by Roman Shepp
After their ordeals with the wolves and the snake, Tony was glad to have some respite. There still was a ways to go until they found the bunker, if they found the bunker, although the less said about that the better. He didn't hold it against Jane too much, but he did wish she had told them sooner that she didn't know its precise location. At least then they may have been able to pick up a map while they had been in the city. The last thing Tony wanted was to go back there now. Still, it felt better that they were on the path toward a goal, rather than merely running from the city. It felt as though they were in an entirely different world now, cut off from the city. Occasionally, Tony would look back in the general direction of the city and wonder how the people were faring. Hopefully things would have calmed down by now. If they ever made it back to the city again, Tony wanted to know they would be able to live a peaceful life, but that all depended on the human race not tearing itself apart. That almost was too much to ask.
“You know,” he said when they all were settled, “I like it out here, but we came here to escape death and it seems as though we're surrounded by even more of it.”
He couldn't forget the bodies they had dragged away, the ones who had been strangled. The marks around their necks were deep, and it had filled Tony with a grim sense of foreboding. Whoever did it likely still was lurking in the forest. This tall bad man Tara had described was out there somewhere. Tony couldn't rid himself of the feeling that somebody was watching. The sense of danger was constant, and he tried his hardest to shake it off. The tension within him had taken hold from the first night, when all had gone dark. Ever since then he had been on the edge of sanity. Even now, with the lush, beautiful green trees around him, he was unable to relax as much as he would like to do so. The baseball bat was always near to him. His eyes were always alert, so afraid that if he let his guard down for one moment he would be killed.
“I wonder if things are getting better in the city.” Tony said.
“From what you've told me, and from what I know about human nature, I very much doubt it,” Phil said.
“Unfortunately, I have to agree. I'd love to tell people there are plans in place for this, but I think it's basically every man for himself. Maybe things are better elsewhere,” Jane said. “It's probably the major cities that have been hit the hardest, where we're most reliant on electricity. The small towns are better off, which is good news for my parents. It's kinda funny, I always resented living in a small town. I never could see why they'd want to stay there when there were so many better places to live. Now though, I doubt they're dealing with the same things we are. Smaller towns have a better sense of community, you know? People are less likely to turn on each other. In the city we all were strangers.”
“So, if we don't manage to find this bunker, then we should head toward a small town rather than go back to the city?” Phil asked.
“That sounds like a plan to me. I wouldn't mind if I never saw that city again. Although I would be curious to see how it all ends, if sanity actually takes over and people look at themselves and think about what the hell are they actually doing.”
“That's rarely happened in the whole of human history. So, I very much doubt it will happen now. When the dust settles it will all depend on who is left standing,” Phil said.
“Let's hope it's us,” Jane said.
“Isn't there anyone else you want to see in the city? What about the guys you played D&D with?” Tony asked.
“D&D?” Jane said inquisitively. Tara was minding her own business, sitting on the ground with a stick, drawing in the dirt. Saeed was sitting with them, but he remained quiet. Apparently, he still didn't have it in him to join in with their conversation.
“Dungeons and Dragons,” Phil explained, “very nerdy, but very cool. And yes, to answer your question, Tony, I do miss them. I wish I knew what happened to them. With the way I am, though, and the way you've described the city, I don't think my chances of finding them are very good. I have no idea where they'd go, or how to find them. It's kinda sad that I'll probably never play it again. I didn't even get a chance to rescue my dice. Guess in some ways I'm living out a real campaign, though, with all you guys. I've never had a character lose an arm, though. It gets me to thinking about what characters you'd all be in the game. I played a bard, although I don't think I'm that charismatic in real life. Tony, I think you'd be a paladin, swinging that bat like a sword with all your righteous fury. Jane you'd definitely be a fighter, after what I saw with those wolves, or maybe a ranger, although I haven't really seen you with that bow yet. Saeed here would definitely be a barbarian, flying into rage. It's just a shame we don't actually have magic. Life would be much easier,” he said.
