"Humans and animals are still alike in many ways. Everything always leads to the basis of survival. Do not what you want, but what you have to."

How did I end up with these people? I mean, out here, walking around the forests of West Virginia with two people who lived the secluded life. They don't belong here like I did, for they are just mere runaways in love.

"I'm not forcing you to do this, but if you stay with me, you will end up killing…" I explained.

Jason ran his fingers through his hair, "Seems like we have no choice…"

I coughed and began walking across the field. A recent rain stayed soaked in the grass below our feet and squished with every step. The house was pretty small. It was constructed out of wood, and had a door and a window on the side facing us. Once we started getting close, I gestured for them to slow down and keep low. Ashley was continuing to plead Jason not to do it.

"We can't turn into murders!" she said. Funny, I thought. It was so easy for me to change. I guess after you watch your friends and family be raped and slaughtered by raiders, you begin to hate things easier. Right now, I hated how Ashley's voice sounded so squeaky and weak.

I neared the edge of the house, and kept below the window. Slowly, I popped my head up and peered inside. There was a fire going inside a stone fireplace, with a squirrel roasting on a spit above it. The fire gave everything inside a decorative orange glow. To the left of the fireplace was a bed, and to the right was a table with some chairs. Then I saw movement in the bed, and an elderly man rolled into view.

"I can't kill him; he's just an innocent old man!" Jason complained. I turned to him and shrugged. Then I looked back to Ashley, who was shaking her head. Then, without warning, she stood up and began banging on the door. Jason jumped to her side and grabbed her by the shoulders.

"What are you doing!" he whispered harshly.

She turned with a face full of determination, "He'll let us stay the night!"

I watched through the window as the man jumped from his bed. He pushed his glasses back up onto his face and then reached for a shotgun. Here we go, I thought. Jason and Ashley continued arguing as the man backed up a few steps from the door and pumped the gun.

"Who is it! State your business!" he called in a raspy voice.

Ashley and Jason exchanged glances. Then Jason said, "Just some trav-, er, people from town, looking for a place to spend the night…"

The man didn't buy it, "Yeah, you travelers are all the same…" he walked towards the window to get a look, and I ducked low. Once I could see his shadow drift to the ground in front of me, I leaped up and bashed the window with my elbow. The glass rained down and the man froze. I caught him by surprise and ripped the shotgun from his hands. Turning it on him, he backed towards the bed with his hands up.

"Good evening," I said. "Mind unlocking the door?"

He stayed strong, "Hell no…"

I sighed, and shot the gun into the wall beside him. The gunshot echoed into the forest and streams of light filtered through the bullet holes. He jumped up and ran to the door, unlocking it and then running back to the bed.

I relaxed the shotgun onto my shoulder and walked over to the others. I pushed Jason back a little, and then swooped my arm into the doorway, "Ladies first."

Ashley looked from Jason to me, before slowly entering into the house. I waited until Jason moved to push the shotgun into his chest. "One shot, back of the head. Don't shoot too far away or we'll have a mess."

I didn't wait for his answer, and walked in. It was smaller than I expected, with two cabinets of silverware and plates on the front wall. The whole house stretched about 20 feet from wall to wall.

Ashley stayed standing in the middle, waiting for us. The man never took his eyes off of me. I walked right in, removed my hat and rubbed my head. I pulled a chair from the table to the fireplace, and took a seat.

I let out a loud breath, "Well, that was some hiking we did today, huh Jay?"

Jason, clutching the shotgun vertically in both hands, "Um, yeah."

I nodded and looked back to the fire. The squirrel looked delicious, and I gave into the temptation easily. I grabbed the stick it was roasting on, and took a bite off like it was a corndog. My mouth watered with the taste of the warm, cooked meat. Squirrels normally had a rubbery texture to them, but this one seemed a bit more tender than that.

"Mhm-mhm-mhm! That's a good squirrel, and I think, you," I pointed to the man, "made a good choice by not making this into a stew."

He said nothing, just looked at me, licking his dry lips. I could tell how much it was killing him to watch me eat it.

I held the stick towards Ashley, "Here, take a bite!"

She stared at the food, but eventually shook her head, "It's not ours..."

