Savage (The End 1)

He clenched his teeth together, knowing he’d have to find something more stable and solid than the fucking tent he’d been sleeping in. It wouldn’t protect him well enough once winter hit.

Chapter Fifteen

Run

Time was running out. Sasha didn’t know why she felt that way, only that there was no way they could stay at the cabin. Too much time had passed and their food was getting low. She’d tried to hunt in the forest around them. Rabbits ran too fast. There was no way to get a squirrel. Unless she started testing mushrooms, which was a bad no-no. There was no way she could deal with what the hell was happening.

Not once during school did they take them out to go hunting or to do anything like that.

Life … sucked.

Lying next to Lucy, her sister had a smile on her lips as she did most of the time she was asleep.

Holding onto the pillow, she tried to think of a good reason to stay at the cabin. They were relatively safe, no doubt about that. Other than the one guy she’d killed, no one else had attacked them.

The days were blending together.

What mattered was staying safe.

Climbing out of bed, she kept hold of the handgun she took with her everywhere. She knew danger was all around them and since she’d had to kill someone, she hadn’t allowed herself to get caught out again.

Heading into the kitchen area of the cabin, she stared out of the window. It was dark outside and the only light came from the moon, filtering in between the trees. She would give anything to have wings right now just to go and see what the hell the rest of the world was doing.

If she didn’t have to worry about Lucy, she’d have been long gone.

Her baby sister needed to be protected.

Just as she was about to turn her head, movement caught her attention.

Leaning back against the wall, away from any window, she chanced another peek outside and sure enough, she saw a flash of light.

Her heart started to race. Her mouth went dry.

Then she heard the sounds of cheering.

Men.

She didn’t know how many but she heard three men all talking at once.

There was no way she’d be able to hold them off.

Keeping low, she crawled back to the bedroom and shook Lucy awake. Her sister went to talk but she covered her mouth.

“Don’t make a sound,” she whispered.

Lucy nodded and she helped her sister out of bed. Without waiting or hearing to see what the men were doing, she grabbed the backpacks she’d prepared days ago. Sliding one onto Lucy’s shoulders, she did the same with hers. Keeping Lucy behind her, they slowly began to exit the cabin. She could tell the men were close and as the front door slammed open, she moved into the spare bathroom and slowly closed the door. Going to the window, she took her time working it up. The men were in the house and she heard them getting closer as she helped Lucy out of the window. Following her, she jumped down just as the door slammed open. Pressing her back against the wall, she felt panic fill her.

Run.

She had to run.

Pointing, she grabbed Lucy’s shoulders and urged her forward. They rounded the house, and she quickly pulled Lucy back. One of them was there taking a piss. Covering Lucy’s mouth, she pulled the gun she still had out of the back of her pants.

Stepping back from the wall, she crouched down to Lucy. “Stay behind me.” Stepping out from the wall, she kept her gun at her side and slowly began to step out from behind the house.

Slowly, she pulled Lucy with her, using her own body for protection. Breaking for the trees, she pushed Lucy behind the tree just as she was tackled to the ground. She didn’t even think about it this time. She pointed the gun and started to shoot.

Three shots and she dropped the gun, pushing the body off her. She didn’t think as she got back up, putting Lucy in front of her and starting to run. She heard the men closing in on her and she didn’t stop.

“Sasha,” Lucy said. “It hurts.”

Automatically, she picked up her sister, and Lucy wrapped her legs around her. The added weight didn’t help her and she grew tired quickly but she didn’t stop. Not for a second.

Only when she couldn’t take any more, she leaned against a tree holding her sister.

“I think they’re gone,” Lucy said. “They stopped following us. They looked drunk.”

Slowly, Sasha eased her sister down to the ground and collapsed in a heap beside her. With the darkness surrounding them, she didn’t look down at her body, too afraid of what she would see. Lucy huddled against her side and she tried not to think.