Date: 26th July 2150
Sam's POV
We were walking, well I was, along the road again. Isabelle said it was used for vans who went around supplying food which seemed like a ridiculous idea because nearly everyone grew their own food and only went to shop if they were really desperate. Money was tight. At least in the small, isolated villages it was. Villages like Isabelle's and Josh's.
Isabelle was on my back, I was giving her a piggyback ride the same way I had done with my sister. She had fallen asleep which was good as it would take her mind off the pain in her foot which I figured wouldn't be healing for a long time; she had been running on it for days and it was swollen to the point that we couldn't put her shoes back on- I was surprised they were able to stay on for so long.
Finally, after a day's travel, I was beginning to see more houses with the lights turned off. It was approaching dusk after all. It looked like another night in the woods for us unless somebody came out and offered us a room which nobody did unfortunately. Isabelle wouldn't have noticed anyway, she was out like a log. I made my way back into the forest of the other side of the road, I wasn't risking going back into our original wood. After a five minute walk I found a suitable tree which would give us both protection from the elements and unwanted visitors. Getting us up it was a challenge and it took an intricate lever system which Josh and I had perfected whilst making our treehouse. I placed Isabelle on first and hoisted her up before clambering up the tree to make it more hospitable for us both.
It didn't take long for me to fall into a slumber with Isabelle keeping me warm, her body acting as a huge hot water bottle. She needed to conserve energy, without a food source or a water source she was struggling. I promised that before we left the new forest, I would go hunting for her.
Date: 27th July 2150
Sam's POV
The night turned into the morning and I was woken up by the crowing of a bird in the distance. Rubbing my eyes I saw the peaceful Isabelle who was still faintly snoring in my arms, looking about five years younger than usual. I was pondering whether I could leave her alone when her eyes fluttered open and a she shot me a puzzled look.
"You fell asleep so I decided to set up camp for the night," I explained and she groggily nodded before sitting up a bit too fast and banging her head on a branch. Suppressing the laugh that was about to explode I clambered down the tree and looked up expectingly, waiting for her to join me. As usual she wore a worried expression and made her way down at the speed of a sloth.
"I was planning on going hunting but I wasn't sure whether I should leave you," I admitted, wondering whether an awake Isabelle was better than a sleeping one. I knew that if I went while she was awake she had more chance of being seen walking around plus she would be worrying about me. Isabelle tried to given me a smile but failed and just looked scared.
"I was going to come back as well obviously," I added at the end, hoping that it would improve her mood. I knew I couldn't leave her in a state where she felt vulnerable and frightened. Sighing, I knew that I would have to take her along despite the risk of hurting her and traumatizing her. She was like a little deer which could be snapped at an instant which was exactly my reasoning to go hunting- I had to build up her strength.
We would have to be careful because there were strict rules about hunting which prevented anyone from killing animals except the big corporations. I had learnt this from a young age despite the isolation of our forest. It meant I had learnt how to cover up traces but there were occasions where I was clumsy and forgot. I knew I couldn't let my eye of the ball for one minute because we would be in immediate danger.
"You can come with me," I sighed and her face turned into a manic smile, of course she would love the gory stuff. I just hoped that the gory stuff didn't love her, couldn't have a rabid fox attack her. Or a stray dog. Or the occasional wolf if they were around anymore.
Walking into the forest my head switched to hunting mode and my hearing became more acute. I could hear every rustle of a leaf and every breath of a potential victim. After three minutes of walking I could hear a familiar shuffling in the undergrowth, the breathing pattern all too familiar. A rabbit.
Blocking out all else I tracked where it was, deciding that it was only a few feet away. Slowly I padded over there without making any noise and crouched down just inches from my prey. It hadn't noticed me, too busy feeding of the lush vegetation, it was all too easy to grab it. In one swift motion I broke the animal's neck and the body stopped wriggling in my arms. I looked down at the lifeless body and felt nothing, it was a procedure that I had become accustomed to. I didn't even look at Isabelle as we headed back to base camp, I didn't want to see her disgusted face.
We didn't talk as I spit- roasted the animal until the delicious smell filled the camp fire. I looked at her for the first time and saw her eyes sparkle in the light of the flames. The morning had truly begun and the faint light was seeping through the trees.
"Hungry?" I asked her and she nodded slowly, her mind in a constant moral battle. I had felt it too, the first time I killed but food was food. When the meat was done I handed her both skewers with the meat on which I hoped was enough to suffice her for another day.
She took one look and crinkled up her nose but the smell was enough to make her place the first piece of meat in her mouth. Her face relaxed and she moaned in pleasure as the meat melted in her mouth. Smiling I sat back and watched her face as she devoured my meal. It made me feel better about myself knowing that I had helped her after all she had done for me.
"How's your ankle?" I asked when she had finished inhaling her meal.
"Good I suppose, I could put some pressure on it this morning but it mainly still hurts," she admitted which made me feel better because she was telling the truth for once. We sat in bliss waiting for life to throw us something that would drive us forward on our journey.
So Sam is now Bear Grylls just cause.
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Beneath the Surface
Science Fiction{Book 2} She's on the run. But she isn't alone. With a child as a companion, Sam is running from those that want to kill her. The Savages- cannibals who drink blood as if it was red wine. A chance encounter with a family who kills these murderous...
