Searching for Paradise

Chapter Nine

Collin's POV

Sweat dripped down into my eyes making them sting. The top of my head was drenched, and now I was working through my shirt. I wiped my brow and stared ahead at Reeves back. I felt the usual twist of anger I get when I looked at him. A darkness swept through me. "Go away." I mumbled to myself shaking my head.

"Im still here." 

The voice rang through my head calmly. "Well you dont need to be." I thought to myself.

"Yes I do. Without me, your nothing, a waste. A fragment of existence in the world.

"I am not!" I shouted, all of them turning to look at me. "Sorry. Just.. Thinking out loud." I said. They turned back.

"Your nothing to her. You think your important to her?"

"I know I am." I thought keeping my eyes forward, right on Gabriella. "Youll see."

Gabriellas POV

I sighed with relief as the sun disappeared behind the mountain. "Hope you brought a warm sweater." Cade said pulling a large flannel jacket from his pack. "Why?" I asked but didnt need to. I felt the instant drop in temperature. I started shivering and let my hair loose from the bun. I pulled on my sweatshirt, bundling it close to me, as the air cooled even more. "Well stop and build a fire soon. I just want to cover more ground before it gets really cold." Cade said. "Its already pretty cold." I said glancing back at Reeve. He had pulled on a black coat and had his hands stuffed into the pockets. I looked Collins way. He had put on his jacket, but the cold didnt seem to bother him that much. I cringed as a gust of wind kicked up, chilling me down to the bone. "Alright, we can stop." Cade said dropping his pack. "How are we supposed to start a fire? We dont have any sticks to rub." I asked and Cade and Reeve snickered. "Oh grow up." I laughed. "We dont need sticks." Cade said. He reached into his pack and pulled out a small box along. "Find any dead plant you can. Not green ones." He said and we all got to work. I wandered off on my own finding small amounts of dead plants. I reached down to pull up one, when the hairs on the back of my neck stood. I lifted my eyes to see a very large creature.. Or something. It had a large amount of black fur. It had the head of a dog but larger, and eyes that shined a vibrant yellow. A large gash bled on its side, like it had just been in a fight, making its fur shine. I slowly started backing away, and it snarled loudly. I stopped, afraid to move. As soon as I stopped the growling did as well. I stared at the creature, feeling a twinge of pity. Then it charged. It took off in a sprint at me. I screamed as I tried to move, tripping and landing on my back. "This is it." I thought. "This is the end." I covered my eyes and waited. When nothing happened, I opened my eyes. The creature, sitting a few feet, was whimpering as if in pain, and his eyes were no longer on me. I glanced back seeing Collin behind me, his eyes watching the creature intensley. The whimpering and whining got louder and I watched as the creature slowly turned and ran in the opposite direction. 

"How did you do that?" I asked as we walked back towards the small glow of a fire that I assumed Cade had started. "I just told it to go away." Collin said staring straight ahead. "It was more than that." I persisted. "It was like.." I stopped walking. "Like you were hurting it." I said watching as Collin stopped, his shoulders tensed. "Drop it." He said glancing at me. "Were you?" I asked still not moving. "It was either that or let it rip you to pieces." Collin said darkley glaring at me. "Which I didnt think you wanted, but why not go back out there. Im sure it can find you again." He said angrily and started walking. I glanced behind me and shuddered. 

"What was it?" I asked after explaining the creature to Cade. "Probably a wolf." He said taking a small sip from the water. "They're alot bigger than dogs and alot more violent." He handed the jug to me. I took small sips like he did then passed the jug on. "How did you scare it off." Cade asked glancing at Reeve. His face had the color back in it, but the cut still hadnt healed. I looked at Collin. "He fought it back.." I said as Collins eyes turned to me. I averted my own. "With a stick." I lied glad nobody could see my face in the dark. "Brave man." Cade said. "Cheers!" He said pulling a couple cans from his pack. "Who wants chicken soup." He asked examining the can. My mouth instantly started watering. He popped the lid with his knife and passed me a can. I tilted the can, the chicken broth immediatley filling my mouth. I moaned with satisfaction as I chewed pieces of chicken and noodle. Cade smiled popping another can open and handing it to Reeve. He reached in his hand coming back up with a finger full of noodles. He quickly shoved it in his mouth and closed his eyes. I finished my can and let out a small belch. "Excuse me." I said covering my mouth. "I think were past all the civility." Cade laughed letting out one as well. "Ew." I giggled. I propped up my pack next to the fire and lay down. "Wow." I said losing my breath. The sky was bathed in stars, and they twinkled ever so slightly. I sighed. "This is beautiful." I smiled. I closed my eyes and slowly drifted to sleep.

