Hide to Stay Alive (Club Release 1) (2 page)

Feeling satisfied with my
food supply, I begin looking around for a nice safe place to sleep.
With my backpack in one hand and my damp clothes in the other, I
wander around the surprisingly lush area.

It seems too good to be
true. Suspiciously, I glance around. Not another human is in sight
or in hearing range of me. I see and hear a few birds and bugs but
that’s all.

Warning bells ring in my
ears causing my spine to tingle and goose bumps to pepper my arms.
I slowly and cautiously head away from the haven I’ve found. Sorrow
seeps into my veins but I know better than to stay in a place that
sets off any bells.

Once I’m a good quarter of
a mile from the grove, I start looking for a place to sleep. I look
and search until I see it. A smile curves my lips. A nearby clump
of shrubs have just the right amount of room for me to push under
the lower branches.

Feeling content for the
first time in a long time, I crouch down, push my pecan filled
backpack under the shrubs, and then slide into my new home. Needing
to stay hidden, I tug the lower branches down so that they touch
the ground.

While resting my head on
my pack, I relax and let the scent of plants and dirt lull me to
sleep. Nothing too deep though. I might need to run at a moment’s
notice.

CHAPTER

2

~ Hallie ~

♥

I’ve been watching the
grove for seven days now.

I sit just outside my
sleeping quarters. The grass here is not as soft as the grass in
the grove but it’s not bad. I’ve sat and slept on much
worse.

My hiding spot has saved
me from a coyote and a pack of dogs. All of the lower branches of
my bush are great cover. The dirt and leaves I’ve bunched up around
me help cover my scent. Overall it’s looking like a safe place to
stay for a while.

My stomach rumbles so I
reach for my pack and dig around in it for a pecan. When I don’t
feel any, I take my eyes off the grove and start searching through
my pack. One pecan is all I find. Damn. The ones in my pockets have
been gone since yesterday. This doesn’t bode well for me, although,
things could be much worse. That’s something I need to
remember.

Using two rocks, one good
sized flat one to rest the pecan on and the other more rounded rock
to crack the shell with, I quickly break into the nut and eat my
last pecan. My stomach rumbles even though it has just been given a
treat. “Don’t be so demanding,” I tell my ungrateful stomach as I
grab my backpack and stand.

Getting this much food has
its pros and cons. On one hand it makes me stronger but on the
other it turns me into an eating machine. With the lack of food on
earth being an eating machine is a very bad thing.

I puff out a breath when
my stomach roars its anger. “Okay, okay, grouch-pot. I’m going into
the grove to get you what you want. Are you happy now?” My wayward
stomach roars again. I scowl at my belly as I hurry toward the food
laden grove.

With my rocks in hand, I
walk cautiously into the grove. My gaze darts around as I drop to
the ground and start picking up pecans and stuffing them into my
pants pockets. You never know when you may have to run for your
life.

Only after my pockets are
full do I dare crack open a few pecans and make my tyrannical belly
happy. The taste of these pecans is still good to me. Each one is
delicious. Once again I wonder why nobody else is here. Not able to
pass up such a good deal, I start filling my backpack up. It’s a
small pack but I’m glad to have it.

While I gather nuts, I
think of the elderly lady I did some chores for to get the
backpack. Neely was such a sweet person. If I could have stayed
near her I would have. I shudder as I think of the male camp
members eyeing my body with lust filled eyes. There was no way I
was going to stay and let them hurt me with their stinking
bodies.

A bird flying overhead
squawks as it looks for small prey. I look around again expecting
to see someone near me. I have a strange feeling I’m being watched,
but there’s no evidence to back the feeling up. I keep on picking
up pecans until my pack is full.

The sound of water calls
to me like a siren. My gaze darts around searching for danger. When
I don’t see anyone, I cautiously journey toward the water. The
sight of the slow moving liquid excites me.

Since I enjoy being near
water I’ve seen many good and bad things. Water sources are drying
up all the time and the ones that are here can draw all kinds of
animals. The future here on Earth is looking grim.

I put my pack down and
then strip out of my pecan filled pants and put the ones on that
are tucked safely into my pack. Never get caught naked was another
lesson drilled into me.

Once again I look around
for any sign of danger. When all seems to be clear, I dive into the
water and clean up. With fresh hair and skin, I swim until my arms
and legs ache.

I stare up into the sky as
I rest by floating in the warm water. A strange cloud moves across
the sky. That feeling of being watched hits me hard. I look around
but don’t see anyone. Nerves tingling, I swim to the bank and get
out of the water. I hurriedly take my pack under the cloaking
leaves of the trees and quickly put on my dry clothes.

My breaths are ragged as I
search for a place to hide. A dark hollowed out tree draws me. I
slip into the cavity of the tree and make myself as small as I can.
Using my faithful pack as a shield, I hunker down and focus on
breathing as shallowly as possible. Long ago my father taught me to
control my breath for just these kinds of situations.

Listening closely, I focus
on every sound around me. A few birds squawk and another one sings
a song. That’s a good sign. If the animals aren’t concerned maybe
my imagination is just fucking with me. It’s happened
before.

Not about to reveal myself
just yet, I stay hidden for a long time.

Eventually, the rumbling
of my stomach lets me know hours have passed. The birds are still
chatting so I feel confident enough to come out of the decayed tree
trunk. The sun is riding low in the sky. Not a cloud in
sight—normal or strange. This eases my frayed nerves.

