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The group of men rode a mile up the mountain to the perfect hunting spot. A field of corn that stretched for acres and behind it was nothing but forest which held a small stream of water. The wind was breezy and the sun up smiling at the world. Would the team follow through with the plans and bring back dinner? Or would they scare off the food and attract walkers? To them their future was unknown but hope and the will to succeed still burned in the mens hearts.
Nate stopped the truck at the next turn off. Killing the engine he looked at the other passengers, "here's as good as a place as any," he said opening the door. He could see the forest on one side and the field on the other. The field looked dead, the stocks long fallen on the ground. "Could be a house somewhere in that field. Farm house or something," he sai stepping out.
Nate stretched his back and hobbled along the truck. In the back were three guns and bunch of tarps. There was also a buck knife in the centre console if they wanted to skin it here. Some rope and straps they could make a tripod and hoist it up, let the blood drain.
Nate reached into back and grabbed a rifle. He loaded it and raised it up. "Ammos in the cab," he said pointig to it, "fill your pockets or bag."
Hykeem jumped off the back of the truck as Nate pulled up to the side of the field. Nate was right about the field being dead there was nothing they could do about that but it may still attract the attention of some welcomed guest. He reached over the back of the truck grabbing his gun and then an ammo pack. Hykeem was sure he wouldn't need the extra ammo but it he was better safe then sorry. He then grabbed the buck knife from the center and placed it in the holster on the side of his boots.
"We should probably see if there are any farm houses or cabins around here. Maybe they'll have something useful. Then we can start on our hunt."
Hykeem was pretty sure he had seen a small structure. not far from where they came from and maybe that was a good start for them.
"I saw a small structure not far from here back down the way we came. We should probably start there."
He pointed back the way they had came. They would have to go through some wood unless they wanted to stay on the trail. It didn't really matter to Hykeem but going through the wood would give them a little overlay of there surroundings. Maybe they would even spot something. If they were lucky they're boots wouldn't scare it off if they did.
Veran nodded when Nate said that the spot they had come to looked good. He didn't really care, so long as they could find it again to check the traps that he would be setting. To that end he pulled out his knife and marked a tree close to the road with an X.
"Might be there wouldn't be much use in setting traps if we couldn't find the place again. Once we are a little further in I'll start setting some traps, see if we can't get ourselves some rabit, more likely squirrel though."
Veran looked towards where Hykeen was pointing. He figured, much like their spot, that it really didn't matter which way they went.
"If we do that then at least it will give us a solid landmark to use for navigation. Might be I could set some traps in them woods tween here an there as well."
"By all means set some traps," Nate said looking at the rifle he grabebd. "What's the bait you use for the traps." He looked at the pirate, "won't attract the biters will it." He leaned on the truck. So a second he almost forgot about the biters. It had been a while since they had to deal with one, up in the mountains they barely encountered any.
He looked at Hykeem, "small structure sounds good. You want to lead the way," Nate said turning back to the pirate, "want to set your traps first or after. Will we be cutting through the trees or stick to the road. Both work. Road will be faster but we may not see as much. If we go through the trees it will take longer, but we may see more animals." He slung the rifle up on his back. "Veran why don't you take the other rifle, better than leaving it in the truck. Hykeem you start leading and we'll follow you."
Hykeem listened as Veran talked about setting up traps. "Traps." Yeah thats great just incase we don't shoot anything he said hunting rifle in hand. There's nothing better than an back up plan these days. He laughed a quick bit before listening to what Nate had to say. Why? He didn't know. After his pal finished talking he took some time thinking about which path the three would take before walking in the direction of the woods. "It may take longer but it has more advantages than taking the road." The words he spoke where correct unless the road lead to a surplus of food, suplies, aand the cure to the Walker Plague Hykeem was going through the woods.
"Why don't you go set the traps and me and Hykeem will wait here," Nate said smiling, "that way they are around the truck and we can head out from there. He hung onto the rifle and leaned against the truck. Reaching into the cab he pulled out a pack of cigerettes. "You smoke," he asked Hykeem opening the pack as offering some to him.