Silence reigned. Tony understood what Phil was talking about, but Jane and Saeed didn't seem to be too pleased with what he was saying. Perhaps it was the way he reduced them to a game, or maybe there was something else, but they didn't seem impressed. Jane slapped her palms on her thighs and rose, saying she was going to put her skills with the bow to good use and find them something to eat. Tony said he would join her. Tara scrambled up, wanting to go with them, but Jane told Tara to stay with Phil and Saeed. Tara looked disappointed but did as she was told.
“Keep an eye out, and if there's any trouble just shout,” Tony said, taking another lingering look around. He just couldn't shake the feeling that someone was out there.
“That Phil is an interesting guy,” Jane said as the two of them walked away from the camp.
“That's one way to describe him. He's cool, he just gets a bit enthusiastic about his hobbies.”
“I can tell. Did you see the way Saeed acted around Tara, by the way? I think there just might be hope for him yet.”
“It seems that way.”
“I wanted to apologize again for this mess up. I never wanted to keep a secret from you. It just spiraled out of control and then happened. I don't want you to think that I'm a bad person.”
“I don't. I'm not worried about that, really. I just can't get what I've seen and done out of my mind.”
“I know...sometimes it feels like this is all a dream, or that it's the life of someone else. You've done the right thing, though. You've made the right call every time.”
“I guess I'm just going to have to find a way to live with it.”
“I think that's a big part of life, learning how to live with the things we do. Sometimes we make mistakes, sometimes even the best thing we can do leaves scars. Right now, I'm just worried about Tara. I want to do right by her and make sure she has a good life, but I've never had kids before. I've never had any experience being a mom.”
“Neither have I, but I guess it comes naturally? I don't know. There are a lot of things I'd never have expected myself to do before this life. Even hunting like this, living outdoors. I've changed so much, but I'm the same person inside, at least I think I am.”
“We're all going to change. Nobody can stay the same in a world like this. Hopefully, it's all for the better, though.”
They walked a short way away and looked out for some animals. Eventually, they heard the sound of a nearby beast and stopped talking, moving quietly. They ducked behind cover as the animal looked around. Tony wondered if it felt the crawl of fear creep along its spine just like he did. Waiting in silence, Jane notched an arrow onto the bow and breathed deeply, composing herself. If she missed, the animal likely would escape into the woods before she had a chance to fire another arrow. Pulling back on the string, she gracefully turned and twisted and fired, all in one smooth movement. The arrow flew through the air and hit its target. The deer whinnied and fell to its side. Jane and Tony ran up to it. Jane pulled out her arrow and then used the sharp metal tip to put the animal out of its misery.
“This is an example of one of the things I never thought I would do,” she said as the two of them dragged the animal back to camp.
They gutted and skinned the animal, keeping that act hidden from Tara. It took the combined effort of all the
adults to keep Tara distracted. However, soon enough they had some fresh meat for dinner, which was good as they were getting tired of the bland biscuits and crackers they had been feasting on during their trek from the city. While the meat was cooking, Tony did feel a little unsettled, and he wondered if he ever would be able to look at meat in the same way again. At least this time he knew where it had come from. Tara was the only one who dove into her meal without any hesitation. The others nibbled at their meat tentatively, their desperate hunger the main driving force. Saeed was the most hesitant out of all of them, but even he ate. He hadn't asked if the meat was halal, prepared according to Muslim law. Maybe it was better that he didn't. In times such as these people had to adjust their usual practices. Everything took a back seat to survival.
Maybe not everything.
Tony wanted to hold onto his morals, no matter what. Yet, already he had killed, when he'd always thought killing was wrong. Having not really lived at all before this, he was finding it more and more difficult to adapt to the nuances of real life.
