Even When the World Comes Down (Sequel to Always & Forever)

Chapter 49 - Ellie

Winter

Finding the houses was a lot easier than we had thought it would be. We found one and made sure it was secure before we moved our stuff inside. We spent a few days there until our food rations started running low. I had Beth's full trust after what I had gone through back at the mall. I had proven to her that I could take care of myself and that meant more to me than she could ever know. We had been making plans on going out to scavenge what we could to keep us going through the winter. We had both agreed that splitting up would be the best way to go about things but not to go too far from the house. She went to see if there was any supplies in the houses nearby that we could use while I decided to go and hunt some game. I had found a bow and arrows in the house we were staying in and decided to use them to my advantage. I had been out in the forest for a while before I saw anything. A rabbit had made its way out of his hole and I aimed the arrow carefully and quietly. I fired as soon as I had a good shot and watched as it stopped moving. I went ahead and retrieved it and took it back with me. "This won't last very long," I said. I tied it up to the side of Callus and was about to call it a day when I heard some twigs snap. Turning in the direction the sound had come in, I quickly ducked when I caught sight of the big buck that was a few feet from where I stood. I tied Callus' reigns to a branch nearby.

"You'll just startle it," I said before I continued in the direction of the buck.

Climbing down a small hill, I began the hunt. I did my best not to step on anything that would cause the deer to get scared. That could feed all of us for a good couple of weeks at least. I had to bring him with me. As I was watching it, it had finally managed to get distracted with eating some grass. I took out an arrow and aimed it at the neck. I fired right when he had picked his head up. I still got him but he got spooked and took off running.

"Shit," I whispered.

I followed the trail of blood he had left behind. The further I traveled, the thicker the trail had gotten.

"How are you still alive?" I asked myself.

It was hard for me to wrap my mind around the fact that this deer had managed to keep going despite the amount of blood loss it had suffered. Endure and survive I guess. I went down a hill to find an old abandoned barn. It creeped me out to say the least.

"What is this place?" I asked myself.

I made my way further in and couldn't help but shiver.

"Everything is cool. This place is not creepy at all," I said trying to reassure myself.

I was following the trail until I saw it right outside the broken down door. I went and approached it to look it over. Had I killed it? Had I done it? I thought. I was about to remove the arrow it had sticking out of its neck when I heard a twig snap. I quickly turned and aimed my bow.

"Who's there? Come out," I ordered.

There were then two men that emerged from behind the tree I was currently looking at.

"Hello...we just want to talk," the first man said.

"Any sudden moves and I put one right between your eyes. Same goes for buddy-boy over there," I said.

I was not taking that chance at having the assholes get the upper hand on me. Beth and Joel taught me too much to have that happen.

"What do you want?" I continued.

"Um, name's David, this here's my friend, James. We're from a larger group – women, children – we're all very, very hungry," David said.

"So am I – women and children – all very hungry too," I lied.