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chapter two | the hopeful
LAUREL KEPT HER head pointed up at the trees, Laurel has been whistling every few minutes. She couldn't remember exactly where they were but only the direction. South.
Laurel would glance back at the man behind her, he had his crossbow out which made her a little nervous. She didn't want him to shoot her in the back. Laurel held onto her knife with a tight grip even though it wasn't much against the crossbow.
He was quiet. He barely made a noise and if Laurel couldn't tell he was staring at her back the entire time, she would have forgotten he was there. He didn't make a noise when he walked, he didn't talk, and he didn't even breathe loudly surprisingly in this hot weather. He was that quiet.
She heard a whistle a few trees away, and her eyes squinted to see Ethan and Cassie sitting on a branch in a tree not far away. Cassie was straddling a branch with her teddy in her arms and Ethan hovered over her, crouched with his backpack in his hands.
"Thank fuck," The older sister sighed with a smile. Ethan was the first one to climb down, letting Cassie jump into his arms after. Once her tiny tennis shoes touched the ground, she ran towards her sister and wrapped her thin arms around Laurel's waist, her teddy bear fell on the ground. Laurel chuckled, "see... I told you I would find you."
"Took you long enough," Ethan huffed.
"Gosh, great to see you too."
"Who's that?" Ethan's eyebrows furrowed as he took a step forward in front of his sisters protectively.
Laurel's head turned towards the stranger. Her mouth opened but she quickly closed it, remembering she never got his name. Her lips pulled into a small smile towards him, his observing eyes landing on her before he looked back at the teenager in front of him.
"Daryl," He answered.
"I met him once I lost the roamers... he offered to take us back to his camp. He has enough food and water to spare us." Laurel shrugged.
Cassie looked past Laurel and noticed the kills on a string around Daryl's shoulder. "We are going to eat squirrels?" Cassie scrunched up her nose, shaking her head in disgust.
"They taste better than they look," Daryl shrugged. Cassie cringed and Laurel grabbed her hand and whispered it's okay in her ear.
"I will eat anything at this point," Ethan commented, "even dog food." Laurel's smile dropped a little. She felt as if she could have done better with their rationing, or maybe she could have scavenged more in the city before they got out. She knew it was dangerous, but maybe she could have brought something back so they wouldn't have to ask for help from a stranger. She knew her siblings didn't deserve this life. No one did.
