Part of me still doesn’t.
But I know I need to. Seeing Jolie, obviously running for her life, skin and bone, hurt beyond belief, she’s trying to live.
She ran to survive.
What have I been doing?
She’s stronger than I’ll ever be because since she found the courage to fight for herself, I’ve given up. Jolie doesn’t want to die, and I’ve been waiting for the day for my heart to finally stop beating. I’m young.
Ish.
I’m in my early forties, but I look like I’m in my thirties. I have the rest of my life still, and it can be a good one, but how has an entire lifetime, how has twenty years gone by so slow and fast?
How is this possible?
I tuck my arm behind my head to use it as a pillow and shut my eyes, preparing to fall asleep for the night when the sound of a twig snapping has me jolting upright. I listen closely, debating whether it’s an animal or not, but when I hear another snap, and then another, I grab my gun and cock it.
There shouldn’t be anyone but me in these woods.
Even Jolie is a rarity, but I said I’d protect her, and I meant it. I’m a man of my word.
99.9% of the time.
My eyes catch something up ahead when another step sounds. I point my gun in the direction of the noise and stand, staring at a shadow walking closer to me. “If you know what’s good for you, you’ll stop walking or I’ll blow your fucking heart out of your chest,” I warn just as the fire crackles and spurts sparks into the air.
“Sorry, didn’t mean to scare you,” a male’s voice echoes throughout the night, and birds caw as they fly out of the tree, away from him and toward me. I watch as they perch on a branch above my head which only tells me this guy is trouble.
I trust animals.
I don’t trust people, unless they are my people.
And my group is small. I don’t plan on expanding it anytime soon.
He stops on the other side of the fire, and the glow allows me to see his face. He’s a big guy, about my size, and he has a scratch on the right side of his cheek. His hair is long, shaggy, and black, blending in with the night around him. He smiles, trying to reassure me that he means no harm, but I know evil when I see it.
And this man is drenched in it from head to toe.
“I’ve killed people for less,” I tell him, still aiming the gun at his head. “I suggest you turn around and go back from where you came from.” I hope Jolie isn’t awake to hear me say that. She’ll run away and be in danger again.
The guy holds up his hands, pretending to not be a threat. It’s late, it’s cold, so whoever is walking out in the middle of the woods at this hour is up to no good. The shirt he’s wearing is white, stained with dirt, grease, and something else I can’t decipher.
Yeah, he’s up to no good.
“I’m looking for my wife,” he starts to explain, and my eyes fall to his hand and see no wedding ring. “She’s lost. We were hiking, and we somehow got separated. She’s a tiny thing, brown hair, green eyes. About this high.” He holds his hand up in the air to show me how tall she is, and now I really want to kill this guy.
He’s looking for Jolie.
He’s the man who hurt her.
He has to be the reason for her condition.
I shake my head, still aiming the gun in the middle of his chest. “Sorry, it’s just me and my wife out here right now. I haven’t seen anyone like that,” I explain, trying to get him away from me. I’m not one-hundred percent sure if this man is looking for Jolie, but my instincts are telling me to keep her away.
“You wouldn’t mind if I looked in your tent, would you?” he asks darkly, challenging me as he steps around the fire to help himself.
Yeah, I’m not fucking around.
I pull the trigger and give one warning shot. The bullet hits the ground next to his feet, kicking up dirt and leaves. “I do mind, actually. My wife is none of your fucking business. And last time I checked, you’re on private property. I own this property. If you don’t get the hell back, I’ll shoot you and burn your body to help cook the next deer I kill.”