)

David's Territory

You kept your eyes on Joel's still body as you rode off through the forest, going north of here. The man that had you strapped around his shoulder was currently holding you down on a black stallion. Your hands were still bound as strong arms held you down, no room to move. You just focused your eyes on the horizon as Joel disappeared from view.

All hope vanished as soon as you couldn't see him anymore. A stray tear ran down your face at the thought of what could have been. You could've still been inside that cabin with Joel, but instead you just had to run off. Thinking it wouldn't be dangerous. Boy, were you so wrong. Joel would've said "I told you so" in that southern accent of his. You wanted to hear those words right now. You'd take him saying that all day long over whatever mess you were in now.

You looked around at the other riders. None of them looked even remotely friendly. They looked exactly like all the average bad guys in old western shows you'd see play on tv. The damsel in distress and the feral kidnappers. All you were missing was the knight in shining armor. That was supposed to be Joel. He should be the one coming to your rescue. He wasn't coming though. You closed your eyes and focused on deep breaths. Breathing in through your nose and out through your mouth. All you could think about was Joel lying motionless in the thick snow. You choked as a cry got stuck in your throat.

"What are doing back there crying for? Now shut the hell up or I'll really give you something to cry about," the tall, muscular man said with a deep laugh in his throat. It made you cringe, and you tried your best to keep quiet. You didn't know what kind of hell you were about to experience, but you already knew it was going to be bad.

The horses continued galloping for miles. The forest turned into hills as you got closer to the mountain range. Towering, snowy mountains covered each side of the landscape. A shining, clear lake stood in the distance. Its greatness expanding for miles. If you were here on other circumstances, you'd say it was beautiful. You were too anxious, too scared to notice all the beauty though. All you could think about was the things these men were going to try to do to you. You cringed and your body tensed up. Anxiety flowing through you at full force.

Minutes later the horses stopped. You looked in front of you and there stood a large lodge. It was two stories tall, over 3,000 sq ft. An American flag stood in front of the building and waved gently in the breeze. The outside was brown and made of strong wood with large windows that reached the entire length of the building. This was more than likely a vacation lodge before the outbreak. You weren't sure what area of Colorado this was, but you'd figure it out.

"Alright, take her inside to the main room. I'm gonna go find him," a short, lanky man said to the rough man that held you in place. You didn't know who him was, but you figured it was the leader of whatever deranged pack this was.

The man hopped off the horse, and you squirmed the best you could to get away from him. You tried to leap off the opposite side of the brilliant horse, but he caught you before you could try. "Don't even think about it," he breathed in your face and yanked you off the horse, tossing you over his shoulder again. You tried with all your might to break loose of him, but he was too strong. It was no use. You stopped fighting his grip. You weren't going anywhere.

He followed the rest of the men into the front doors of the lodge. You gasped when you saw how big and grand it was inside. High ceilings sat feet above you, and a split marble staircase laid in the middle of the room leading up to the second floor. The entryway had an old grand piano and a small check-in desk that sat in the corner.

He continued walking towards the next room. You passed a kitchen area but didn't get the chance to look inside. After what seemed like minutes, you finally ended up in the main room that they were talking about. Large windows sat to the right of your view. Two lofty, heavy wooden doors sat in between the windows. There was a large man that stood in front of them, guarding the doors. He had a black suit on and held a shotgun in his hand. He looked forward and had the most intimidating look on his face. You gulped and looked away.