Escape

Camp(s)

I sat near the fire Jerome had made before walking off to find some food.

"Don't worry, I won't be far." He had told me before he left.

I was grateful for the warm fire, my thin sweater didn't do much to keep me warm.

I jumped a bit when Jerome seemed to just appear from the darkness.

He had some sort of animal that he cut into chunks. He put a few on a rock almost in the fire, and tore into one of the raw chunks. The way that he tore into it scared me, realizing how easily he could kill me, the same way he had killed....the thought of the Axe in the head of that thing made my stomach turn.

For all I knew he was going to eat me.

I ate the cooked meat in silence. I was really hungry and ate until I was full. It was the first time on ages that I had been able to do that.

I finished eating and curled up on my side, against the cold ground. There was a rock poking my back, but I didn't mind. Looking up, through the dense overhanging branches, a small patch of sky, coated in stars, was visible.

Finally I managed to quiet my thoughts and sleep.

...

I didn't see Jerome when I woke up, but soon discovered the rustling above my head was him. He dropped down beside me with terrifying accuracy, missing my head by a few inches. He gave me a sharp toothed grin.

"Morning, Mitch. You ready to go? We're a couple hours walk now."

I nodded in response, still cautious around this creature-sorry, bacca, that could tear me limb from limb without a second thought or any effort, unarmed. And he was armed.

As we walked it was almost silent, aside from my panting. I stumbled a bit through the undergrowth, this forest being denser than the one I was used to walking through.

Soon enough the forest started to thin and paths were visible leading through the forest. Jerome stopped suddenly in front of me and I stumbled, trying to not run into him.

"Mitch, listen to me, they might scare you, or try to provoke you, but don't let them. Let me explain as much as I can, no matter what, I won't let them hurt you. Understand?" Jerome said quietly, not looking at me.

"Who are you talking about?" I could hear the fear in my own voice.

The bacca looked at me for a moment but didn't answer. And then he stepped forward and let out a noise between a growl, a scream and a roar.

I heard some rustling above us and moved closer to Jerome. I might fear him, but he had protected me once, right?

I followed Jerome's gaze up to two trees sitting beside each other and no undergrowth under them, and a path between them. At the top I saw what appeared to be more of these...baccas. They spoke in a growling voice.

"Jerome. What is that with you?"

"It is no threat. I am not trying to sneak it in, as you can see. Let me in, I will talk to the Chief about it, not you."

The second bacca answered in a voice that held less growl, and from the higher pitch I assumed it was a she.

"You want us to let that into the camp? The Cheif will decide if he gets to come into the camp. I'll get him."

And with that she appeared to simply vanish. I looked more carefully at what was in front of me. It appeared to be a fence of sorts, woven from undergrowth, with a gap between it and the forest. I started to wonder what was inside it -I assumed the camp. I could see trees on the other side of the fence, and some through the... gate, I guess this was. The bacca that remained watching us fiddled with what seemed to be a sword.