It’s early afternoon, and we’re moving again. Olivia’s question still occupies my mind, but I can’t come up with any answers. The sky is clear and blue like how my mother described my eyes. Now I find that my eyes are usually cloudy with tears. I have a bad feeling about something that I can’t place. Everything has felt a little too calm. We stop for lunch.
“Where are we going?” Rose bursts out. This was a question that had lingered in our minds since we left. There’s a long pause before anyone says anything.
“Away,” Dillon says flatly.
“How do we know we’re not just going in circles?” Marcus asks. “How do we know we’ll ever find anything?”
“There’s got to be something. The forest has to end somewhere,” Dillon answers stiffly.
“How do you know?” Marcus shoots back. Soon they’re in a heated argument. Marcus’s doubt is being taken out on Dillon and Dillon is trying to counter his words. But it seems like more than that. Why are they arguing? They always seemed to get along fine. Then I think that maybe Marcus isn’t filled with doubt as much as jealousy. Maybe this is because of me.
Rose’s lip begins to tremble. It isn’t long before she breaks down and weeps. Olivia and I exchange nervous looks then try to console her. Dillon and Marcus don’t seem to notice.
“Rose, what’s wrong?” I whisper. Then I realize. She grew up around her father fighting with her mother. Olivia and I pull her into a hug. We both try to keep our composure. I stand up, distress turning into anger.
“Guys!” I shout trying to keep my voice steady.
“What?” they stop to answer. I could hear a hint of rage in both of their voices which sends hurt across my face.
“Stop fighting. We have to stick together at times like these.” Dillon’s face softens.
“You’re right,” he says crossing over to me. “Right Marcus?”
“Yeah,” he says under his breath. Rose stops sobbing, but still looks shaken up.
“Why were you guys—”
I’m interrupted by an arrow chopping the air.
I direct Rose to hide as her broken wrist isn’t fit for fighting. The rest of us instinctively ready our weapons. No one comes though. I cautiously peer behind trees and in between bushes.
“Dillon!” I scream. A man is sneaking up on him, knife in hand. Dillon spins around, but their proximity is too great. The man is gripping Dillon by his shirt sleeve and is ready to cut his throat when I shoot him in the neck. He goes down.
“Thanks,” Dillon whispers. There’s no time for anything else to be said, seeing as the first attack got the ball rolling. Four men come into view. None of them seem to possess guns, but they are equipped with numerous knives among other weapons. All four of them charge for Marcus and Olivia who thrust their spears. They miss and the spears land at Dillon’s and my feet. Olivia could run, but Marcus’s ankle is still obstructing his speed. Olivia wouldn't leave her brother though. I see the men whip out their knives so Dillon and I shoot some arrows. Unlike the first man, they have some sort of armor covering their bodies. At least we get their attention. Two men come at us instead.
An arrow narrowly misses Dillon, and then he starts sprinting toward the man with a knife. While they battle it out, I’m left with a man with light brown curls and fierce green eyes. He’s too close to shoot with an arrow. Before I can grab my knife, he swings his own. I duck just in time to avoid a nasty cut.
I hear a cry of pain in the distance. It baffles me at first because I didn’t think Dillon was capable of making such a sound. I race to find him. My attacker tails me though and having my back turned is not an option. There’s enough distance between us now. I load my bow and aim for a part of exposed skin on his neck.
When I reach Dillon, he’s pinned to the ground. His wrist is streaming blood and a used arrow sits about a foot away. I shoot at the man—whose back is turned to me—and send him down. Once I’m sure he’s dead, I rush to Dillon’s side.
“What happened?” I ask.
“Shot in the wrist,” he says with gritted teeth. My dad took an arrow once. He said that it’s best not to pull the arrow out. There’s no use in pointing this out to him though. The damage has been done. I yank the bandage off my arm and hand it to him.
“Use this,” I direct him. “And stay hidden.”
I run off to help Marcus and Olivia if they need it. They’re just coming into view when a fifth man comes out of nowhere and smacks me in the head. Hard. I collapse to the ground. My vision is blurry and my thoughts are cloudy, but I can hear Rose shout my name. The next thing I know, she sits in front of me, but I can’t see anything past her.
“Rose you’ve got to hide,” I croak, knowing the man couldn’t have strayed far. “Just leave me here to—” I can’t bring myself to say the word that follows.
“No,” she says defiantly. “I’m not leaving you. You’re everything my father should’ve been…and I love you for that. I can't leave my family.” My heart melts which partially dulls the pain of the intensifying headache spreading from where the man hit me. My vision clears just in time to see him running toward us with a knife. Rose was sitting in front of me however.
“Rose!” I yell.
But the only thing that changes is where the knife digs into her helpless body.
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