ENDLESS FROST (GIRL X GIRL)

Chapter 10 Preys

The arrow flies into the air and turns around itself before hitting the deer right into its throat. The poor animal falls down almost instantly and turns the white snow red as strawberries in summer time.

"You did it ! On your first try !!" Aida says cheerfully.

I jump in pure joy and kiss her on the lips. She's taken aback at first then she kisses me back gently.

"I'm proud of you, we'll have enough meat for a long time now !"

"Yes, we do."

"We're not gonna be able to take it completely back, though, it's too heavy ! What do you think?"

"Yes, you're right but I have plastic bags to put the meat in, so I'm going to take the best parts of the animal and we will head back home."

"Okay I'm holding out the bags for you and you skin it, I still can't kneel because of you know what."

"Yeah sure, no problem."

We get closer to the animal and I take my hunt knife out and get to work. I'm able to cut the skin of the animal easily and I take out pounds of meat as Aida watches with disgust on her face.

I chuckle "You did skink a rabbit back home remember ?"
"Do you think I enjoyed doing that ? Eww."

I grin "Come on I'm almost done."

Just as I say that I hear a whistling coming from afar.

"Did you hear that ?" I whisper to Aida.

"What ? It must be a bird stop worrying."

"Shh ! I'm pretty sure it was not a bird."

She stays silent and we now hear talking. It's two men, I put back my knife in my pocket and bring Aida behind a tree as fast we can fifty feet away from the dead animal.

"And now do you believe me?" I ask quietly to Aida.

She simply nod but I see fear in her eyes.

The voices now get closer and we can hear them speak.

"How long before we go back to town ? We travelled for a few days now and there's nothing here besides snow and dead trees."

"If we don't find anything until tonight, we'll head back, so keep walking and just shut up."

"We don't a lot of food left man, I'm gonna head back now, I don't want to die here in this shithole."

I take my head out of behind the tree and see the two men in large coats, waking along the tress with big back packs and one guy has a rifle.

"If you do so, what do you think the boss will do ? She'll kill you right in place. She asked us to come here together and to come back together with... Wait ? Do you see that ?"

"What ?"

"Look there, isn't that a carcass of an animal ?"

"Yeah, I think you're right."

"Let's check it out."

Shit I think to myself they're going to see the footprints and they're gonna find us! Besides me Aida is shaking like crazy of fear. I'm not giving up, I will fight even though I have to die, I won't let her be killed, she could survive by herself. But I have to think about a plan, we can't run away, Aida will be too slow and we'll get shot down like rabbits. The men reach the deer or more like what's left of it.

"What do you think ? Is it an animal ?"

The other man laugh "Are you really that dumb ? Look at his neck, an arrow pierced throughout his throat, definitely a human who did this."

He kneels down and touches some of the blood still dripping of the animal.

"It's not even cold, those who did this are still somewhere around here."

"Those ?!"

"Yes, look at the footprints on the snow, it's not a single person who did this, watch out."

"Hey, it's you who has a gun! I'm staying behind."

"The footprints lead to over there."

As they talked I quickly head to an other tree and get my knife out while Aida is holding a rock in her hand.

The guy with the gun is in combat mode and follow the footprints slowly. I breathe in and out slowly to focus more because I had to act fast, I will not have a second chance to get this done.

The man is getting closer to the tree where our footprints end and he talks.

"Get out of here, I know you're behind there, if you come out slowly with your hands I will not kill you."

Yeah as If I believed the fucker. Now is the time, I make a sign to Aida and she nods. She then throws the rock on the ground which makes a distinct noise and distract the man for a second. I take this opportunity to run at the guy and jump on him to stab him in the throat as his friend screams in shock, he's not quick enough to react though and I'm able to hit him multiple times and he falls on his back lifeless. I take his weapon and aim at the other guy who was running towards me before he suddenly freezes.

"Wait ! Please don't shoot, I don't have any weapon I promise !"

"Puts your hands up and don't come any closer !"

He raises his hands in the air and now I can see his face properly, he looks to be barely twenty years old and his nose is twisted.

"Okay, look I'm doing everything you ask !"

Despite him saying that, he still slowly walks towards me.

"I said stop !"

"But I'm unarmed, I will not hurt you ! Maybe we should talk ?"

He's barely a few feet and I keep my rifle on him.

"What were you doing here ?"

"We've been sent here by our boss."

"That's not the right answer and you know it !"

I start to shake as my stress rises up. He tries to take advantage of the situation and put his hand on the tip of my gun to disarm me but I'm still able to pull the trigger...