It'll be ok

Chapter Two

"So, why'd you want me on the hunting trip?" Bryan finally asked, as the two walked through the forest, Bryan taking a detour to walk between a few trees. The question had been burning through his mind since Miller had appeared at his door. As he walked back over to Miller's side, he looked at him for an answer.

Miller looked back at him. "Why not?"

Bryan sheepishly looked away again. "I could think of many reasons." He stepped over a large rock, deciding to avoid the descent into any serious conversation. "Was it my awkward personality?"

Miller furrowed his brows at Bryan, and looked like he was going to say something. "No..."

"Alright, I didn't know you were that off-put by me." Bryan commented again, shrugging, and unable to look at Miller.

Miller sighed. "Look, I took you with me because I want you to know that your help is appreciated around here. I never got to thank you for what you did for all of the injured people from farm station. Most of them would have died if it weren't for you"

Bryan looked at the ground as he walked, and he could feel Miller's gaze on him. "Giving me one of your famous inspirational speeches?" he said, but there was no kick behind his sarcasm anymore; the words seemed hollow and quiet as he watched his feet while he walked.

"I'm serious, Bryan," Miller told him, placing a hand on his shoulder and Bryan made eye-contact with Miller then, briefly. "You helped save people."

Bryan just looked back at Miller, unable to form a response, when he was saved from responding from a sound of rustling to their right.

Miller immediately moved his hand off Bryan's shoulder, ending the moment, and looked towards the sound, raising his rifle.

Bryan gripped his own rifle tightly, moving to Miller's side to follow him towards the noise. He couldn't see anything through the densely scattered trees ahead.

"You go right," Miller whispered to him, gesturing to their right, "I'll go left. We'll corner it."

Bryan nodded in response, raising his rifle and navigating through the trees slowly, careful not to step on any fallen branches to alert the animal to his presence. He didn't see anything as he walked on, and he began to wonder if what they heard had just been the wind or a branch falling. A small voice in the back of his head worried that it had been grounders that made the noise, but he pushed that thought to the back of his mind. Not again, Bryan thought, he was not alone now.

He froze as he heard the rustling again, but this time it was accompanied by the louder noise of padding feet. He crept forward through the forest, when suddenly he spotted the creature. It was not a grounder, and certainly not a buck.

The large gorilla charged at Bryan before he could react, knocking the gun out of his grip instantly, and throwing Bryan against a tree, as he cried out in surprise.

He was distantly away of hearing Miller's shouts in the background as the gorilla tore at the flesh on his chest. The pain was excruciating, and Bryan let out shrieks of terror, as fear ripped him tightly, wrapping itself deeply and tightly around every corner of Bryan's mind. All he could see faintly, through his clouded vision, was the gorilla, clawing and tearing at him.

"No!" Bryan shouted, though his voice was hoarse, as the gorilla loomed above him. There was just so much pain... If only it would stop... He couldn't take the pain anymore...

Then, suddenly Bryan heard a shout. "Hey!!" Miller's voice called out. "Over Here!! Hey you!! I'm right here, come and get me, you ugly beast!!" The shouts were accompanied by the sound of bullets being fired.

Then, the torture ended, and the gorilla ran in the direction of the shout. As Bryan stared at the blood pooling on the wound on his open chest, holding his hands numbly against it, the world began to spin around him. Miller. The thought flowed throughout his mind as he began to lose consciousness. Is he alright? He's an idiot...

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Gonna upload Chapter Three when this gets to 500 reads ❤️❤️