I woke with my hair sticking to my face and the sun in the sky. I sat up, grimacing as I unstuck my hair, damp with sweat, and tied it back. I glanced around seeing Cade still sleeping, along with Reeve, but I didnt see Collin. "Wierd." I said standing up and stretching. "Wake up." I yelled giving them each a small kick. "Collins gone." I said as they both sat up. "What time is it?" Cade said, standing and rubbing his eyes. "How should I know?" I said glancing around for Collin. Cade glanced down. "Oh no." He said crouching down. "Whats wrong?" I asked turning my gaze back to him. "Our waters gone, along with half of our food." Cade said hitting the ground angrily "What?!" Reeve and I both yelled in unison. "That bastard." Reeve cursed clenching his fist. "He left us here?" I said not quite believing it. "Ill kill him." Reeve said pacing. "He really left us here?" I said still not understanding. "Yes. Gabriella, he left us here. He left us no water, barely any food, and I pretty sure that asshole stole my knife." Cade said and started digging through his pack. "What do we do?" I asked. "Only thing we can do." Cade said pulling on his pack. "We move and hope we catch up to him." He turned and stomped in the direction of the mountains. I grabbed mine and followed, Reeve in tow. "What happens if we catch up to him." I asked not really wanting an answer. Cade glanced back at me. "Lets hope for his sake, we dont." He threatened, spitting on the ground. I looked at the mountains as they neared, looming over us.

"There." Cade said stopping. He crouched down. "He came this way." He said standing up. I looked down. On the soft part of the dirt, there was a shoeprint. "How do you know its his." I asked. "Nobody else comes this way." Cade said glancing around warily. "Why?" I asked. Then the ground started shaking. "Thats why." Cade shouted over the loud rumbling. I glanced behind me seeing a large cloud of dust moving toward us. Fast. "Quick," Cade said taking off in a run. Me and Reeve sprinted after him, the large cloud getting closer and thicker. "What is this!" I screamed at Cade my lungs on fire. "Move!" He said sharply. My heart pounded in my ears. I started catching up to Cade and Reeve who were ahead of me, but I made the mistake of glancing behind me. I quickly lost my footing and tumbled to the ground in a heap. I smacked my head hard against the ground, everything was spinning. I quickly tried to stand when someone grabbed my arm, hoisted me to my feet and started pulling me forward. "Come on!" Cades voice shouted. I looked up to see Reeve, my arm slung around his shoulder, his arm around me helping me stand. I blinked getting my bearings back and tried to run. A sharp pain in my leg made me gasp, tears flooded my vision. "Whats wrong." Reeve huffed still pulling me forward. "No time for this." Reeve said and before I could protest he picked me up and threw me over his shoulder fireman style and started running. I yelled as the cloud seemed to get even bigger, like a giant hand coming to pull us under. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Cade motioning Reeve to the side. Reeve made a sharp turn towards Cade. We reached Cade at the last second and we both went tumbling to the ground as the cloud passed. I watched, amazed as large gray skinned animals moved forward in a large herd. It had a large horn on the tip of its nose, and a smaller one behind it.

"What are they?" I asked as the herd moved. "They're called Rhino's. Not much of them left." Cade said sadly. "Why?" I asked glancing at Cade. "See those horns?" He asked pointing to the rhino. I nodded. "People would hunt them and cut out their horns." He said his eyes glazing with sadness. I was horrified! "Why?" I said turning back to look at them. "The horns are made of Keratin." He said. "Medicine." I said clicking it together. "Wait." I said horror filling my face. "Is this how.." I couldnt finish. "Is this how the Union became so medically advanced. Yes. They hunted the species to near extinction." He said. I watched in silence as one of them, much smaller then the rest, stopped and turned to look at me. It took a step towards me and I froze. I felt something being pressed into my hand. "An apple?" I whispered. Cade gestured towards the smaller rhino. I crouched down and held out the apple. It seemed to contemplate for a second before taking another small step. The other rhino's had stopped and were watching intensley. The small one took another step, now in reach of the apple. It stared at me with big brown eyes, then took the apple slowly and scurried back to the herd. "Ok, that was kind of amazing." I said smiling. We watched the rhino eat the apple, sharing it with one of the others. 

"We need to stop them. No matter what." I said angrily thinking of these poor innocent animals.