Surviving the Apocalypse

0. 1

I race through the rainforest, racing towards my makeshift home. Bullets and arrows whiz past my ear, scraping the sensitive skin. I wince, and see the opening, where I jump into the hole. I land on a soft patch of dirt, hitting ground. I hear the Uniters yelling, trying to find out where I went. They think I died. I didn't. My makeshift home is at the bottom of a deep hole, and has a tunnel leading up back into the woods if I have to leave. No one has dared to come down. Arrows, spears, bullets, daggers, and knives come throwing down, making sure I'm dead. But I'm long out of the space where I fell. Instead, the Uniters just gave me a new supply of weapons. Snickering, I grab the weapons and go into my room, where I put them onto a tray on the table where all my weapons are. I take out another knife, and began to sharpen the knives and arrows. I can use these for hunting.

When I finish, I grab a bow and a quiver of arrows and head on back out through the slim tunnel in which one would barely see. The tunnel is a steep one; I have to basically climb back up the hole I fell down through. The only difference between my entrance and my exit is that the exit is like a track, and the entrance is like jumping into chaos. As I'm reaching the top, I can't help but feel like someone is there, someone is watching me. I draw an arrow, notch it, just in case. When I get to the top, I'm panting. As if it never happened, a piece of cloth with a strong odor is put around my mouth. Though I'm trying to fight the drug, I soon inhale it. And I collapse.

***
"Is she awake, Sierra?" A boy asks.

"No, quiet Alden, let the girl rest." Sierra says.

My eyes flutter open, and I look around. My arms are cuffed to the ground, as well as my legs, and I'm evidently restrained. My bow is lying a few inches away, and I could grab it if I can get my hands out of these cuffs.

"Who are you?" I snarl, hostile.

The boy, Alden, takes a step back. He looks like my little brother, and seems to be around the same age. Sierra, though, gives a small smile. "I'm Sierra, and here's my little brother, Alden," she introduces.

"Great. Now, explain to me, why am I in cuffs?" I growl, not willing to show any hospitality to these people. I look at my right hand, and smile internally. I only have an inch more to move and then my hand is out of the cuff. I just need to distract them.

Now Sierra takes a step back. "I'm sorry about that, it's just Dad can be a little rough with people he wants."

"Why does your father want someone like me?" I snap, trying not to be intrigued.

Sierra quickly replies, "You are one of the people we have been watching, and you have defended yourself really well. Dad wants you to teach Alden and I your moves so we can defend ourselves. He wants you to take up his role of leading the survivors."

Both hands are out. I lung forward, and grab my bow, and notch an arrow at Sierra. "And, please, tell me. Why would I want to help people who cuffed me in chains to the ground?"

Sierra grabs Alden and hides him behind her back, the little boy quivering. I don't really want to kill them, I just need to etch information out of them. But before they say anything, a gun is put to my temple. "Now, I don't want to kill the person I want to help and want her to help me, but if you fire that arrow, this bullet is going to go where you don't want it to."

I tense up. But that's only for show. This man is clearly unskilled, or else he should have known to at least click the gun. I whip around, while the man fumbles for the trigger, and strike him the stomach with my bow. He stumbles backwards, and I re-notch my arrow, now pointed at him. "Why do you want to help me?"

He shakes his head. "You could be a great asset to the survivors. The survivors are losing hope. We need someone like you."

As he is talking, I sense a knife coming in towards my direction. I turn around, catch the knife, and find that Sierra is running towards me, sword in hand, looking ready to take me down. Meanwhile, the man struggles to get back up, and lungs towards me as well. As Sierra comes, I swing my leg out, tripping her, while turning around and knocking out the man's weapon out of his hand with my notched arrow. I hold the knife at the man, when I hear a fearful voice cry out, "Please don't kill him. He's my father."

I spin around, finding Alden crying quietly in the corner, wiping away his tears. "Fine. But you are answering all my questions. " I finally say.

***
"What makes me so special?" I demand, refusing to drink the offered water. We are now seated at a slim wooden table, two on each side.

The father chuckles. "I think you should tell us your name first."

I grumble. "I'm Malia Kai Reed."

"Malia. Malia Kai. Malia Kai Reed." Alden says my name very slowly, enunciating every syllable. I nod.

"Nice to meet you, Malia." Sierra says, pleased.

Malia. I haven't heard that name for a long time. "Call me Kai. I prefer Kai instead."

"Alright, Kai. Now where are my manners? I'm Isaac. Isaac Merlyn. And you already know Sierra and Alden."

Isaac Merlyn. Somehow that sounds strangely familiar. I brush away any emotional thoughts, and build back up my walls. "Why do you want me for your little idiotic surviving crusade?"

Isaac chuckles. "Like I said, you could be a great asset to our team, and we can help you."

"And this would be the point of the day where I flat out say no to you." I snap.

It takes exactly thirteen seconds for them to register what I had said. "Y-you mean you don't want to help the rest of the survivors?" Sierra asks.

"Nope." I reply, popping the p.

"Either way, whether you want to or not, you are going to have to come back with us because the Uniters have created a blockade around this area. You won't get out without getting shot with a bullet or arrow." Isaac says smugly.

Darn it. They have really captured me.

"So, how would you get out?" I ask, trying to formulate a plan.

"And that, Malia, sorry Kai, is why we are going to give you a blindfold on you. Our crusade cave is a secret place, and I can't reveal that exact place until you accept your position." Sierra says.

I wish I never left my place.