Run

Chapter 3

I wake up to see the bright hot sun shining in my face. I quickly check that I have everything, that nothings been stolen. That's something I'm always afraid will happen. I once had a hair brush, it seems like a luxury now but it was stolen, now I tie my hair up in a braid and only take it out about once a month to 'brush it' with my fingers.

 I look around, because I ran so much yesterday I can barely see the void. I check to see if there are any people close by. There aren't any within 200 meters but in the distance I do see a very big group. Very big maybe the biggest I've ever seen. I squint to see closer my eyes have now adjusted to the bright light. When I look closer I can't believe what I think I'm seeing. One big group, about 25-30 people and there're all teenagers. It shocks me, sometimes I see teenagers in a big group but never as many as this and almost always with an adult if it's a big group. I don't know why we just don't trust each other. I guess it's because well adults had been living normal lives so long that when the change came it shocked them more. And little kids, well? There're little, so can't do much. But teenagers caused a lot of problems in the large land times I remember telling my dad I would never do bad stuff like that, well guess I didn't keep that promise, but now that it's fine to kill people I try to avoid anyone my own age especially guys, because as much as I hate to admit it if two girls came up to me, even with weapons, I could probably take them, but two guys with weapons and I'm screwed. I get up and start running, from what I can tell none of them are awake yet so I hope I can get ahead of them and maybe run farther enough get them out of my sight.

I get up. I put my knife in my bag, take off my jumper and tie it around my waist and put my backpack on my back and start running. I hope I find a water+ hole today or I'm going to get in a bit of trouble. I look back across my shoulder the group that I saw is slowly fading into the distance. Good. The last thing I need is for the little supplies I have, to be stolen. But as I keep looking I see them starting to get up. I stop looking and start running a bit faster now I really don't want to meet them face to face, I'm alone and even though I'm 18 I look younger than I am, I used to like that but out here it's just another sign of weakness.

I've been running for about an hour now and I'm very thirsty. But I'm definitely not drinking my water+ yet. I squint to see if I can see any water+ holes. There, in the distance I can see it. I run for a while and I finally get to it. It's quite small only about as wide a dining table and about 2 meters in depth. In kneel down, I'm of course tired from running I always am. I drink as much as I possibly can then fill up my drink bottle. I'm so glad I have this drink bottle I'd definitely have been dead by now without it. I then wash my face and hands in the water. I leave the water+ whole certainly feeling fresher, but as I look around the panic sets in. I've wasted too much time here the big group is within about 100 meters of me. I can tell by looking at them that there're faster than me. I'm in shock and just stare for a while too scared to move even though I know I should run. What I think is a girl points to me. For a second I think maybe she's just pointing at the water+ hole, but no she is definitely pointing at me. I am absolutely stressing and frozen at this point. Then the group starts walking towards me I start walking backwards, this is when they start running for me  at full speed and I break out of shock and start running full speed in the opposite direction. There're definitely chasing me, but why? I've gotten a closer look and they have a lot of supplies, what could they think I have in one backpack? But then I realize maybe that's how they got all those supplies by killing people and taking theirs. There're catching up now. There're running along the side of me, why? Then I realize there're surrounding me. I keep running even though I know there is no hope now. I am going to die I think. This is how I die, chased down by a massive group of teenagers. I'm running and I trip on something I'm falling and I bang my head on a rock and I'm out cold.