Alone

Maybe not.

I finally have found my way home. The people that were out to kill me, are all dead now. Well, except for Ezrie. Only, I'm not sure if she wants to kill me or not. I did kill her boyfriend. I shrug it off and start to wander. I bring my bow with me just in case.

The sun is straight above me throwing shadows from the trees across the path. I look up and examine the trees. I never have really noticed how, beautiful, this really is. I guess it is hard to notice when you are always being hunted down and trying to be killed. I laugh at the thought. In fact, I don't even remember a time I wasn't busy running, hiding, hunting, or doing something that didn't allow me to take in the world around me.

Suddenly, there is loud snap. It jolts me from my trance and I look around. I slip my knife out of its holster and prepare myself to throw it. Suddenly, I am tackled to the ground.

The person pins the hand with the knife in it to the ground. I kick them in the side and the grunt with pain, and falls over. I see a streak of their blonde hair as she falls and I kneel over her. She struggles, but I'm stronger than her. I finally pin her to the ground so she is still. "Ezrie?" I gasp out of breath from the adrenaline rush. "Let me go!" She demands. "What are you doing here?" I ask, ignoring her command. "I said, let me go!" She yells through gritted teeth, still struggling to free herself from my grasp.

"Not until you tell me what you are doing here!" I yell back. "I won't speak until you let me go!" She shouts. I frown. This is going nowhere. I sigh and slowly stand up; allowing her to stand up too. She stares at me with anger for a moment, then starts to dart away. "Get back here, and tell me what you want!!" I demand. "No!" She yells over her shoulder. I shout in frustration. When she reaches the line between the woods, and the dirt, she turns around. "Don't think you are safe, I will be back, and I will keep coming back, until you are dead!" She yells, emphasizing the word dead. She can't kill me? Not when I'm awake. So, I will just have to stay awake. Eventually, she will get tired, and give up. Right?

••••

Sparks fly up as the flames rise on the fire. It is dark out, and there is still no sign of Ezrie. I bet she is near, watching me. Waiting for me to sleep, so she can attack. I shudder at the thought of someone always watching me. I hear crackling, but I don't know if it's the fire, or something else. Like Ezrie. Why am I so paranoid about Ezrie!?! She is so small, and weak, she could barely harm a fly.

I hear a crackling noise again, but this time, it's louder. I don't think it was the fire. My breaths quicken when I think about me possibly dying tonight. I don't want to die. So, I will have to fight. "Whoever you are," I shout, grabbing a knife. "You better leave, I'm armed!" I prepare myself to fight.

The cracking sound comes again, even louder. "I'm warning you!" I shout trying to be brave. My breathing gets heavy when the cracking happens again, even louder. "Stay away!" I yell, now freaking out. I feel two hands grab my shoulders. I scream and try to get them off.

"Piper! Calm down, its me, Asher." I take a deep breath and try to calm down. "You almost gave me a heart attack!" I say punching his shoulder. "Well, sorry! I was trying to catch food!" He says angrily holding up a rabbit. He slams it onto a wood stump. "Your welcome." He says sarcastically, and folding his arms. I roll my eyes. "You are so full of yourself." I say turning away. "Oh, like your not." He says following. "What do you mean?" I ask furiously. "Well, for one thing, you walk around here like you own the place, and you act like you don't need help, well I've got some news for ya sister, I have saved your life tons of times!" He says folding his arms. "Not tons!" I say exaggerating with my arms. "Well it has been plenty of times to show that you cannot save yourself." He says like the smart aleck he is. I scoff. "It has only been once or twice." He gives me a knowing look. "What?!" I say annoyed. "It has been at least three times." He says. I can feel the anger boiling up inside. "I have saved you as much as you have saved me!" I defend. "That is not true." He says stomping like a three year old. "Oh waah waah waah, why don't you go back to the adult compound so your parents can take care of you again, ya big baby!" I yell. He gives a hurt look. "I am not a baby." He says pouting.

"Sure you aren't." I say sarcastically, and rolling my eyes. "I am not!" He says.

"Are too!"

"Am not!"

"Are too!"

"Am not!"

"Fine!" I yell in exhaustion. "Just shut up!" I say dramatically throwing my hands up in frustration. He grins. I just want to kill him. I do. He is so smug. I just want to karate chop his head off. I do only have Ezrie to worry about killing me right now. I can survive without him. Meh, probably shouldn't. After all, he is my friend.