“Alright hun,” the Hunter said softly as he tapped Cassidy with the tip of his boot.

She awoke startled, instantly shifting into a defensive posture to find the Hunter hovering over her. She lowered her hammer then quickly checked the bushes making sure Genna was safe; she gave a yawn as the sound of the bushes woke her.

“Look sweetheart, we need to get movin’ if we’re gonna cover any ground,” he demanded, his thick Texan accent wavered throughout.

“Okay,” she replied tiredly rising from the earth then moved to help her sister out from the bushes, the bow fell from her lap and the Hunter gasped as it hit the ground, Cassidy didn’t hesitate and went straight to brushing the foliage off of her sister.

The Hunter retrieved his bow quickly from the grassy earth and immediately began to examining the sights for even the slightest alteration then lowered it to his side. Cassidy and Genna pulled their backpacks onto their back, now prepared to travel, they turned and began their journey through the dense woods at a casual pace.

“Never did catch y’alls names?” he asked as they strolled.

Both girls hesitated for several silent minutes as the Hunter led them through the woods.

“Ca…,” Cassidy began to speak only to be interrupted by the Hunter’s hand covering her mouth.

Removing his hand, the Hunter placed his index over his own then processed to grab an arrow from the quiver attached to his backpack and notched it into place. Cassidy took notice of the arrow tip; its head shaped into three prongs like eagle’s talons with a blunt point in the center. Drawing the string, his finger once again grazed its anchor point instinctually as his eyes locked on a rabbit hiding in some tall grass. He released the arrow and his keen eyes following its path until it struck its target, he lowered his bow and continued forward to the fallen prey.

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“Sorry, wanted to make sure he didn’t get scared off,” he said apologetically squatting down to remove the arrow that clung to the rabbit’s fur.

“That doesn’t look like a normal looking arrow?” Cassidy asked curiously.

“That’s cuz’ it ain’t,” he answered bringing the tip up to show Cassidy, “This is a varmint tip, the prongs here are what catch the fur and that little blunt tip in the middle delivers enough force to kill it.”

“Why did you kill it?” Genna questioned.

“Well it’ll make a good meal and its fur will be good for a trade,” he replied unsheathing a smaller knife from his boot and began to skin it, “Y’all might wanna look away.”

Both girls turned away from the process for several minutes then back as the rustling of a plastic bag, both catching sight of a skinned rabbit being placed in the bag and its entrails on the ground then he tucked the plastic bag into his backpack.

“What were you gonna say before I interrupted?” he inquired as he tied the rabbit skin to the outside of his backpack.

“Cassidy,” she answered then gestured to her sister, “And Genna.”

“Well it’s nice to meet ya,” he exclaimed as his hand thrusted forward for a handshake, “I’m Bo.”

Continuing on for several more hours in silence, alert, and ready for action until exiting the woods onto another black top road, Bo and Cassidy scanned the asphalt and finding it void of the undead and vehicles.

“Hey, I see a sign,” Cassidy voiced as she pointed to it, “It looks like it says Route 69.”

“There is another further down,” Bo announced lightly jogging further down the black top then yelled back, “It says Houston is 47 miles!”

“I’m pretty sure there is an outpost before we’d hit Houston,” Bo stated as Cassidy and Genna arrived at his position.

“Then it’s to Houston,” Cassidy concurred and as a group, they followed the black top path south toward Houston.