Hunted

Running

We leave through the back of the house and slink into the forest to find a place to set up camp. Even though I know the owners of that house wouldn't believe us, I wish we could tell them about what's going on or just talk to them. I mean, what is the point of hiding out in the forest if we could get away from here.

'Rachel, why don't we ask the owners of that house to take us into the city?'

'We just stole from them, we can't go and ask for favours.'

'What if we put the stuff back?'

'It's too risky.'

'Okay then, but we need to find help so if we come across another house we are going to try to get help. Sound good?'

'Yeah it does. Come on, we need to find somewhere safe to hide until sun down. Mind you, if we just wonder around for another half hour it will be dark anyway.'

'Let's go search for some other civilisation.'

I may have done combat training all my life but that has in no way prepared me for all this running. It is starting to get really tiring. It's been about eight hours since sun down and we still haven't seen any form of civilisation what so ever. It's going to be light soon and we need to get somewhere safe before then or we're bound to be found by that man. I'm sure he's still looking for us, and that's not just paranoia because I've seen signs. Nothing as prominent as my sister's coat covered in blood, but small things like muddy size fourteen footprints and scraps of fabric caught on branches. I know these things could have been there for a long time but the footprints looked fresh. 

'Amanda, can we please stop?'

'Not yet, I know you're tired but we need to find somewhere safe before we stop moving.'

'Great, more walking.' She replies sarcastically.

'Sarcasm won't help.'

'It won't help find a safe place but it will help me release some of the fear I've been bottling up since we saw that man.'

'Yeah, yeah, yeah.'

'What? I feel really sick.' She states.

'Do you have any idea where we are?' I ask, knowing the answer.

'Not a clue.'

'Great, just great.'

'Now who's being sarcastic?'

'Ha, ha, but if you don't know where we are then we have to keep going.'

We continue walking, now desperate to find somewhere remotely hidden. If we don't get somewhere safe in the next hour or so we're going to get caught, I'm sure of it.

'There, behind that patch of trees there's a cliff. If we walk along there I'm sure we'll find a cave or something we can hide in.'

'Sounds like a plan. Too bad we haven't found any signs of civilisation, I would much prefer staying in an actual house rather than a spider infested cave.' She says clearly showing her scared side.

'Rachel, you're the one who said my plan of staying in the first house we saw wouldn't work.'

'I know but I didn't realise we were in the middle of nowhere.'

'Really, why do you think it took so long to get to the house we were staying at?'

'I didn't know how long it took; I kind of fell asleep in the car.'

'Really? I thought you were talking to Georgie.'

'Seriously, you thought the people on her podcast were us talking?'

'I wasn't really listening as I was focusing on not crashing the car.'

'I guess that was more important.'

'You think?'

'So, are we going to find this cave or not?'

'Yeah, let's get going.'

More walking, great. Rachel is complaining constantly, she's practically making me carry her and the sun is already rising. Please let us find somewhere remotely covered.

'Come on! Why isn't there anywhere hidden.'

'Rachel, quit complaining.'

'You can't blame me, I've been walking for more than nine hours.'

'I have too, but I'm not moaning on and on and on about everything.'

'Well good for you.'

'Rachel, be quiet.'

'No, you can't boss me around, we're the same age.'

'Rachel, I mean it.' I say sternly.

'I said no, I'm going to keep talking if I want to.'

'Rachel! There is a wolf about three metres away.'

'What?'

'A wolf.'

'AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!'

'Now it's sure to come after us, now be quiet and run.'

We turn around and sprint in the other direction, but of course the wolf chases after us and who can blame it after how loudly Rachel just screamed. If I was the wolf I would chase after us too, just to pay her back for permanently damaging my wolfish ear drums.

'I CAN'T RUN ANY MORE!'

'You have too, do you want to become a wolf's breakfast?'

'Of course not, but I have to stop, I can't run anymore.'

With that she stops running and falls head first into a bush. Naturally I turn around, pick her up and keep running. This was probably her plan all along.

'We're going to have to get up a tree.' I suggest.

'There is no way I can do that.'

'You have to.'

'I just can't.'

'Why not?'

'Because I'm about to fall asleep from exhaustion.'

'You have to try, the alternative is being killed.'

'I can't.'

'Just climb, I don't care if you're about to fall asleep, you're no asleep yet and won't get to be ever again if you don't get yourself up that tree.' I order.

'Fine.'

We pull ourselves up separate trees just in time, the wolf literally snapping at our ankles. Thank goodness I read all those survival novels; we'd be wolf chow if I hadn't.

Waiting for the wolf to leave us alone is the worst wait I've ever endured. I can't go to sleep in case something else comes along but just sitting here is boring me to death. Rachel's already asleep and was within thirty seconds of getting in her tree. I'm almost hopping the wolf gets me just to get me out of this monotony.