The Post-World

Chapter Eight

When the sun finally set we circled around the fire. Somehow we forgot to gather more than berries for food and we were starting to get tired.

Avon stood up. "I'm going to sleep. I'll get up before sunrise and try to catch us something." Illia took to his side and they climbed into a tree and into a hammock Avon made earlier.

William looked across the fire to Henry who was shaking. "Are you alright Henry?"

Henry stayed quiet and kept staring at the fire.

Avon overheard and yelled down to us. "He probably caught something from the water. I would say he somehow contracted a UTI. Unusual though, just because you don't normally get those from water or nearly this fast."

William moved over by Henry and felt his head. "I think he's getting a fever."

"Sounds like a UTI." Avon yawned and we could hear him and Illia adjusting above us. "We are going to need to find a good water supply soon. If he wants to get better he will need a lot of water."

William looked at Henry and stood up. "Everyone try to rest up. We have a lot to do tomorrow."

With that we all spread out around the fire and slept in sleeping bags. It was really hard to fall asleep but slowly we all began to.

I had only been asleep for a few hours when I heard some movement around the camp. I sat up and saw everyone was still asleep.

The rustling continued and I stood and grabbed my knife.

Slowly I walked out of the clearing and into the denser part of the forest. The closer I got to the noise the slower and less frequent they came. Nearly 20ft away from the camp already, the fire's light was going thin...

Nothing. The rustling had stopped and I looked around and could barely make out the trees. The light from the fire had waned down to nearly nothing when I felt something rush past my leg. I shuffled around and felt a sharp pain in my leg, while the rustling had changed to a squealing and snorting.

"William!" I yelled, hoping they could hear me. Then I was knocked off my feet and I could make out what was attacking me... A large, ferrel, pig. I really should have guessed. Michigan had began to be invaded by them when my dad left. The pig ran onto my chest, suffocating me under its giant weight. I tried to push its massive head away from mine but the weight and the fight the beast put up was slowly wearing me down. Its hind legs were kicking and taring at me. I would have tried to reach for me knife if I had any other choice but to hold the hog away.

"Help!" I screamed in terror. I could hear people rushing towards me but they were struggling in the dark to make their way through the thick fauna. In a panic I dropped the pig and as it fell onto me I grabbed my knife and plunged it into the fat throat. Blood soaked my hands but the pig would not relent.

"Hold still!" I hear from behind me. "Got him!"

The pig finally dropped onto me lifeless, as two arrows stuck out of the sides of its neck. I barely managed to lift it off of me.

Avon ran to me and helped move the hog away. "Are you injured?"

Although I was quite hurt I did not feel like any actual damage befell me. "I'm fine. Just kind of cut up." I lifted myself off the ground and kneeled next to Avon over the pig.

"You're really lucky. Normally they are in groups and there would be no saving you." He removed my knife and handed it to me as the rest of the group finally arrived.

Illia rushed to Avon. "Are you both alright?!" She grabbed hold of Avon's arm and he shrugged her off.

William and another of our camp stepped forward to get a look at the hog.

"That's one huge pig." Said Malcolm, one of our lower ranked scouts.

I ran my hand over the animal. "Nearly killed me..."

"What were you doing, wondering by yourself?" Asked William.

"Leave him alone, William. He probably heard it and investigated. Its hard to believe none of us did. They are really loud and dig up everything." Avon defended and I nodded to him in agreement. Avon grinned and took his arrows out. "Besides, we did need food."  With that he stood and hoisted the animal over his shoulders.

William eyed Avon. "I guess..." He then glared at me. "Never leave the group, alone. Understand?"

I dusted myself off and stretched. "I understand. I didn't expect to get into a fight with a pig, to be fair."

William rolled his eyes and headed towards camp. Avon grinned and chuckled.

"I think he's missing that we have food now. You did fine Lucifer. Don't let him get you down." Avon walked ahead of me back to camp to prepare the pig.