• Story Two: Part Two
    Surviving...

    Dogs had started barking. They started right after the alarm. They were looking for us. Whoever 'they' is.
    Being alone had made me think. I thought things like, who is chasing us, and, why are they chasing us?
    It also made me wonder why I was having dreams or visions or whatever they were. I wanted answers but none came.
    The others were always in my thoughts. I wondered if they were alive or if they were captured. I wondered if I was alone...

    It was the night of the second day since we left. Surprisingly the dogs didn't start barking until the early morning of the second day. I thought for sure that they would have noticed us being gone a lot sooner.
    I haven't eaten anything. It had rained so I have had some water, but very little. I was weak and tired. I have had no sleep what so ever. I kept hearing things that startled me even though I knew they weren't real. So now here I sit one more night alone unable to sleep.
    Time went slow. Since the time when I got away from the guard and hidden I haven't moved from the spot which made time move even slower.
    The constant noises of dogs and other wild animals kept me awake and alert. The dog’s noises came closer. My first thought was to run, but I knew that was the wrong idea.
    I sat silent in the dark listening to the barking dogs as they slowly came closer.
    “Anything?” Someone yelled.
    “No, the kid isn’t here. Let’s move on.” Another person yelled back. With that I heard the crunch of leaves under a heavy foot get softer and softer.

    Night passed and rain came. It poured, drenching the ground making small puddles under the trees. I gathered a leaf and let the rain fall into it so I could get a small drink.
    In the night I had decided to move from my current spot and try to find what might be left of the others, if there was anyone left.
    I had no knowledge of tracking what so ever but the least thing I could do was try. I knew that if I could reach the river we were on before I could at least hope to find someone near there. But it wasn’t likely.
    They have probably moved on, I thought. Why would they wait for me?
    So then I stood and started toward what I thought was the river.

    I walked almost towards the people that captured us base but I thought that I was moving just around it, or so I hoped. I really didn't know where I was going. I might have been going straight toward the base and the river or I might be going in the opposite direction.
    Still I continued going whichever way felt like the right way to go. I would walk then if I heard any sound that could come from a dog I dove to the ground and laid still. I did this several times.
    I walked for about a mile taking up what felt like an hour or so then heard the barking of dogs close by. I dove hitting the ground and laid there in complete silence. The dogs barked and moved around shuffling the leaves around their feet. There was also the crunch of leaves and breaking sticks under a heavy foot. For the longest time the dogs moved close around me just out of their sight but then every sound stopped. No noise could be heard.
    Did they leave? No, no they didn't. The stop was to sudden. They saw something.
    I laid there waiting but still no sound was made.
    I can't stay here forever. I need to know if they are still here.
    So making the least noise possible, I slowly lifted my head. I looked over a thick root that blocked them from seeing me, but that was a big mistake.
    Before I could even get my eyes over the root a soldier fired his weapon. Bullets went over my head burning my scalp. I dropped my head down then rolled over until I hit a nearby tree. Then I stood as fast as I could and ran. But this time I continued to keep my direction in my mind to make sure that I was not going to get lost again.
    As I ran the soldier fired his weapon continuously just missing my legs and feet. I ran feeling the burning in my legs again but even in my full sprint the dogs were faster. They were at my heels barking the whole time.
    One jumped at me and knocked me over. The dogs came on top of me fast. They scratched my legs with their long claws ripping deep into my flesh. They bit my arms as I tried to push them back. I was panicking.
    This is it. Its over. Nothing I can do now. I thought.
    Then there was a loud pop. It was followed by three more. The dogs stopped biting and scratching. One fell and dripped something wet on me. I reached over with my had and wiped the crimson liquid off.
    Blood?
    Then a gloved hand pushed the dogs off my body.
    "Come on!" The mysterious person said. I stood and saw a masked man that looked like one of the soldiers but something was different. Still, not knowing who this person was or why he was here, I followed him to where ever he was taking me...