The ground is freezing and I feel as if I'm laying down on crumbled pieces of paper. Immediately, a shiver runs across my spine and throughout my now limp body. A foreign material holds my hands behind my back and my eyes are blinded by some sort of cloth.
Where the hell am I?
Crickets are singing loudly and leaves rustle against each other as a gust of wind blows by. I can hear the faint, but familiar sound of water flowing.
Suddenly, the leaves around me begin to crunch under some sort of weight. Step-by-step it moves to the left around me in a circular motion.
It might be a bear or elk; no it can't be, the footsteps are far too light and fast.
I flip my body around so that I am no longer facing the dry and frigid ground, and instead facing the sky. My hands are shaking violently, and I feel a numbness in my fingers. My wrists are bound tightly behind my back by some kind of chain. I slowly help myself up, and a sharp and commanding voice ahead of me shudders the forest "Stop Moving!"
I pause in a half-standing stance and bring my hands up to my eyes and remove the piece of cloth. At first, the moonlight is the only thing I can see but over time my eyes grow accustom to the darkness.
I've been standing here for about 5 minutes, not moving at all. As I slowly breath in and out, I can see the cool air exit my dry mouth. The unique smell is far too familiar; we are still in the Catskills. The only problem is that I have no idea who we is. Once my eyes get used to the darkness, I peered around the forest, but the man was nowhere in my sight.
Suddenly, a hand from behind me reached over my mouth and asks "Who are you?" I don't let out a sound and the man seems to be growing restless. He drags me towards a tree by my shoulder, as I struggle to come free of his grasp.
But I can't. His grip is as tight as the metal that bounds my hands behind my back. At that moment I realize there's nothing I can do.
He tosses me against the tree with ease and my back cracks unnaturally against the wood. I let out a soft whimper as I slide down the tree bark and onto the cold dirt. "Who are you?" the man repeats, even louder and far more menacing this time. His voice echoes throughout the quiet forest. I stay silent once more and the man tightly clenches his hands.
It's him, the man we saved, trying to kill me. He's wearing the same bloody shirt and threads from his ripped jeans are illuminated by the moonlight.
He slowly approaches me and lifts me up by the shoulders. "If you won't talk, then-" he starts as I focus my eyes on his stomach. I then turn gaze to the blade that lies within his pocket. "Let go of me and I'll tell you," I command with a firm tone. His dark eyes widen and he looks reluctant, but he finally gives in.
He's dumber then he looks. If there's one thing I learned from grandpa, it's that intelligence always prevails over raw strength.
As soon as the man lets go of my shoulders, I quickly jab my left hand into his stomach, where I previously placed the stitches.
The impact sends a jolt of pain throughout my knuckles, and they begin to throb. But the man is now doubled over on the ground moaning.
A slight grin spreads across my face as I remember dad taught me. I take a step towards him and can see him whimpering while clutching his stomach. I pull the dagger out of his pocket and examine it once more. The letters are still engraved on the butt. "Who are you L.W?" I ask. He lifts his head and stares at me with a confused face. His bright blue eyes open wide and his lower lip begins to quiver. He opens his mouth and softly speaks, "I don't know."
YOU ARE READING
A World Reborn
Science Fiction(Rank #149 in Sci-Fi) In the year 2041, the first bombs were dropped. Countless nations engaged in total warfare and the end result was the destruction of everyday life. Riots and looting became common as people began to loose trust in one another...
