I stumble back and land on my butt looking around. “What? Squad one? Are you sure Sara?” i ask looking over there and olivia looks stunned, the others their mouths still hanging open.

“Alexandria, Amber, Max and Jesse head back to camp and watch the pod we are going to be out here for a while” sara orders and they Listen all heading back

Olivia Sara and I are the only ones left “are you sure? Just us three sara?” i say in distress

“Its fine, we are going to look for bowman, but i dont want camp to be left unattended, Olivia you said you are good with herbs right? If bowman is hurt do you think you can help?” Sara asks

“Yeah i mean i guess so, but i will have to find some sort of plants on the way or we have to search for greenhouse bunkers.” she says

“Alright thats fine with me come one we cant let danny disappear” Sara sas and we all stand up

I look around and see danny running through the field of black and i point him out “over there” i say and we all take off on the path quietly following his footsteps.

I think to myself and smile a bit “yknow this reminds me a bit of sixth grade, we were all chasing danny because he took saras pudding.” i say and look at the two Olivia being average height now and Rather brown hair kept in a ponytail with her chocolate brown eyes. Her windbreaker already ripped on the side, probably from jumping into the bushes. Sara who is a rather tall individual has her light brown hair just free flowing, her windbreaker untouched but i cant say the same for her shirt which is all dirty now, her blue eyes filled with determination.

Sara huffs “you are right, but we cant think of that right now that was the past this is now.”

“Only the first day and so much has happened already, when will it end?” i huff and then look ahead

“Never, really, do you expect a plague like this to just end? I mean look around you, the earth was not only scorched from radiation but in that radiation came a plague of people turning them into mutants, luckily we havent ran into any.” Olivia finishes saying and then stretches

“Wait what do you mean mutants? I thought it was only radiation.” Sara says and i keep to myself

Olivia hesitates and then speaks up “No of course not, did you really think the radiation could happen without harm to the life source here on earth?” she finished her statement and then stops “hush” she said abruptly.

With that we both stop and lower to the ground our hand pressed firmly against the black sut and the other on our knives. looking over we see a snow leopard and i smirk “alright food for home” i say and get a little bit closer, looking at it it has a missing leg and two tails. My eyes widen out of fear and I look back at Olivia and Sara my hands shaking. It doesn't seem to pay attention to me and it doesn't seemed harmed its still walking fine and i look at olivia “olivia let me see your crossbow”

Olivia hands me her crossbow and i load the arrow, looking at the snow leopard I cock it bringing it up to eye level and pull the trigger shooting the leopard, hitting it in the shoulder blade and it falls, i grab my dagger and quickly running over having a bit of pinning it down but sara and olivia follow up behind and help. It doesn't struggle much. In fact, it doesn't put up a fight at all which has me questioning.

I take my dagger inserting it in the leopards neck killing it as blood pours out staining the fur and my hands. I huff and look around ” we need to get this back to camp before afternoon hits” I say and all three of us stand up picking it up.

“After we cook this and have jakob skin it, we are heading back here we have to find bowman.” Sara announces picking up the back of the leopard.

“Yeah i understand, let's just hope bowman can handle himself until we get there” i say picking up the front part while Olivia picked up the middle.

We begin carrying the leopard, i had the head and we had it raised above our heads, the blood dripping down my arm, my face, and my side. We walk for another hour just about and we see camp in the distance, looking up I huff “even if night comes we are still going after Bowman” I say aloud but no response in return. We reach camp and Alexandria comes over along with Jesse.

This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.

Jesse speaks up “what in the world happened?” he asked his eyes wide and we threw the leopard on the ground ”dinner is what happened start up a fire, i have a fire starter in the bunkers beside my bed.” i tell him and he runs to grab it.

Sara calls for jakob and he makes his way over “what?’

“Lose your attitude for one” she said and looked at him “skin the leopard” she said and jakob nodded grabbing rope, and the leopard tying it to the tree and began skinning it.

Amber and max have been helping skin a deer and a couple squirrels and the huff walking over max speaking up first “jesse, Amber and i went out hunting as well, we put the food in spare back packs we had and tied the down setting them in the river, its cold so it should keep it fresh”

Sara smiled hearing that and nodded “alright, you guys are to watch that food and you are on water duty.”