Despite this heavy weight weighing upon them, they all were able to enjoy themselves. They lost themselves in conversation and laughter. Another day had passed, and they still were alive. There were many people who were in less fortunate positions than themselves, and Tony wanted to be thankful for every moment he was alive. Yet, Tony still was sure somebody was watching them, and he wished he could shake the feeling. It was probably just his nerves.
All his life he had been afraid of what may never happen. He was scared of everything, including failure and success. That was why he never really had pushed himself in life or attempted to achieve anything. He'd let himself stagnate in the hope that everything would work out for the best. Every day was a new test for him, and he wondered how long he could hold out. How long would it be before he failed?
Taking a deep breath, he tried pushing those thoughts aside and thinking about all the good things in his life. He had good friends around him, more than he had had at any other point in his life, and he needed to focus on that, rather than on all his anguish. After all, he didn't need to be paranoid when Groot was around. The dog had better senses than Tony ever could hope to have. If he wasn't getting agitated, then there was nothing to worry about. The baseball bat rested by his feet, but he started to feel safe and secure that on this night there would not be an occasion to use it. There was probably a bad man out there in the forest somewhere. Truth be told, there were probably a few of them, but he was safe. For the first time in a long while he felt safe camping out with his friends, and he was looking forward to a restful night.
But then Groot rose and turned, barking loudly. Tony glanced at the others. Fear shot through him again, like an old wound that had opened and was bleeding out. He grabbed the bat and turned, searching the darkness, cursing himself for being a fool.
“What is it?” Jane asked, grabbing her bow with one hand, Tara with the other, moving the little girl behind her. Phil looked for anything he could use as a weapon, hefting a rock in his hand, while Saeed drew his dagger. They all were prepared for a fight, prepared to defend themselves, but so had those other people, and they all had been killed. Whoever had killed them was a monster, and he was not going to be stopped easily.
Groot continued barking and snarling, but as yet there was no movement. Tony thought he could see something in the shadows but wasn't sure if his mind was playing tricks on him. His eyes darted around, looking in every direction, feeling as though they were prey. His throat ran dry. His muscles were primed. Before, when he and Jane had been hunting, he'd felt like a lion ready to attack. Now he felt small and vulnerable. There was something out there, but what? Who? His heart thundered in his chest and sweat beaded on his temples. How he wished that everything in his body could be silent, just for a moment, so he could hear whatever was out there and prepare for the attack properly.
Was this how it happened? Was this the cruel joke of death, that finally, when everything was settled down and Tony was feeling at peace, something vicious and heartless would come at him and his friends? Was this how those others had felt moments before they had met their doom and the light had been strangled out of their eyes?
Once again, Tony had taken hold of the bat, ready to defend himself. There were only limited chances, though. At some point his luck would run out. At some point he would be dead.
“There!” Jane shouted, her word falling into a scream.
Tony jerked his body around and saw a large figure blunder through the trees. Leaves fell around him, dirt clung to his skin and clothes, almost as though he was a part of the forest himself. Upon his face he wore a mask, hiding half of his flesh, but those eyes...both of them… were visible. Just like those of the wolves, they gleamed with hunger and hatred. Whoever it was seemed more animal than man. Tony ran toward Jane but stumbled. The bat knocked against his hand. He looked up desperately, scrambling to his feet as quickly as he could, but the man already was upon them.
Chapter Seventeen
He lurched forward like something out of a horror movie. The smell was rancid. Blood and dirt had dried on the man, and from the odor it was clear he hadn't bathed in days. Jane shrieked and moved back, trying to keep the masked man from getting to Tara. He wasn't a figment of Tara's imagination at all. He was entirely real, and Jane was more frightened than she had been when she was being chased by Frank. Tara screamed, but all Jane could do was push her back, farther and farther away from the tall man. The bad man. The mask gave him an inhuman quality. The cold eyes stared beyond the mask, inhuman, uncaring. The half of his face that was uncovered had a line of stubble down the cheek. What did the other half hide? Jane didn't want to find out. Drawing her arrow back, she fired, but the man jerked his head to the side. The arrow flew harmlessly into a tree, lodged in between the rippling bark.