He waited until the pirate left and put his hands at his sides. Slowly he folded them and looked at Hykeem. "Mia told me about you," he said looking down, "last night, she said you saved her when this all started. I want to know how the details. She thought I should ask you about them. How did you save her? How long were you two traveling together? I wasn't at Bear Lake long, but you were there before me. You're my friend, Mia is more than my friend. I want to know how you saved her, and thankyou for it."
Hykeem listened as Nate told Veran that he should begin setting up traps before Nate offered Hykeem a Cigarette. He didn't smoke before the Apocalypse but these days he need something to relieve the stress. He reached towards the open pack of smokes before grabbing one and reaching in his pocket for a lighter. Why he carried one on him? No one knew.
He leaned back against the truck cigarette in his mouth while he took an inhale and watched the pirate go off into the fields. At first he smoked in peace but as the pirate moved out of hearing distance Nate began to ask Hykeem questions. At first Hykeem was confused but he soon came head to head with Nate. "We traveled together until we reached Colorado ." Hykeem spoke answering the last question first while he thought back to what had happened the day he had first seen Mia Shaw.
"Well you know I traveled alone for a while right. Well one day while I traveled alone in Utah a state the Apoc seemed to hit late the outbreak began there. At first I had thought nothing of it. I mean in Texas nothing that bad really happened to me but as I traveled down the road a car hit me from behind not really damaging my vehicle but knocking me into a ditch."
Hykeem paused a bit before continuing his story. "As I crawled from the door of the vehicle I heard some screams and did what I hoped someone would do for me. I quickly pulled out my rifle aiming for the direction of the screams. Zooming in on what I saw at the time a damsel in distress. Had I know that damsel would have become the love of one of my only friends I wouldn't have taken as much time as I did. Plus I'm sure if the positions where swapped she would've helped me."
With those words Hykeem inhaled the cigarette again as he waited for the pirate to come back.
Last Edit: May 11, 2015 16:42:58 GMT -5 by Deleted
"I appreciate you saving her. The man you shot, her husband, but I'm sure you know that," Nate said taking a cigerete of his. He put it between his lips and took Hykeem's lighter. Taking a drag he handed the lighter back and blew out smoke. Before all this he'd never smoked, but in all this shit, it calmed him.
"How long were you at Beat Lake then? Mia was there near the start. She never really experienced the outside world, but yet you have," Nate said looking at him, "I didn't think you were there that long."
Nate too another drag, blowing out the smoke. "So from Utah to Colorado, long Treck. She was okay though all this, must have been tough. Im sure you two became close after all that."
Hykeem listened as his friends thanked him before asking more and more questions. He lifted the cigarette to his lips once again before inhaling and slowly lowering his hand. He exhaled a bit of the smoke before he answered his friends questions. "I wasn't at the Lake long. Believe me. Once we reached Colorado I sorta departed from the group for a few weeks traveling around before I went home and found that my mother had died some time before I got there." He again lifted the cigarette taking one last long inhale before flicking it from in between his two fingers in front of him and stomping it out with the bottom of his shoe.
Hykeem smiled at his friend when Nate mentioned him witnessing the outside world. "Well pal that's what happens when you travel from texas to Utah and then to Colorado." On his way to Colorado Hykeem had many detours. Although he didn't mind. At first he like traveling alone until he meet Mia and her group. They gave him a sort of purpose that he didn't have alone.
When Nate asked if the two were close Hykeem laughed a little. "You've got nothing to worry about pal. We were close but not as close as the two of you are." With those words Hykeem shot his friend a smile before leaning back up against the truck and awaiting his friends reply.
"I know you are not that close, was not worried about that. Trust me," Bate laughed killig his cigerete and flicking it away. He crushed it with his boot, "I mean like friend wise. Cause you two didn't seem that close, distant kind of. Like you two weren't all buddy buddy, like I expceted you to be if you travelled together that far."
He looked towar the trees the pirate had left to, "I had found my mother dead too. My sister, little, twelve years old. She was eating them, my parents. I didn't know what to do at that time, so they're still up there, walking as those corpses." He swallowe a lump in his throat, "fuck this world am I right?"
