I searched at least five building, the gunshots and explosions warning me of possible death. Unfortunately, I did not find ammo for the pistol but I did find water purification tablets. Now, at least I won’t die of dehydration.
As I was searching one of the empty houses, I could have sworn I saw someone. Someone creeping around the corner that led to the hallway. I ran to the hall, nothing. There was nothing. But I saw it, didn’t I? it was a girl and for a moment I thought she looked like Kai. It couldn’t have been her but part of me wanted it to be. I frantically started throwing all the doors open in the hallway and searching each room, without caution. I couldn’t help it. I mean it was Kai. I know it was. But she wasn’t there. Somehow, she wasn’t there. So I began checking the rest of the house. I found nothing but false hope and a weird feeling that seemed to follow me around, so, I moved on. I headed back to the woods to attempt to get as far away from this place as I could. The heat was building and was probably the reason I thought I saw Kai. As soon as I hit the shade from the trees, I began to move quicker, placing each step with precision and determination for one goal, to get as far away as possible. I could hear the screams and shouts from the crazed people behind me. Guns shattered the, normally serene, silence of the woods. I had made it out of the town safely but I had to keep moving.
My pace slowed to a walk after I had made some distance from the town, the shouts and screams, now muffled by the rattling leaves. I walked for a while before seeing anything other than the wonderful green blanket of nature around me. It’s strange how a world so broken and unforgiving can still be so personal and inviting.
Then I saw him, in the tree. The man appeared to be sleeping and didn’t look harmful. I decided that even though he may be harmless I can’t take the chance of it being some sort of trap. Besides, nobody came a long and helped me when I was sleeping in a tree. If it wasn’t a trap, and he was just some scared survivor, trying to reach the one he loves, then I am sorry. And good luck. I snuck past him and moved on.