(Unedited) Stage One: Hope in Darkness

Hermits (Annabelle)

I whistled for Hannibal, a twig snapped before his black form emerged from the trees. There you are, you silly boy. I crouched down and grabbed the pheasant from his mouth. I reached around him and gave him a pat on the back. I straightened from my crouch and pulled my bow around my body. The pheasant feet I wrapped together with twine before attaching it to my belt. This would be enough for me. Hannibal would do his own hunting for food he always did. a small smile found its way to my lips remembering how I met the little guy. Some things were better not remembered though. like that day. The day the world went to shit.

~~~~

Shit, they were right behind me. I couldn't go back. I had left her. Damn I could feel my heart breaking, and it wasn't from the pace my legs were trying to maintain. I had to get these things off my trail. I remembered there was a lake close, could they swim? No choice, I had to take that risk. These dead but not dead things had shown no sign of tiring and I couldn't keep up this pace for much longer.

The lake it is. I make a sharp turn, I felt claws catch my sleeve. The fabric tore, shit. I pushed even faster. There I caught a shimmer through the trees, the water. I broke through the trees and dived off the small cliff into the water. I could feel the impact of the things hitting the water. I opened my eyes to see them right there, reaching for me. Their clumsy limbs couldn't keep them afloat. They sank quickly to the bottom. Thank heavens.

I swam quickly, desperate to get to land. I pulled myself tiredly onto the shore. I looked towards the city, the fires still burned. There was no way I could go back, Lara was gone, one of those things had grabbed her. No way was she still alive. I choked back a sob as I dragged myself to my feet. I had to get out of this area.

~~~

I shake myself out of my reverie, I give two short whistles. I signal to Hannibal to follow. I move quickly, the black beast quickly on my heels. I adjust the scarf around my neck, making sure my scars are covered. The cuts made by those people had taken my voice, now when I spoke only whispers of sound came out. Not good if I had to call out. That was why Hannibal and I had made a system. I had so many commands I could give him merely through my whistles, and he followed my every one.

I suppose that was the bright side of raising the wolf from a tiny little cub. He was in my pack, and I was the alpha. It was just the two of us, out here in the woods. We had to travel through cities sometimes but for the most part we stayed away from them. Cities ment people, and now what used to be people. Hannibal and I did much better on our own. It had been a long time since the world broke out in the infection, and I had learned some much over the years on how to survive.

Being by myself could get lonely but groups were dangerous. They were bigger, louder targets for the walkers. Not to mention the people themselves, they could not be trusted. My hand found my way to the scarf on my neck, absolutely not to be trusted. They could turn on you at any moment. I sighed, and whispered to Hannibal "Ready to go home?" he in his usual way just gave me a stoic glance. There's the happy boy I love so much.

I moved through the trees, silent as the wind. One with the forest, I used to joke about becoming a hermit in the woods. Now I really was one, the irony was not lost on me.

It had taken me awhile but I had built my own place. It wasn't much, cramped, cold and the roof leaked when it rained hard. But it was mine and it was safe. These days it was all a girl could ask for. I looked up at my home, my piece of peace. It rested between the branches of two big spruce trees, twenty five feet off the ground. The ground was a dangerous place to sleep. Especially since I was alone, no one to take shifts with. Well Hannibal would wake me if he heard something, but it still made me nervous. So in the tree it was. I gripped the rope ladder tightly and swiftly made my way to the top. I didn't even have to whistle, Hannibal was used to this routine by now. He climbed into his basket and I pulled him hand over fist up into the tree house. When he was little it had been easier, I could still carry him up the ladder but as he got bigger I had needed something to help me get him into the house.

Thus the basket aided by a strong rope and a few pulleys had come into being. Dragging his one hundred and eight pounds up into the tree everyday had strengthened my muscles.

With Hannibal safely on the platform our house was built on I tied the basket rope tightly to a post, and pulled up the rope ladder. Didn't want anything sneaking up on us while we slept.

I walked over and opened the door motioning for Hannibal to go in first. I closed the door securely behind us. Time to clean our kill.

It was messy work, plucking the feathers and removing the guts but I was used to this kind of thing. When I had all the parts I wouldn't eat out of the bird I put them in Hannibal's bowl. He liked to eat those bits, and this way I didn't feel like I was wasting food. The rest of the bird went into a pot of water on the wood stove. It had been a pain to get it up here and even harder to install it safely but it was worth it to not have to cook my food on the ground.

I didn't have to worry about Hannibal's dinner, he had eaten our first few kills earlier in the day. The big guy took up a lot of space in here but I didn't mind. He was the only thing that made sense to me anymore.

I sighed the pheasant would take awhile to cook, I cleaned up all the mess it had made. I looked over at my shelf, my water supply was running low. I would have to take my water jugs down to the river tomorrow and refill them. I had a small pump that used an underground aqueduct to get water into the small bathroom I had, but I wasn't enough for drinking. Plus the water was off in color. alright for bathing and the toilet but I didn't trust it to drink. I took a short bath to get all off the day's grime off me

I was dying my hair when I came out of the bathroom. Hannibal had lied down on his bundle of blankets and fallen asleep.

Food was done, I ate quickly before picking up one of the books I had managed to find in the city and plopped down onto the little cot next to Hannibal. I read quietly, soon enough my eyes started to droop. I closed my book and let slumber take me.