Buddy sleeps peacefully by my left side, his heavy breaths cause his soft fur to push against my leg every time he breathes in. On my right, Drew sits close to me, as I lean against his side, head on his shoulder. He sits comfortably, listening in with everyone to Amy, as she explains only small details of what she's been through so far. Every time someone asks her a question further about something, she'll only reply vaguely, or she wouldn't answer their question altogether, which gets everyone sceptical about the girl.
I still wonder how she knew all of that information about Drew and I, trying to make sense of how she could know so much. And, it isn't only us, she says she already knew about West and she already knew he tried to kill me because of a deal someone made with him.
I'm still wondering who the person could've been who made that deal with him. Who wants me dead?
"Switching between so many groups is difficult, since I have to force myself to trust them enough so I can get enough sleep." Amy proceeds to explain, cutting me out of my thoughts.
"Why did the group you were previously with lock you in that shed with that Roof-Crawler though?" Drew asks Amy from beside me. I feel his body shift a bit while he speaks as I lean against him comfortably.
Amy instantly turns to him, her eyes giving that look that she is keeping a secret from us straight away, "I don't know." She quickly says, breaking eye-contact immediately as she replies.
"Well, I'm gonna get some rest. Who's on watch tonight?" Sean manoeuvres his body so he can lie on the ground.
"I will." I say, sitting up straighter to look more awake. Whereas, I'm actually really tired. But, I just don't trust Amy. She's hiding something.
"Good, cause I wasn't going to." Gabby says after my response. Sean smiles in her direction, but hides it as both of them get comfortable. Sean on the ground, Gabby against a tree. I smile and shake my head. You can always rely on Gabby.
"I need some sleep as well, but if anyone comes even a metre close to me, I'll skin you alive with the teeth of an I9." Amy threatens, putting a dagger in her pocket and laying on the ground on one of our bags.
Ignoring her, I turn to look at Drew, "You should get some sleep as well." I say.
"Are you sure you'll be okay staying up alone?" He asks me.
"I'll be fine. Get some sleep." I reassure him. He gives in reluctantly. Although, before he tries to sleep, he takes my hand in his own, fingers intertwined and he kisses the top of my hand. I chuckle, "You're such an idiot," I giggle, before adding a quick, "SnowTop."
"I still made you blush though." He smirks. Only then do I notice my cheeks are heating up lightly. I punch his shoulder, causing him to chuckle.
"You're so full of yourself." I say as I take my bow and examine it, ignoring his dorky laugh.
Eventually, everyone is asleep. It's just me now.
I glance around to the outskirts of the jigsaw of trees, watching for any movement, as carve an image into the white wood of my bow with the fine edge of Drew's dagger. I lost both of my daggers to West, so I just use Drew's one whenever I want. Most of the time he doesn't even notice me pocket it from him. I'm pretty good at pickpocketing people, which may seem like a strange skill, but it's pretty useful during the apocalypse when most people are completely insane, or going insane.
Scanning the forest before myself with my eyes, I eventually find my eyes land on Drew. His fine features, and his white-dyed hair that lolls over the front of his head, covering his eyes slightly. The calm, controlled flames of the fire in the middle of our small group sends a peaceful, orange glow washing over the one side of his face. His chest would rise and fall with every breath he takes.
Suddenly, I hear a snap, before the subtlest, quietest croak from the forest ahead of me, past Gabby and Sean, past a few layers of trees. The thick foliage from the trees shield whatever lurks there in the blackening shade.
There's a change in the wind and the moonlight seems to pierce through some of the layers of leaves above the area, sending rays of light dancing on the deathly-looking dirt of the ground beneath which a creature stands upon. The croaking continues, like a strangled noise as such.
Through the darkness, the rays of moonlight reveals a torn, greyed face, who's lips are completely turned in and the skin of it's face tightly hugs the skull of the thing. It's eyes glow a deathly yellow that pierce the darkness of the night by it's irregular face.
As soon as we make eye-contact and hold it, I slowly and steadily raise my bow, slotting in a sharp-edged arrow, pulling the string back and aiming for the creature's ugly face. Through the unsettlingly calm silence, I hear it grunt in realisation of my actions and it takes off in the opposing direction, disappearing into the pitch-black darkness of the calm night, followed by it's quickened sharp breaths as it takes off with each stride.
I relax my bow in my hands and I slowly lower it, still with the arrow resting in place against the string. My fingers wring around the bow and arrow to hold it with that one hand, while I continue to carve the tangled coil of a dragon into the soft wood of my delicate bow. I ensure that I keep my eyes narrowed in concentration at the forest towards the way in which the creature ran.
My suspicions about that girl are raised a bit considering she mentioned the 'Stalkers' the night that I first experience one.
She knows something that no one else knows.
Not even me.
~-*-~
