Dead Men Walking

Ivan | Chapter 6 |

      My fire had died out about an hour ago, so all I could do was lay here and stay warm with my coat. As far as I knew, there were no buildings nearby I could stay in. Without protection similar to a building, I had to stay alert at almost every minute of every coming hour. My heart would race and then dip down into a calming beat, then when I heard a noise it would pick up from where it had left off. With every shiver that ran through my body, my hands would shake. Maybe it'd be best if I just tried moving along, it might be best if I tried to follow the map in the darkness. I pushed myself off the ground and gathered my things, slinging the heavy backpack around my shoulder while I picked up the bag. Would this compound really be a safe haven? I had my doubts and suspicions. It may be a trap, but if it's not...? I could be warm and safe and free of thinking of them. They've been dead for a while. Despite that, the images haven't left my head. Every time I close my eyes, it's all I see. I shiver and shake my head, mumbling in my native language about how cold it was rather than speaking about the thoughts. Would I eventually be driven to madness if the memories didn't go away? I didn't want to go insane in a mess like this. When I took out the map, I squinted my eyes to try and see the writing and drawings. The road was a few minutes away, and if I followed it, there would be the train tracks. From there, I'd walk on them until I reach the building marked in blue. I pulled my gloves out of my pockets and slid them on, feeling a shiver run through my body. Maybe there was food in that building? Whether there was or not, I would just have to keep reassuring myself.