Stage One: Hope in Darkness

Killing & Snipers (Annabelle)

"Why do we have to stay out here while the others get to have all the fun?!" The screeching voice easily reached me behind my bush. Hannibal was beside me, the two of us molding ourselves into the bushes. The thickness of the deciduous greenery around us offers its protection over us. A mother shielding her young with the fierceness of a grizzly. It brings me an odd sense of comfort, as if I am becoming one with this place. A tree standing tall, reaching for the sun and diving deep in the fertile earth. Singular yet blending into the others, becoming a forest instead of a lone tree standing in a field.

This was a mess. Should have just stayed in the treehouse like a good little hermit. If I had not felt the confidence, now realizing it was arrogance, to come then the rippers would not be my problem. No. They would still be a problem, and they might run off to get more before storming my home. Then I would truly be screwed. This was better, taking these guys out and leaving the other none the wiser about my location in these woods.

Self-destructing thoughts would get me nowhere. This was the situation I was in, now to do something about it. Two rippers and three walkers crashed uninterrupted directly into the forest not ten feet from me. Idiots. The forest was full of small trails, worn down by animals, following them was the best way to get around without detection. These guys obviously had no idea how to go about a search. If you wanted your target to hear you long before you got there and flee the area then their tactics were perfect. Don't let your target know where you are sweetpea. It makes you open to an ambush. The words had seemed so odd, coming from my father. The military man teaching his six year old these kinds of things was really questionable. Now I could only be thankful for those lessons.

"The Master wants us to keep an eye out, make sure none of the goodies from that camp get away." The other one made whining noise and flailed his arms about like a child throwing a tantrum. Children had the excuse of an undeveloped frontal lobe for their actions. This ripper was just insane, and not in any good way.

"But I wanna go killing!!! Those people take care of themselves, I bet they taste delicious!!" He punctuated his statement by licking his lips and giggling. If this guy got any more upset it would not surprise me in the slightest if he threw himself on the ground and thrashed about. Kicking up dirt and leaves in a shower of his frustration. It was the other rippers turn to speak now,

"Awwww don't feel bad Slash, one could come this way. Then they are all ours, no having to share." The temper tantrum throwing one, apparently called Slash, shivered in delight. The other one continued to talk,

"Unless it is the girl. The one auburned haired mute that the Master wants, he wants her unharmed. Who knows what he would do to us if we hurt her." They both shivered this time, in fear, not pleasure. They are looking for me? I suppressed the gasp of horror that wanted to escape my lips. He must be behind this. So that monster had found others of his kind. The rippers were following his orders.

I had no idea how but he had somehow managed to get the rippers to do his dirty work. There was no other person who could be behind this. No one else even knew I was alive. Everyone else from my old life was gone. A blond head thrown back in a laugh flashed behind my eyes. Lara.

Everyone else, the ones from after.... well.. the dead could not speak. Blood. Dead eyes, pain, cold, darkness. I shut those thoughts out. Cutting myself off from them like slamming down a wall made of tungsten, then pouring walls of ten foot concrete around them. The last thing I needed was to bring myself back to those memories. Some things were best forgotten, even if it was impossible.

I have to get out of here. Not just out of this situation but this forest. This state if necessary. Leaving everything behind. My beloved house, my sanctuary. So many hours, days and weeks of work would become nothing in the blink of an eye. It would be unavoidable, now that he knew I was still alive. The rippers were his errand boys now, he was serious about finding me. He would not give up just because I killed a few of his low rent thugs. Cause that was what had to happen. These rippers were going to die by my hand.