Drea

Chapter nineteen: Bad luck

We're so close! Half an hours walk at most. I'm practically bouncing with anticipation at the thought of a hot shower. I'm sure Thane's feeling the same.
So many crappy things have happened these past few days, starting from when Cyan fell and broke his shin. Then the bear chasing me, making me lose all of my supplies and then on top of all that, Thane almost died from hypothermia. Surely my bad luck's run out by now?

I'm really, really thirsty. My lips are dry and cracked and I probably look like hell, but who cares, were almost home.
Thane doesn't look his best either, but he doesn't look horrible. He looks kind of boyish, with his tousled hair and flushed cheeks. It's kind of cute actually.
My cheeks immediately heat up and I clear my throat embarrassed.
"What is it?" He asks me.
"Nothing." I reply, just a bit to fast.
"No seriously, your face is bright red."
"It's nothing Thane,seriously."
He puts his hand on my shoulder stopping me from walking.
"Are you feeling sick? We can stop for a break if you're tired."
"I said I'm fine Thane!" I snap at him and regret it almost instantly.
I like him a lot and all I do is make him think that I don't. I'm such an idiot and I have no one to blame but myself. I'm digging my own grave.
I start walking again, trying to escape the wounded animal look he's giving me. I chew on my lip nervously as I think.
I'll tell him when we get to town. God knows now isn't the right time to do it. Much to awkward.

Cyan's pistol thumps reassuringly against my hip with every step I take. It's fully loaded and ready to fire at the first sign of danger. It's highly unlikely I'll be using it though, I might as well toss it into the brush with all the danger I'll be facing in the twenty minutes it will take us to get to town. If I did throw it away it could be like my statement saying, danger be damned, I'm almost home anyway!
I laugh at that. I would do it, but that would be a colossal waste of money. Guns aren't cheap ya know.

I saw a deer earlier. We were so close to it and it didn't even look scared. With all the hunting going on, it should be scared. I would be.
Come to think of it, I can't believe we haven't come across even one hunter yet. I mean I know this forest is huge and everything but come on, there should be dozens of them stocking up for the winter.
Just as that thought passed through my mind, a shot echoed through the forest and a bullet whizzed past my hip hitting the tree to my right, shocking me into stillness.
The next ten seconds happen in, what feels like, the blink of an eye.
Thane steps in front of me, taking on a protective stance and another deafening shot rings out.

All I can do is scream. I can't speak, I can't walk, I can't move. Just scream.
Thanes body lies limp in the snow, blood gushing out of the bullet wound in his chest, pooling around his body, turning the ground pink, just like the goat from earlier.
I collapse on my knees next to him and hover my hands over his wound, not quite sure what to do.
"No, no, no, no, no! Thane!"
"Please Thane, not again!"
Suddenly my brain starts to function again and I press my hands against his wound to try and stop him from losing any more blood.
"Thane! Thane! Please wake up! Thane!" I plead over and over again.
I rip off my jacket and press it to the wound. It's soaked in blood almost instantly.
Heavy footsteps thump through the snow and then abruptly stop a few feet away from me.
"I-I am so sorry! You were behind all these bushes and all I could see was your brown jacket and it kind of looked like a deer's skin and I just shot, but then I heard your scream and then I realized and..."
"Shut up!" I say in a rage filled whisper.
I get up slowly and turn around to face the shooter. He's young. Around my age and I vaguely recognize him from school but I can't remember his name.
"Thanes dying because of you!"
My voice trembles with pure rage and his eyes water like he's about to cry.
"I'm sorry, I didn't..."
"I said shut up!"
My hand shakes as my hand clamps around the handle of the pistol.
"N-no please! It was an accident! I..."
I point the gun at him, my anger consuming me. Tears run down my face in streams, causing my vision to blur.
I'm fucking cursed! Everyone I'm close too gets hurt! My mom, my sister, my brother, Thane. Even my dad! He's in the fucking loony bin for gods sake. Why should this scum be left unharmed?My thumb shifts clicking the safety off. I'm just about to shoot when a girl bursts through the brush. 

"You said you'd be right b...." She stops talking when she sees me. I wait for her as she puts the pieces of our situation together and suddenly I see the realization hit her.
"Oh my god! We shot him didn't we!"
She instantly rushes over to him and starts pulling things out of her backpack. I point my gun at her, leaving the guy scared and open mouthed.
"Don't shoot! I'm training to be a nurse! I don't know much, but I can maybe stop the blood, maybe buy us enough time to get him to the hospital."
I lower my gun slightly and watch hopefully over her shoulder.
"We have a vehicle about a five minute walk that way." She says pointing back the way they came. I nod, just watching her work.
Fifteen minutes later, we're in a little pickup truck, heading for the hospital.
I keep my hand against his neck, so I will know if he stops breathing.
"Please don't die." I whisper, a tear dripping down my cheek.