(Joyce)
I was used to this by now, this feeling of giving up. It was something that crept up in the darkest corner of your mind, slowly breaking you down until there was nothing left. And then you began to bring down those around you too. But I wasn't about to do that. In fact, it was the complete opposite. I would do anything, ANYTHING, to keep these two boys safe.
I felt like a big sister taking care of her siblings.
And I also felt like giving a huge lecture to James on how it's rude to kick people out of bed when they finally get a good night's sleep. And at a freaking 5:00 in the morning! But I had decided to be nice and let it slide...for now.
...
We stalked through the woods as fast and as quietly as possible. Whatever James had gotten a whiff of, when he'd woken us all up, it was now everywhere. It got in our eyes and noses and clothes too. The wretched smell of blood.
I gagged silently.
"What the hell do you think this smell's coming from?" came Joshua's voice in a nasally way. He had his nose pinched as tight as possible while still maintaining his position behind a tree.
We were all standing behind trees. The smell was terrible enough to distract them from getting drawn to us so it was alright to be a bit closer than we usually allowed ourselves to be.
"Probably another dog or something." But something in his eyes told me that it probably wasn't. This smell was too strong for a single body. There had to be at least a dozen out there.
As we neared the odor, the trees began to thin already. We were heading back into civilization. And with only two guns on hand. Before long, it would be time to scavenge for more food.
I peeked over and saw James' nostrils flaring as he breathed in the scent (how the hell can he handle that!?) and determined the exact location.
"There." He pointed a little away from a large tree to our left. Nothing was visible through the foliage so one couldn't tell whether there really was anything there. But if there was one thing I trusted about James, it was his uncanny habit of being precise on things. It was best to follow it now.
The whole reason as to why we were walking right into the face of danger was an easy one, curiosity. It was this curiosity that drove us to do this and the dangerous hope that even though it smells like bloody murder from the spot in the trees, there might still be a survivor in there somewhere. Or it might just end up as another disappointment as we stand looking at the remains of yet another one of us, who most likely will become one of them in a couple hours.
I felt faint now. The reeking stench was really getting to me.
James signaled for us to stop. He began to advance forward himself without any weapon. And I wasn't about to miss out on any action, however gut-wrenching it may seem. Joshua had our backs covered.
And I discreetly locked my gun and held it steady. If there was to be a fight, then I would give them a fight.
I had promised myself to never become one of them and I had a bullet saved for myself if I ever did.
 shoyou100 · Sat Aug 30, 2008 @ 10:03am · 0 Comments |