I waved a hand at her, and turned it towards Jason, "It is now…here Jay, all you buddy. Save me a leg though, they might be small but they taste the best in my opinion."

Jason's eyes lit up, I could tell he was hungry. Ashley hit him in the stomach and his eyes snapped to her. Not this time Ashley, I'm working on morphing this guy into a traveler, I thought.

"Oh, come on now! That long day of hiking, crossing the river! Raiders! You're telling me, that this piece of cooked meat," I ripped a piece off and held it towards him, "is all about to be eaten by me?"

Jason hesitated no longer, and took the piece from my fingers like a dog. He scarfed it down, and took a moment to savor the taste.

I grinned, and took another bite myself. The middle was still a little uncooked, so I placed it back onto the spit.

"Good stuff," I said. Then I looked back at the man, who was scowling at us. "Say, where do you keep the ammo for your shotgun?"

"Up your ass," he replied with a smirk.

I nodded, "Yeah, I was thinking you would say that. Alright, kill him Jason."

A silence filled the room. The man stared directly at Jason, who was staring at me.

He knelt down beside me and whispered, "Why? We could let him run away!"

I slowly nodded like I was contemplating that. "Yeah, but we could leave his body out in the field to attract some more food. Buzzards, wolves…mole rats…"

Ashley put a hand over her mouth and looked at the man.

Jason stood back up, shaking his head. "No, I won't…"

I sighed, and patted my laps. I pursed my lips and sucked air in. Hell, you'll come around Jason. I snatched my pistol from its holster and fired into the man's leg with the speed of light. The gunshot cut out quick in the house. Everybody shouted, and the man collapsed from the bed onto the ground.

"Alright Jason, he's just been shot in the leg. He'll survive with some care, but being alone with a gimp leg will kill you within a few days. He can't hunt, fight, or move location," I explained standing from my chair. I paced back in forth in front of the now crippled man.

Jason was bewildered.

"Ever been shot in the leg, Jay?" I asked. He didn't answer. "I ASKED YOU A FUCKING QUESTION!"

He stuttered, "N-no…"

I grinned, "Woo, it hurts like a bitch," I looked at the man, "Like this bitch!" I raised my pistol and fired again, but this time I shot his right hand. He shouted, and began tossing and turning.

"Oh damn, the hand? Now he can't do anything! Talk about slow and painful!" I said getting to the point. "You can end this suffering, with a bullet."

"Why?" Jason yelled.

I stepped into his face and shouted, "Because you need to kill out here! If you don't start then I will!"

I shoved him and he tensed up.

"Do you hear me? Shoot him!" I yelled. Ashley had backed into the farthest corner of the room and was crying hysterically.

I turned my back, but instantly whipped back around with my pistol to Jason's head. "You try to raise that gun on me; I'll kill you, the man, and Ashley."

Jason was so lost. He had no idea what to do. I walked over, grabbed the man by the collar, and dragged him out the door. He was coughing and yelling profanities.

"The thing about losing blood," I began talking again, "Is that you see it all. You watch the black dots appear in your vision. It's like the hand of death saying, 'guess who'!"

I stormed back into the building, realizing that there was one way that Jason would listen. I pushed past him and placed my gun to Ashley's head. She screamed and pressed up against the wall in a feeble position.

"Whoa-whoa-whoa-whoa!" Jason said putting a hand up. He took a step towards me and I clicked the hammer back, freezing him in his tracks.

"You're going to make choices out here! The difference between life, and death, is sometimes a yes or no question!"

Jason tried to plead with me. "Then you shoot him!"

I cocked my head to the side, "Really? Shoot her? Alright…"

Jason jumped back towards the door, "No! I'll do it, I'll do it!"

I crouched beside Ashley, and clicked the pistol back into a safe position. "I didn't plan on getting you involved."

She continued crying and covering her eyes. I cupped my hands around her ears and waited for the gunshot. I don't exactly know why I did that because she had already been exposed to some pretty horrible stuff in the past few minutes. It was probably the most intense moments she'd ever lived through in her entire life. Actually, everything in the past few days were probably pretty traumatic for her.

"Please…no," the old man begged. There was a moment of hesitation.

I shouted, "Three! Two!"

He shot before I could say "one".

Thanks for reading!

Chapter 6 coming soon!

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- Legkicker