He looked at his friend, but didn't smile, "you regret leaving the Lake? I don't know. Sure we're in the ass end of no where. It's hot. Sticky. And there's a shit ton of bugs. But I don't regret leaving. I regret two things in my life. Both in the past, but leaving the lake is not one of them. They wanted me to kill Emre and Jake. Looking back on it, that's not who I am. I won't kill in cold blood. I'd fight for you, or Mia, or Jake, but I wouldn't kill anyone."
He smiled a bit, "where else did you go? You travelled after ariving to bear lake, how far did the roads take you."
Hykeem nodded his head agreeing with his friend before watching the man flick his cigarette from his hand. Right after the man asked a question that really made Hykeem think. Something he hadn't thought about in a while and the man had brought it up. "I also have very few regrets and leaving the lake is not one of them." Hykeem stopped for a short moment taking in a breath of fresh air before continuing. "I regret leaving my mother alone to go to California and I regret letting my emotions get the best of me. There's nothing else in the world I regret. I haven't done anything that bad."
With those words Hykeem looked up at the sky wiping a tear from his face. Right before his friend asked him where his travels had taken him. "I've Walked a lonely road. How far I don't know and to where remains unknown to me but one thing I do know is I've probably been to and seen more of this hell forsaken world than any of the others in our group." Hykeem was pretty sure he had seen the worst of the worst from people who kept the walkers as pets to people who used them for other things.
After the Apocalypse began the world changed for the worse and Hykeem didn't think it would return to normal any time soon so he'd just have to make the best of life how it was.
"Good. I didn't think you would regret that," Nate said leaning on the truck, "I don't either." He looked at his friend, "you've probabaly seen the most out of all of us. Even more than I have. I've seem a lot in this crap ass world. Seen people who were evil enough to cut, break, mangle, bend the bone, and remove muscle mass of a led," he said frowning. "The same people who abused women for fun, killed people because they spoke up." He looked away, "I don't want that here. I don't want all of that, ever again."
Nate moved along the truck, "this world is fucked up. I plan to make a difference. Sure I'll never go back to the way I was, but maybe the next generation, or the one after that."
Hykeem looked at his friend observing his every emotion as the two spoke. So far the topic had dove from Mia to regrets and now the two were at the next generation. Hykeem could tell his friend wanted to believe this wasn't the end but Hykeem's faith had run out long ago. "You really believe that this isn't the end?" Hykeem asked his friend with a bit of hesitation in his voice. He looked ayat his friend before continuing to talk not allowing him to answer. "Even if it's not" he spoke. "The world will still be hell. With little to no civilization and even less educated people it'll take years before the world will return to what it was before." Hykeem paused for a moment wiping a tear from his left cheek. Just thinking about tgthis hell hole made him want to tear up but he had to stay strong in order to survive.
"I don't think this is the end," Nate said with confidence, "I'm still here, it's not my end. You're still here, it's not your end." He looked at his friend, "it won't ever go back to the way it was, it can't. We've come to far to just turn around. But we can start something new. A true comunity. It's doesn't have to be running and fighting. Maybe they won't be the way we expect it to be, or want it to. But it will something we can say is ours. You said less educated, I'm not educated, never was. We can rise up above that. Teach them how to hunt, to set traps, something that matters. We have doctors and police officers with us, they have to be educated."
Nate looked down, "I don't even know what you were before all this. I guessed military of some kind, but wasnt sure." He turned back to Hykeem, "the world may not be what it was before but I'll make it Damb close. We don't need to turn into savages, and we won't. It may not be as happy or a cheery as before, but we'll come back to order. There can only be so many of these things left. I've killed my fair share, you've killed yours, some sap over in California has probably killed his. The dead population will fall, then we'll have our world back. But you're right, it will take years. Think it's already been aroud two years, imagine what it will be in ten or twenty."
Hykeem looked at his friend as he spoke. After all Nate was right it wasn't their end just yet but the end of the world as they knew it. He payed close attention as his friend spoke of developing a true community. A community that would thrive in the world of today. Hykeem didn't know of any community that had thrived like that other than Bear Lake but even in a time like this their ruling body became corrupt.