The man roared and swung his arms like a wild animal.
“Stop! What are you doing? Who are you? What do you want?” Phil cried.
The man didn't even attempt to respond. He was as close to a monster as Jane ever had experienced. He was strong, muscular, and quicker than he appeared. Phil hefted the rock he had been holding toward the man. It hit him in the leg and he grunted in pain. Hoping to press his advantage, Phil ran forward, trying to tackle the man. The man braced himself and caught Phil, beating him down onto his back. The blows thundered, and Jane grabbed another arrow, but her hands shook, and it was difficult for her to hold it in place. Tony was struggling to his feet. Groot was barking wildly. Saeed was making his way forward. The fire was crackling loudly.
Phil yelled in pain, his good arm curled around the man's waist, holding on for all his life. If Phil had had the full use of both arms, then perhaps he would have been able to hold on for longer, but the man was able to throw Phil off. As soon as Jane thought she had a shot she planted her feet firmly on the ground and loosed the arrow, but somehow the man had seen what she was doing and threw Phil into her. Just as she was about to release the arrow she was pushed back. The arrow went high into the air, ruffling leaves. She fell back and felt a crack. At first, she was afraid it was her arm, but there was no pain. Glancing over, it was almost worse. The bow had been destroyed.
By this point, Tony had scrambled to his feet and had taken over from where Phil had left off. He roared loudly and brought his trusty baseball bat back, but it was not as reliable as it had been before. The man caught the bat and struggled with Tony. For as much as Jane admired Tony, he was not as strong as some other men, and the strain was evident. The man had the height and strength advantage. Tony grimaced, sweat poured down his crimson face, and he buckled back. Groot leaped in and began nipping at the man's heels, his snarling jaws opening wide as he tried to get a better hold. The man struggled with trying to fend off both man and dog, and then Saeed joined the fray. Jane felt hope surge within her, sure that the three of them would be able to subdue the man.
Phil groaned in pain, face down in the dirt, cradling his stump. Jane
pushed herself up. She'd lament the broken bow later. Swiveling around, she grabbed Tara by both shoulders. The girl winced in pain, for Jane's fingers dug into her skin.
“Hide behind that log and don't come out until this is over. I promise I will not let anything happen to you,” Jane said, and pushed Tara away. The little girl climbed over the log and sat hunched down, putting her hands over her head as though she was bracing herself for a plane crash. Jane grimaced herself, turning back, and her face turned ashen.
Although the man was outnumbered, he had gained the advantage, somehow. It looked as though he had pushed Tony to the ground. The bat had rolled away from him. Tony was feeling around for it, but his muscles were weak. His arms trembled as he tried to go on fighting. Groot still was relentless, but the man kicked out wildly, his heavy boot crashing against the dog's face. The dog managed to dodge it, deflecting the blows this way and that, taking the brunt of them on his thick shoulders. One struck true, though, and Groot was sent flying backward. The dog yelped as his body slid across the ground, resting next to Tony. Jane's heart went out to the poor animal, but unlike Tony, Groot was quick to get back to his feet, and shook off the pain.
For the moment, though, Saeed was on his own against the man. Saeed had thrust with his dagger, but now that the tall bad man had dealt with the distractions he easily was able to deflect the knife, catching Saeed's hand, twisting it. Saeed's body followed. A bloodcurdling cry of pain exploded from Saeed's mouth. The man was in complete control of him. There was no clue regarding who he was or what he wanted. It was as though he was a force of nature, coming forward to vanquish them all.
Jane was not ready to die. She'd put up with too much from this life already to be killed by a madman. Moving forward, she checked Phil quickly, and was glad to see he still was alive, and mostly unharmed. Tony was pushing himself up, but if Jane didn't do anything soon, Saeed wouldn't last much longer.