[Wattpad Picks: Editors' Choice] In a world ravaged by global warming, there is the Offering: A rite in which every eighteen-year-old woman in each village leaves their home in search of a husband. Bloodlines must be varied, the Elders say. Genet...
"Do you see anything, Will?" a man shouted from several feet away. I wasn't sure if I felt my heart hammering against my chest or Tobin's. He sprawled across me, and his cheek hovered just above my nose and lips as he listened to the men. I squeezed my eyes down tight. Please don't see us.
More footsteps crunched on the road, moving closer. The sound changed, more muffled, which meant whoever it was had walked off the road towards us. I didn't dare move, and my breathing was hard to control. I hadn't realized that my hands were holding Tobin's waist until I clamped down causing him to grunt.
The man near us stopped. So did my heart.
"Must'a been an animal, Rick!" The shout was close, only a few feet away. A sound of agreement came from someone North, near the shelter.
Then the man by us moved North, his pace faster than before, and I let out a sigh of relief. We remained still until sounds of movement were gone. Tobin raised his head and looked around before turning towards me.
"Let's wait here for a few minutes just in case they are still watching the area. We only have a few more minutes of daylight."
I nodded my agreement until the realization of Tobin laying on top of me hit me. I turned my head to the side and looked towards my bag on the ground. Meeting his eyes was too much at the moment. He must have recognized my discomfort as he muttered an apology and rolled onto his back next to me.
Cool air washed across the front of me as the heat of his body disappeared. He hadn't hurt me, but Eluena was gone. I spent the next few minutes staring up at the sky in silence, as I waited for him to give the ok. What now?
After longer than I had thought he had meant, he spoke, "Ok. We're both going to get on our hands and knees. I can grab your pack. You looked like you knew what you were doing with that bow and arrow, so you hang on to that. Be ready to use it. We'll crawl due-east" —he motioned his hand in that direction— "When I think we are far enough, we can get up and then we will hightail it to my camp."
Earlier I had protested following him to his camp. Now, this was a fantastic idea. He, obviously, didn't want to be seen by those other men, and he hadn't hurt me besides a few brusies in our struggle. At least I could trust in that.
When he moved, I followed his lead on hands and knees. It wasn't the easiest thing in the world, trying to crawl and hold my bow so as not to damage it. When we got about as far away as I had run earlier, he muttered, "All right."
We both stood, and he swung my pack onto his back. Was he being chivalrous or manipulative? I pursed my lips and adjusted my bow in my hands, nocking an arrow. He moved with speed and deftness through the woods, and I kept up with ease.
After we had traveled for several minutes, I dared to speak. We had to be out of their sights and hearing by now, and the night had set in. I wasn't dumb and all too aware of how sound could carry out here under the right conditions. "How far?"
"Into the foothills. About an hour now." He had turned towards me, judging by the clarity of his voice.
Silently, we agreed to slow our pace to a brisk walk. The going became harder as we reached the foothills, the terrain more rugged, gravel rolling underneath our feet.
He led me into a ravine with copious amounts of trees. Once within the trees, I had a hard time making things out, and my nerves got the better of me. Was I doing the right thing? I was following a strange man, not much older than I into a ravine.
My heart pounded again. Could I pull away from him without him noticing? I slowed my pace, putting distance between the two of us. He had my pack, but between surviving without it and being murdered at his camp with it beside me was an easy choice.
After a few moments, he turned his head. "It's just up ahead. C'mon. Let's get some food." He quickened his pace, and I lost him in the darkness until I heard boots on wood. A door creaked and more boots clomped.
A glow started inside the ramshackle cabin. I could make out the doorway now. No windows or, at least, the windows could be covered. His figure darkened the doorway. "What are you waiting for? We should get inside, so the light isn't visible."
Smart.
I fingered my knife in my satchel. My body ached. The tumbles I had taken earlier manifested themselves as bruises and sore muscles. My stomach rumbled, overriding my earlier hesitation. I'd find out who he was, eat, rest, and then move on tomorrow. If he wanted to harm me, he had had ample opportunity to do so. Eluena was my main concern. I needed to find her, but I was in no shape to do that at the moment.
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