I run as fast as my feet can take me, it's getting dark and I am currently running for my life in the middle of the woods. I finally see the ranger's station up ahead, I feel a relief wash over me as I approach it. My legs ached as I had just run uphill for at least an hour. I opened the ranger's door and was not expecting the scene which is in front of me. Noah, Olivia, Eve, Liam, Sophia, Junsu, and Seungmin. Wait what?!
"Hey, Rina!" Olivia beams at me. I stood at the entrance and gasped at the sight in front of me! I can't believe this, they were all talking to each other as if they were having a party. How did Seungmin get here before me? And what the hell are they all doing here?!
I grab my knife from my boot yet again and take it out on display. "Rina! Calm down! They didn't do anything to us, they didn't have a hidden agenda. We are talking!" Eve yells at me. "How can you fucking say that? Eve, they kept us captive!" I yell. "Yeah because we stole their shit!" She replies.
I roll my eyes. I look over at Seungmin. My cheeks start to heat as I remember our last encounter until I realize he's holding Sammy. All I see is red and lunge at him. "Get the hell away from Sammy!" I rush over and grab Sammy and place him onto his make-shift bed away from everyone. Seungmin looks amused and smirks at me. "Someone needs to explain what is going on!" I say. "Okay! Okay! Calm down and we'll tell you!" Sophia giggles.
"So Liam, Junsu, and Noah caught up to me and found us all at the station. We were all on alert, we all started talking and they explained their story to us and how they mean no harm. Then Seungmin found his way to the station" Eve explains.
As she says this I look at Seungmin then make eye contact with him, immediately my eyes drawn to the ground. He makes his way over to me and whispers in my ear "That's twice you've deceived me, don't worry I'll get you back" He says in a husky tone sending shivers down my back. After a while, everyone has now dispersed from the circle into random places. I sat in the corner alone with Sammy. Thinking about how in the hell I got into this mess.
"Rough day?" Liam asks me sitting down next to me. "Guess so" I replied quietly. "Look, I-I'm sorry for stealing your things. I needed the equipment for Sammy-" "I know, Eve explained everything to us" He interrupts. "You really made an impression today, especially on Seungmin" He laughs. "Yeah... I hope he isn't pissed still" I sat nervously. "I don't think he's pissed, Nah, if anything it looks intriguing" Liam suggests.
"So tell me how have you idiots survived the apocalypse?" I joke. "Hey! We have survival skills, don't judge! We all worked at the camp, it was fun and all then some sick people stumbled into the camp. Killed almost everyone. The ones which came back we had to kill them too. We've been sailing by really, eating food from the canteen and fishing at the Lake." I offer a simple nod as a gesture. "We better go now anyway" He starts. I glance at the windows. It's pitch black. "How are you supposed to see if it's pitch black out there?" I question. "Oh don't worry about it, there's a path that takes us straight to the camp from here, only about a thirty-minute walk down, we can just about see, should be fine." He says. So that's how Seungmin got here before me. "You're ready to go boys!" Liam exclaims. They all nod in agreement and say goodbye to us, promising to be here in the morning, Seungmin winks at me before he heads out with the rest of the boys.
Morning...
"Morning sunshine" I hear a raspy voice. It was a deep voice. "No," I say tiredly. "Well if you don't get up I'm going to have to shake you awake" I look up confused and find... Seungmin. I retreat to my slumber and ask "what the fuck you doing here? Where's Olivia, Eve and Sophia?" "They went down to the camp already, you were still asleep." He replies. By now he has got my attention. "Well, how come you aren't down there too?" I question. "Well someone had to get you, I volunteered just to get a chance at revenge" he laughs. His laugh is adorable. I get up lazily.
I get up and rub my eyes. Seungmin told me that Sophia carried Sammy to the camp. I look up at Seungmin and say "Let's go". We walked in silence around 30 minutes until we goto the cabin in a normal scene, Eve was talking to Junsu and looked happy, Liam seemed to be talking to Olivia and Sophia while Noah was talking to that mysterious little boy which we saw on our mission.
"You guys took a while," Eve questioned. "Blame him" I roll my eyes. "It's close sundown, do you guys want to eat here" Liam beams eagerly. Sophia, Eve and Olivia accept this offer. We were now in the dining hall, it consisted of various tables and benches, we sat on the largest table and on one bench was Olivia, Liam, Eve and I. Sophia and Noah sat on the other bench along with Seungmin, Junsu and the little boy whose name turned out to be George.
Sophia was having a conversation with George and Noah, and everyone seems to be having various conversations around. All of them look so normal. For dinner, we were supplied with tinned tomato soup. I sat in silence staring at my bowl, isolated from everyone. No. I thought to myself, get through it. Don't draw attention to it. By the end of dinner had I again forced myself to finish the bowl, I felt absolutely disgusted with myself and I couldn't shake the feeling or rationalize it.
get Sammy out for some air. I carry him in my hands and we walk over to their dock. By now the sun was starting to set and the air was chilly. I put Sammy back in the cabin and went back to the dock, I sat at the edge, my feet dangling near the water. It's absolutely beautiful, the scene in front of me, the air smells sweet, crisp and fresh, lacking that decaying smell mixed with gasoline. The sky was colored purple and pink and the green scenery looked spectacular, it was picture perfect.
I was startled by Olivia jumping at me while Eve and Sophia made their way towards me. "Hey!" Olivia said smiling. "Hey," I replied. "I was just admiring the view". Liam, Noah, and Junsu came up behind us. "It's kind of late now, you guys can stay here if you like, we have beds, better than sleeping on the floor" Junsu offers. Just as I was about to decline Sophia accepted. I frown.
Once the boys left to fix the cabin I started "Why did you accept Sophia, we don't know them. I'd feel safer if we were at the ranger's station. It's risky and irresponsible". "We'll be fine, we're in a separate cabin. Plus it's dark now so it's dangerous to try to get to the station in that dark. "She reassures me not to convince me. They dragged me up from the dock and I scuffed my shoes across the ground as I followed them unwillingly. "Pick up your shoes, Rina!" Eve scolds. I roll my eyes. Eve and the rest were talking while I just zoned out due to my annoyance. I followed them into a simple cabin with rows of bunk beds lined up against the wall. We sort out the arrangement and Eve lets me take the top bunk while she takes the bottom and Sophia sleeps at the top of the other bunk and Olivia sleeps at the bottom. We had gotten into bed and I could tell something didn't feel right. I look over at Sammy who slept beneath Eve's feet. Maybe I'm just paranoid.