Deadly Wings [IN EDITING]

Chapter 3

Chapter 3

"What?!" I yelled out, too shocked to properly run Carlos' words through my head. "W-What do you mean part of the camp has been attacked? Is my dad okay?" My heart was racing and I could feel the adrenaline pumping through my veins, longing to run home.

Carlos hesitated for a minute and then spoke. "The Anaters are gone. About ten turned. You know how it goes after that."

I did know. There was no reason to try and save the lost ones. They would only become one of them; and a threat to us.

Kaila gasped behind me, gripping my arm roughly. "I have to check on Derreck."

I nodded, concerned. Derreck was Kaila's little brother. Their parents died in the city attack, like my mother. Unlike Kaila and her brother, I should be grateful; I still had my father.

Kaila pulled me with her toward the camp's settlements, leaving Carlos to climb the latter of the wall and return back to his post.

We passed through tents and families gathering around fires. Women held crying babies while small children ran around, playing with useless, scraped materials. Everything seemed normal, but the ever so small whispers here and there that could be heard about the recent attack on our people.

My boots sank in the mud as we walked through the camp. The settlement had about a couple of hundred people living within. More than half were men, who usually guarded the camp or went on highly demanded runs outside the safety of these walls. The rest were women and children, who typically tended to the children, the sick, and the hungry.

My father never went outside or stationed to guard the wall, but he helped people get what they needed. He was a part of a team of doctors, who were already small in numbers and a rare occupation that became so crucial to our community.

We reached Kaila's tent, in which she and her brother spend the nights. Derreck is about ten, blond hair trimmed to reach his ears, with a missing front teeth. He goes to class with all the other kids his age and spends the rest of the day scavenging or helping my father around with medical supplies.

It was decided not too long ago that all children below the age of sixteen must take a coursed class. They basically taught you how to use a knife and gun, all the meanwhile focusing on some basic survival skills. From what I could remember, I was even taught what specifically attracted Anaters to attack and what some known weaknesses were.

After you turn seventeen, you become an active member of the sanctuary. You can choose, be a guard on the perimeter wall, a runner for errands, or someone who worked within the community. Most people chose the latter, working inside the camp and doing the regular chores like cleaning, teaching, and cooking. After we finished the required classes, Kaila and I wanted to be a bigger help to the community. Opposed to popular choice, we became errand runners, knowing the job was becoming increasingly desperate.

It's the riskiest job of them all, but some had to step up and volunteer.

I looked across from her bright orange tent and saw my own, which I shared with my father. I walked over to my tent and peeked my head in. Two mats with wool blankets were sprawled on either side of the large tent. To the right, was mine and to the left, was my father's. In the middle, was a large table where he kept his medical supplies, neatly organized.

I sighed as I saw no sign of neither him nor Derreck. I crept out of the tent and faced Kaila, who shook her head. Worry and concern made its way to her eyes.

"Tori!" I turn around to see my father and Derreck walking towards us, carrying medicine and gauge. A sense of relief washed over me as I rushed over to hug my father tightly.

"How was your very first run?" He asked, a gentle smile on his face.

I didn't have the guts to tell him about the Anater situation we experienced so I nodded my head slowly and answered. "It was good."

Derreck and Kaila were breaking away from their hug, when my dad cleared his throat and spoke.

"Sweetheart, something's happened. There's been an atta-"

"We know," Kaila interrupted. "Carlos told us." There was a moment of acknowledged silence. "Any news from Marc...?"

My dad was silent for a moment, shifting his eyes from the ground to Kaila. "Kaila..."

He seemed to hesitate, sorrow drowning the light of his grey-blue eyes. "Marc... he's no longer with us."

I could instantly feel Kaila crumbling down inside. Marc had been her lone reassurance and comfort for the past months. I didn't know what to say. I looked at my father and knew he felt deep sorrow and guilt for breaking Kaila's heart.

The deep lump in my throat and my watery eyes urged me to cry, but I held it in, knowing I should be strong for her. Looking to her, she wasn't as strong. Tears ran down her cheeks, sniffling sounds growing louder.

"H-How? When?" I could hear her soft cries slowly turning into sobs.

"At the Northern gate. He was attacked by one of them. You have to understand... when he turned into one of those... those things, they had to put him down. It wasn't Marc anymore. Not like we knew him. I'm so sorry, Kaila." He brought the sobbing girl into his arms. Derreck was crying, too, as I took his hand and squeezed it gently, nodding down at him, in the hope for comfort.

I wiped the tears from my eyes with the sleeve of my green army jacket and brought Kaila to her tent to put her to bed.

Derreck and my father entered the tent and nodded at me, before zipping the door up.

I turned to a sobbing Kaila. She stared coldly at the tent floor and sat, shaking. I wrapped her blue blanket over her shoulders and took her dirty boots off, putting them aside, near the door of the tent. I scoot closer to her and hugged her tightly, pressing my head on her shoulder.

"I know, Kaila. I know."

That night Kaila and I slept next to each other. I could still hear people outside speaking, footsteps walking by our tent.

"Tori?" She whispered.

"Yes?" I answered softly.

"I'm going on that run tomorrow. For Marc, he would've wanted me to. I'm going." She whispered coldly, with a determined tone. It took me a while to figure out which run she was talking about. Suddenly, it dawned on me.

I knew it was too dangerous for the both of us. I knew that only the most experienced were to go. I knew that we surely weren't ready for it. It was called the Red Excursion, a 2-day trip in which experienced travelers separated themselves in teams to find gasoline and ammo, one of the rarest and most valuable resources to our community.

"You can't." I simply replied, leaning up on my elbows.

"I'm going. Whatever you say can't stop me, Tori."

There was a long pause of blank silence, until I opened my mouth to speak up.

"Then I'm going with you."

In that moment, I thought to myself: I, Victoria Dollinson, was leaving to embark on the most dangerous, life threatening trip in which, I could certainly be killed, all for the sake of my best friend.

I must be crazy. I must be stupid not to put up a fight with her.

But then again, no matter where I was, danger always followed.

********

So I know that we haven't met the second main character yet, but please stick with me. We're almost at the plot I promise. This is additional information that you should really need to know and so you can get a better understanding of the setting and how Tori lives and what such. The story will get MUCH better. I have so many good ideas I just want to list them here. But I can't... because I'm an evil author muahahha. Haha. Ha.

Click that star and make it colorful.

Funnybear12 Out.