The Silence That Follows

Chapter 8

Walking through the woods, I felt..... I don't know how to explain it. I kept remembering the conversation with that woman and I shivered every time I thought about it. My mind was like a spinning record though, because every time I pushed the eerie thoughts away they came back. I faded from the world into my thoughts. I wanted to avoid those people, but it wouldn't be easy.

They were out of state, but in which direction? Did I really want to stay in this state forever? If I stayed here, I would never live. I had to keep moving, and stopping and walking in circles wouldn't help. Of course states are big, but if I kept walking I would surely cross into another. And what if they did capture me? How would they put the infected genes into my bloodstream?

Were these people even real? I hope not, but I had the awfulest feeling they were real. And what kind of mother would let her child be tampered with. I mean I wasn't a child, but her daughter could be. Her daughter could have died or just up and walked away.

I choked back a sob. I just wanted to end it, right then and there. To just give up. I'm scared though, I think. I don't want to kill myself and I don't want to let a silencer eat me. Then, I would probably eat someone.

And that person would eat someone else. I'm so lonely, I think. Desperately lonely. For all I know, I could go insane. I could be insane right now and not even know it. I could think these thoughts were normal, but they actually aren't. "Now that's crazy,"I say to myself.

I need somewhere to stay. Somewhere that isn't in the middle of nowhere. Trees aren't good places to sleep, but neither is the ground. I struggle with myself. Should I turn back, follow the road and hope I find shelter, but be super cautious? Or should I just keep walking?

I stick to the latter choice and just keep walking until the sun is setting. Then, I stop in front of a tree and begin to climb. I slip a couple times and end up crashing to the ground. Each time that happens, I look around to make sure no silencers are coming. Finally, I get a decent foothold and climb all the way up the tree.

At the top, I scan the surrounding woods for signs of a house. No luck. I keep scanning though for silencers and for a water source. My eyes glance over to the side and I freeze. A couple of trees away, I see a cat desperately trying to get up a tree. Silencers surround the leaveless oak and the cat clings to the tree bark with extended claws.

My heart thuds against my ribcage and I want to save the cat, but I can't. There are too many silencers. Then, I look closer and notice that it's not a cat, but a kitten. Even this realization does not sway my choice of action, until I hear its meow. Then, I pull out my knife. I won't let a person or an animal die, because of me.

I guess it's either now or never and shakily, I climb down the tree. I am set on a task. I will save something finally and I will not fail. Silencers have caused enough trouble and I won't let an animal become a monster. Because if I do, that's on me.