Surviving the Hunt

Survival

The thought that I lived through this ordeal entered my conscience. Why had they left me alive? What was the point? Was this just to torture me with being the one survivor? The thought plagued my mind until the faint sound of soft breathing reached my ears, and I realized I wasn't alone.

I slowly got up and walked around the room trying to distinguish where the breathing was coming from. The sound was shaky and barely audible but to my ears it was distinctive. The breathing became slightly louder as I stepped closer to hallow boards in the wall near my parents bed. This was a hiding place I was fond of as a little kid. My parent built it under safety procedure, should the hunters come looking for us one day. No one but our family knew about it and this gave me hope for my little brother.

I walked toward the boards and knocked lightly three times, this was the safe knock that our parents talked about often. When nothing happened I realized my mind had been playing tricks on me and my brother was most likely dead also. I sighed and started to walk out of the room. Only to hear the creak of the boards open. Whipping around in time to see My little brother Aiden peep his small blond head out of the opening.

When his giant green eyes connected with my dark blue ones, they filled with tears. Running out of the hiding space and jumping straight into my waiting arms. The relief that flooded my mind was earth shattering, as I held my baby brother in my arms.

     "Tawin..... I'm..... scawed" his soft voice choked out between sobs. It broke my heart as he held onto my shoulders tightly, cuddling into the crook of my neck.  

     "I know buddy but it's going to be okay now, I've got you" soon his sobbing stopped as a stroked his back lovingly, whispering encouragements in his ear. His hiccups were the only thing left of the break down and soon he pulled back to look at me with the saddest look.

     "They were so mean Tawin" he said still hiccuping. "They aren't gowing to come back awe they?"

     "Don't worry little man they won't hurt you anymore. Can you do me a favor though?" I asked him softly. He nodded his head in agreement. "Good, can you go into your room and wait for me there? I'll only be a minute" I said when he grabbed onto my neck tightly.

     "But..." he said frightened

     "I promise, count to sixty and I will be right there before you know it" I smiled reassuringly. He nodded once more and slowly left down the hall to his room, counting loudly.

I tried not to look around the room as I collected the things we needed. I went to the safe, also tucked in the hiding place Aiden had been in earlier, and quickly turned the combination. I opened it, taking out the a set of passports for myself and Aiden along with all of the money. I grabbed the License that said I was twenty-one and also the birth certificate claiming I was Aiden's mother. My parents had known this day was coming and had prepared for every option and outcome. I heard Aiden counting to fifty and quickly gathered everything into my mother's black one shoulder bag, and left the room. As I reached Aiden's room he was on fifty-eight.

      "See I told you I would be back in a minute" I said to him smiling slightly at the relieved look on his small face. "Where is Gary?" I asked of his favorite stuffed Giraffe.

He pointed to the bed and I grabbed it quickly as I moved towards his closet. Grabbing his Spider-man backpack, I started to stuff his clothes into it. When I was finished I went to the bathroom with Aiden in tow and grabbed both of our tooth brushes and any other toiletries we might need. I then went into my room and began putting my necessities into a backpack of my own.

     "Tawin, where awe we gowing?" Aiden asked as he watched me pack the last of my things.

     "Away for a while bud" I said as he looked up at me with a tear stained face.

     "Awe we coming back?" He asked innocently

     "Maybe one day kid" I smiled knowing I was flat out lying.

     "Here Take Gary and your bag and put them in the car" I told him as we got outside. He did as I asked and hopped into his car seat buckling himself in. I went to the garage and pulled out two new license plates from a box underneath the tool bench. As I switched them, I thought about how drastic our lives would be now.

I went back into the house and turned on the stove, blowing our the burners. I quickly left and grabbed some gasoline from the garage. Pouring the gas on a wooden 4x4 I took the lighter from the jeans pocket. Lighting the wood I threw the stick through a window and ran toward the car, quickly dring down the road. The Explosion was heard from a mile away and I thanked God no one lived near by. I regretted not giving them a proper burial, but this was the right thing to do. We couldn't have the hunters or the Police on our tails. \

As we drove, I thought about what I would have to do now. I could no longer be the self-centered teen I was before today. Now, I would have to be strong for both Aiden and Myself. There was no more relaxed living, we would be simply surviving. On the run from the hunters that killed our parents.