Mad Ember

1: Clunk

The songs I add before a chapter hint to the feelings and messages that will rise within it. It gives my characters a real voice. It brings them to life. All songs will be provided! :) And the playlist is on spotify!

S O N G F O R C H A P T E R : "I Ran"
B Y : Hidden Citizens

"I ran, I ran so far away."

12 years later

"Food, food, food, food, food." I mumble under my breath as if it is my own personal mantra. I haven't had a decent hunt for around a week and a half now and I'm desperate. I honestly believe that anyone who says a person can live three weeks Without food is insane. I'm about to start gnawing on my fingers.

I take a deep breath in and let out a sigh. The smell of the forest is one of my favorite things. The thick aroma of the damp earth never fails to leave me in a state of bliss.

I discovered quickly that in the forest, there is never a quiet moment. Different sounds always surround me. Whether it be an orchestra of birds each singing their own love songs, or the constant pecking of the woodpeckers.

The sky is partly hidden behind the dark viridity of the spruce leaves. Looking up, it reminds me of the cities I use to travel to before the radiation. That was before my mom passed, before my father changed, before everything. I was young, but I still remember. The cities are still around but it would be impossible for me to stay hidden if I went there. Plus, even though I'm not affected by radiation here, Collet says that at certain levels even her powers can't hold off the effects. We didn't do much experimenting, but anything above 50 gys I break out in hives and seize. That's why I try to stay in the same location, I'm not one for pushing my luck.

I quickly learned more about Collet, who classifies as a witch. Hence the unexplainable by math or science powers she possesses. The radiation caused a dramatic shift in the food chain. witches were not the only supernatural beings roaming the forest. I was definitely not top of the food chain. No, that seat was for the shifters.

The howl of my stomach reminds me of my current battle. "Food." I mutter looking around. I make it to my usual hunting grounds and travel deeper into the forest searching for a sign of any suitable food. My feet feel cold against the moss and dirt. My one pair of shoes finally came to their tragic end.

I move through the branches slowly, making sure to not miss anything happening around me.
I see squirrels attempting the same search for food as I am. I watch as they search for nuts and insects to eat under the sphagnum moss. I ignore them due to the intolerance my stomach has. I haven't become that desperate yet.

My face brightens when I find some wild garlic and basil. I quickly gather the majority leaving some to grow back for when I return next. I smile to myself and get out my bow.

I remember the day Collet made it for me. It was my 16th birthday; it was also the day she decided I would be fine on my own. I learned to shoot through trial and error and calculations of projection in my head. It was simple math; I keep my arm still so that it doesn't move more than one-tenth of a degree, then follow a simple algorithm to incorporate the distance I'm shooting, the weight of my bow, and my draw weight.

I get low to the forest floor picking up a small handful of dirt and crumple it in my hand. It's damp. I move north with that and seem to have taken the right direction. As I get deeper into the forest, animal life only seems to become more prevalent.

I see a few rabbit holes and smile to myself. This was a step in the right direction. I walk up to one of the holes peeking in. I look around the area for another. I spot it and put my plan into action.