At the demand of my belly,
I pull out a few pecans and crack them open with my rocks. I look
around as I eat my meal. The grove is such a lovely place. The
smell of plants and a hint of water fills my lungs. I long to stay
here forever.

Deep down I know that
isn’t logical. This place is too good to stay vacant for long. I
pat Backpack. “Do you think we could dig out some kind of
underground shelter that no other human’s will ever be able to
find?” I hear the faint trickle of water in the distance. The sound
intensifies my longing to stay here. “I wish we could.” Backpack
doesn’t answer, but I know she would love to stay here
too.

After eating a couple more
pecans, I start feeling tired. “We’ll just rest for a bit then
we’ll head back to our safe spot.”

With a full stomach, I
curl up on the soft grass and put my head on my ever silent best
friend.

Life is good.

♥ ♥ ♥

Splat, splat,
splat…

Water hitting my face
wakes me up. Every muscle in my body stiffens. I jerk my eyes open
looking for the threat. Only a human tossing water on me could
cause water to hit me in the face.

Nobody is around. What
the…

More water drips down on
me. Stunned, I look up.

Rain!

“
Look at that, Backpack!
It’s raining. We haven’t seen rain in a long time.”

The thrill of seeing water
falling from the sky overwhelms me. I jump to my feet and run out
from under the cover of the trees. I love the feel of raindrops
hitting my body. After dancing around in the glorious wetness, I
laugh out loud and look up into the morning sky.

A chill snakes up my
spine. That strange cloud is back. As the hairs on my arms stand at
attention, I take off running for cover under the trees. I hear a
whooshing sound and look over my shoulder.

Oh, shit! Something came
from the sky and hit earth.

Not wanting any radiation
burns or shrapnel from an explosion or some other harmful thing
getting me, I run as though a hungry lion is after me. In no time
at all my legs are burning and my breath is sawing through my
lungs. Pushing through the pain, I run on.

I glance back and to my
horror, I see an alien coming after me. The thing could also be a
fucked up animal that’s insane because it just got hit by whatever
came from the sky. I’m too scared to care which one it is. I just
need to get away from it.

Fear squeezes my chest.
I’ve heard stories about aliens coming to Earth, but I thought they
were just stories.

I speed up or at least it
feels like I’m going faster. Deep down I hope I am. I have to get
away from the creature that’s chasing me. I dart around the next
tree and start zigzagging through the trees just as I was taught.
This time when I glance back, I don’t see the beast
anymore.

Looks like my training has
once again paid off.

I know better than to
stop. I keep running even though my thighs are screaming. Looking
for a place to hide is my top priority. As I run for my life
nothing seems safe enough. My heart is beating so hard I fear it’s
going to pound its way out of my ribcage. I can’t stop. I was
taught to never give up. Life is important.

With my heartbeat
hammering through my ears, I whisper, “Hide to stay alive.” The
words give me a measure of comfort.

I glance back and just
catch movement rounding a tree. Fuck! The beast is still trailing
me. My gaze darts around wildly. I try to calm down enough to
think. The trembling of my legs lets me know I can’t continue at
this pace for much longer. It’s hide or die time.

Not looking back, I dart
around another tree and see a hallowed out trunk up ahead. Using
the gushing adrenaline that’s pounding through my veins, I push
myself harder. If I can make it to the tree before my pursuer
catches sight of me again, I just might survive this without
injury. Fear drives me on. It keeps me going like nothing else
can.

Taking a chance, I look
over my shoulder and don’t see the thing following me. Hope flares
through my chest as I near the hollowed out tree. As I jump into
the hollow trunk I feel a sting in my thigh. Ignoring the slight
pain, I continue to scrunch down into my hiding spot. My breathing
is coming out in harsh gasps. Knowing I have to be quiet, I place
my hand over my mouth and focus on breathing in a shallow quiet
way.

A strange feeling in my
leg has me looking down. Black dots start to form before my eyes. I
shake my head and try to focus my gaze on my leg. Shock storms
through me as I realize I’ve been shot.

The tranquilizer dart
hanging from my leg proves I wasn’t fast enough. As my stomach
sours and blackness fills my world, I whisper, “Looks like I
failed, Backpack.”

CHAPTER

3

~ Hallie ~

♥

The scent of piss and
dirty bodies has me jerking awake.

I sit up. My stomach sours
when I realize I’m in a filthy cage with a big lock on it. I look
cautiously around and see a woman in the cage next to mine and one
in the next cage over.

Tears threaten to slip
from my eyes, but I refuse to let them fall. Crying won’t save your
life. My father taught me that too. Right now is the second time in
my life that I wish crying could make everything all
right.

Buck up, Hallie
Mead
, I mentally admonished myself. I scoot
closer to the thick wire imprisoning me. The woman laying down in
the cage next to me isn’t moving at all. I press my face closer to
the wire and whisper, “Are you awake?”

The woman in the last cage
whips her head around and stares at me with cold blue eyes. “She’s
not awake, idiot. Do you see her moving or hear her
crying?”

I rear back as if slapped.
Mental note to self, ignore the bitch in the last cage. I look her
over as best I can through the wire separating us. Satisfaction
rises up in me. I’m pretty sure I can beat her in a race. If we get
free, all I have to do is out run, Miss Nasty. Guilt prickles my
conscience. It’s not nice to wish ill upon others.

A moan comes from the
woman in the cage next to me. I shift and when I do my hand touches
something wet. I look down. Through the dingy light, I see a puddle
that appears to have a slight yellow color.