The gray heron stalks through the high grass near the overgrown ruin of a railway station. It takes slow, reluctant steps as if afraid to tread on something repulsive.
The bird has its gaze on the ground at its feet, unaware of me hiding behind a group of bushes a mere twenty steps away.
Silently, I nock an arrow and pull the string. Holding my breath, I take aim.
"Leona!" The speaker is close by, startling me.
And also startling the heron.
With a silent curse, I watch it spreading its powerful wings and taking flight, squawking in protest.
My muscles relax as the elegant creature flies off towards the remnants of the nearby city.
Did I really consider killing something so beautiful?
The bird crosses the forest and seeks refuge on a derelict high-rise building. Its ruin stands dark and ragged against the clouded sky like the broken finger of a giant. I remember the fateful day I was up there, a long time ago.
The day that had brought death.
Anyway, we won't be eating heron tonight. With some luck, the others have found something. We have gone without real food for days now, and hunger is my constant companion.
The sound of footfalls behind me makes me turn my head.
"Leona!" Steve's voice carries a sense of urgency that catches my attention. "The wolves are down at the lake, and I think they're coming this way. We should get away from here."
I nod and rise. "Let's warn the others." The thought of the ferocious animals makes me scan the forest's dark edge in dread.
In this world of ruins, we are the hunters and the hunted.
I wonder how long we will last.
This is my story. It starts on a desolate, rainy day an eternity ago.
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Walking the Ruins
Science Fiction[Featured Wattpad Story] A girl cast into the future, navigating a dystopian wilderness with her friends. Leona and some friends are hiking in the rain, on a school excursion. She would prefer to be elsewhere. Suddenly, nausea takes hold of her. Th...