I smile as well still covered in blood and completely forgot about it. “Maddy go clean yourself off you look like you just came out of your mothers vagina”

With that comment i snort and then go to the river grabbing a bag and filling it with water. I tie the bag up to a tree and remove my clothing and poke a hole through the bag, about ten minutes into taking my shower i hear a cat call and look over to see jakob and i scream. Sara comes running with a pipe she tore from the pod and then seen jakob.

“What the hell? Why are you here? Have you ever heard of decency?” she snaps at him.

“Well you are sure the one to talk” he snarks back

Sara grits her teeth gripping the pipe “and what the hell is that supposed to mean?” she grumbled

“Oh nothing now leave so i can watch my daily dose of fun”

“No you are going to tell me right now” she demands.

“Oh and who died and made you leader? Oh thats right the filthy mutt you call bowman” he chuckled

“First of all he is not a mutt second of all you better watch your mouth before you get hurt.” She snapped at him

“Oh? And that pitiful pipe held by a pitiful little girl supposed to scare me?”

And with that i hear a ‘clang’ and then a ‘thud’ jakob hit the ground, sara hit him with the pipe and them swung at him like a golf and a golf club. Blood splattering instantly, the pipe had ridges on it that sara must not have known about.

“You are such a fucking prick! I should've let Madds hurt you when she pinned you.” she yelled hitting him over and over blood slinging everywhere, pouring out of his nose and his temple. He whimpered and winced trying to crawl away, he turned around kicking Sara off of him and he grabbed a knife from the skinning table “don't you dare get any closer” with that a crowd was growing, Sara swerved a couple strikes and slashes but he nicked her side and her left shoulder. Nothing too immense just flesh wounds.

Sara gripped hold of her pipe spinning and kicking him that the jaw, and then brought her hands around hitting him in the face with the pipe and he fell, she had cut open his jaw with the ridges from the pipe, she swang one more time hitting him in the mouth and huffed.

A couple of his teeth busted in as he groaned. Sara was taking all of her stress and anger out on him, not only because she hated his guts, but because she thought he was a worthless piece of shit and made the whole squad dysfunctioning.

In that time i managed to get my clothes back on and run over but sara had already done so much damage and i pull her away from the bloody guy “hey hey it's okay” i try and calm her down as she was also breathing heavily.

I call for medical and jesse and olivia come running down, their faces wash with color and then olivia smiles “finally something to actually take care of” she said happily and jesse and her picked up jakob “i have some questions to ask later about this” she said

They both leave and i'm left with an angered sara, a bloody pipe and a pool of bloody and i take a minute to look at the surrounding and then i sigh. “I mean, atleast you got all your anger out…” i say trying to lighten up the mood but she's still angered.

I laughed slightly in disbelief “are you alright?” i ask concerned and she nodded “yeah I'm alright he just deserved every bit of that. “ she said and I nodded.

“Well you aren't wrong there” i say and look around. “Well i'm dressed get something to drink and then lets head out to find bowman. “

Sara huffed “take someone else, i'm going to stay here and keep jakob in check” i grumble lowly “whos to take? I-” she cuts me off and names off names “take Jesse, Alexandria and Rei” I arch my eyebrow at the last name “whose rei?” and with that i hear a voice “i am Rei” I turn to see an average height female, though her torso takes up most of her height, glasses covering hazel colored eyes and light brown in a bob style.

“Ah i see” i say and watch as she walks down. “The names rei don't wear it out” she smiles “so where are we going?” Rei asked and sat beside Sara rubbing her back to help calm her. “After the leader of course, what's your specialty?” i ask pulling out a map looking at it and huff softly.

“Well my specialty is in your hands right now.” Rei inserts and it took me a while to understand “hm?” i question looking at my hand and then realise i was holding the map “ohh, hah whoopsie. So you're a tracker?” I ask and she nods.

“Good we need someone like you.” I say and then hand her the map “go grab your bag and grab Jesse from medical.” I then stretch and rub my eyes. Rei nods walking off as i take her place on the rock. “Are you sure you don't want to go?” i say looking at Sara.

“I'm good, you guys need to go, take some rations and some water, don't forget your firestarter incase you have to stay over night, and weapons” i nod “yeah yeah mom” i tease with a laugh causing her to smile.

Rei comes back with Jesse and they both have their bag, I get up and nod “well we’re off” i say and Sara nods “alright good luck, you’re going to need it.”