Hykeem's eyes had moved from the ground to the sky as his friend continued to speak. Nodding his head agreeing with his friend before he spoke. "Before all of this I was hired by the government to kill whoever they decided would die. We don't need to turn into savages. Well i'm already one." Hykeem paused for a moment before continuing his speech. "You're right though We have killed our fair share but killing your fair share isn't gonna help bring the world back. Every day someone dies and becomes one of those things. When that happens the fair share rates go up so we might have killed our fair share for today but by tomorrow morning it would have raised again."
Hykeem didn't have anything to say about the world in ten to twenty years. It was something he rarely thought about these days due to the constant threat of death that had almost completely filled his mind.
"You're not a savage Hykeem," Nate said looking at his friend, "your hearts to good for that. You care to much to be a savage. A savage wouldn have saved Mia, come back for his friends, or stood up for his best friend when the whole camp was against him. You're not a savage, don't call yourself that." He looked down, "it didn't matter what you were before, as far as I'm concerned it was a government job. That just means you have more skills than I do. Better equipped."
Nate believed what he said, he didn't care what Hykeem had been. He was his friend, that's all that mattered. Nate went off the present, leave the past behind and keep going. He looked to the trees towards the Pirate.
"We have killed our share time and time again. We'll continue to do so. It's us against them. With you one our side, with your skills, we'll win. I'm just a Lumber Jack. I build things, not kill." He reached for the axe in the truck, "I'm better with this than with the gun," he said, "maybe you can teach me to be a better shot."
Hykeem smiled his friend was right about what he had said. Hykeem wasn't a savage anymore but he hadn’t explained fully to his friend why he thought the way he did. "Your right about me not being a savge now but in the past I was. It wasn’t the killing that made me a savage but it was the fact that I could do it in any way, shape, or form and show no remorse or hesitation. I was like a snake and you wan't to know the worse part? I wasn't anything like I am today."
He listened as his friend tell him about his skill set. About how he was a skill builder but not as good with a gun. Hykeem laughed a bit at those words. "So I've got to hunt with a builder and a pirate. What luck do I have?" He laughed again lightening the mood before continuing. "Of course I'll teach you what I know. Your my friend and what would the next generation do without knowledge of the gun. These days it's almost important as the English language."
"Well it's good that you've changed in all this. I have changed for the better too. I have more confidence now. I'm more aware of who I am. I'm more courageous, I'd do things now I'd never think of, put myself on the front line. Guess there's something good in this world. Makes us better people," he said with a slight smile, "plus sides are good. It was a chance to start over."
He looked down the road, "we should get this hunt going," he said looking toward the pirate. "Veran why don't you watch the truck, me and Hykeem will go out on our own. You can check your traps and watch the truck." Once the pirate responded, nate slung the rifle on his back and grabbe the axe, ready to head out.
"Alright let's go," he said looking at Hykeem, "you lead."
Hykeem listened to his friend not replying but letting him know that he agreed with what he was saying. Everything Nate said made sense and if the group was to form a council then Hykeem would surely vote for him. As Nate finished up and told Hykeem they should probably get going Hykeem's mood changed entirely. "Well damn I thought you would never ask!" He leaned up pushing himself from against the truck.
He began walking looking first over to the pirate making sure he was okay and then back at his friend. "Your training begins today friend. It takes time so don't allow yourself to become easily frustrated."
With those words Hykeem walked in the direction of the small Farm House he had slspotted a bit up the road humming the song country feels softly as he walked along the path that lead to the woods. He entered the small wooded area his friend behind him only spoospotting a few creatures before he reached the exit and spotted the side of the structure clear as day.
Shauna Kelly: That helped, thank you
Oct 4, 2021 14:40:44 GMT -5
Ayita Hunt: dang, January was my last post.. Jeez it's been a hot minute. o7 guys, sorry for the complete disappearance, life got.. a little interesting this year.
Oct 18, 2021 22:34:19 GMT -5