Blue Eden

The birds didn’t singing anymore, I realized as I sat on my perch. There wasn’t that many animals around anymore. You would consider yourself lucky if you saw a cat but there are some who were smart enough to hide. I had been in the woods for three hours, but I wouldn’t dare to let myself move an inch from my hiding place. The sun was beginning to set low into a faded purple sky. Pretty soon I would lose the light and that would mean I would lose the chance for dinner this evening. I can’t see in the dark. I could feel my hand starting to cramp from gripping the bow for so long, but I was worried of making any movement that would scare away dinner. I was determined to catch something tonight. My ears strained to listen any sort of noise that would indicate of approaching dinner but all I could hear was the leaves shifting in the breeze from the trees above me. God, I missed grocery stores. I missed everything of the life before. This is not what I do. This is not who I am. Everything about me and this situation was the opposite of what I did before.

I can still remember the time I was in the middle of washing the dishes when the news first broke out. No one wanted to believe what was happening until it was too late. People are slow to react to something monumental that affects humanity. Even when the dead began to walk among us. Now, people, whoever were still left alive, are reduced back to living in the woods, hunting, and gathering like me. Well, trying to hunt. I didn’t exactly know how to hunt but I was the only one in our camp with experience with a bow and arrow thanks for my time at summer camp. The job unanimously landed on me by the others. No pressure, right? Just find enough food to feed fifteen people during an apocalypse. How hard could that be?

I was impatient. There was still no sign of the animal. I bit back a sigh of frustration. I can almost hear that annoying, grating voice of Tom’s. If I go back to camp empty handed, I’ll never hear the end of it. That asshole never knew when to shut the hell up.

The sound of a snapped twig broke me out of my thoughts. I quickly turned my head to the direction of the sound. I held my breath and slowly drew up my bow with the arrow already in place to shoot. I prayed silently to myself to let it be the deer I saw the other day. It was a huge male and by the grace of God, that same deer came into my line of sight. I almost giggled out of joy but also wanted to cry because in another life, I wouldn’t be in this position. I was about to kill an animal. I used to be a vegetarian for God’s sake! My bow was steady, and I felt this calm wash over. I lined up my target, exhaled slowly and let the arrow fly.

#

I was sweaty, tired, and covered in blood when I made it back to the camp. Tom was the first one to notice my arrival, of course.

“Any luck with dinner, Katniss?” He sneered. I could see the smirk on his face fade and then he stumbled back away from me as I got closer. He finally saw the blood. The others looked up and gasped at the sight of me.

“What did you hunt? A dinosaur?” I heard one of the campers asked but I ignored his question.

“Justin, Ben. Go get the deer and carve it up for dinner. I left it a few feet outside the camp. I got too tired of dragging it.”

The two teenage boys immediately obeyed. I turned my attention to Tom who flinched.

“I need to talk to you.” I motioned him to follow me towards my camper.

“Maybe you should clean up first if you want to-“

“Finish that sentence and I’m going to stick an arrow up your ass.” I growled at him.

“You mean you’re finally going to remove the one from yours?”

“Oh, I’m so sorry,” I said sarcastically. “I’m so sorry that I’m being so uptight and ruining everyone’s fun during the end of the world. I’m only trying to feed everyone and make sure they survive.”

“Oh, get off your high horse, Legolas. No one asked you to be in charge.”

“No, they just voted for me because I am the only one after Robert, Mary, Jared, and Dean, who are dead by the way, that is actually useful around here.”

“And I’m not?”

“No, you’re not.” I retorted. “But somehow you seem to think you should be in charge when all you’ve ever fucking done is run and hide.”

“Remind me again why I dated you? I don’t remember you being this bitchy at everything I do. All you ever do is nag.”

“Would you shut the fuck up and listen to me!” I practically yelled. “This is serious and very important.”

Tom rolled his eyes and folded his arms in front of him. “What?”

I hesitated at first. I didn’t want to show him but it was a matter of life and death. I had no choice. I took a deep breath and slowly raised up my shirt, exposing the fresh bite mark on my waist. Tom took a small step back. He knew what that meant.

“You got your wish. You’re in charge.” I looked up at Tom’s face. I knew he was close to running away from me to go tell the others. I quickly grabbed his arm with my blood-soaked hand.

“There was one of the infected out there when I was hunting. I didn’t hear the bastard until it was too late.” I could feel the tears start to rise up. My throat went dry and my eyes prickled and I choked out the words, “I need your help.”

That got Tom’s attention. I was glad. In all the time he knew me, before and after this life, he had never heard me say those words. Especially to him. Now, he knew that what I was about to say is important. My vision blurred as the tears began to fall.

“This isn’t about me and you anymore. It’s about them.” I indicated with my head towards the group. Everyone was sitting around outside of their RVs and campers. There was a fire that was already started by one of the kids who learned very quickly how to ignite it. Everyone was preparing for dinner tonight. They were quiet but were happy. They were smiling. It warmed my heart. There was five kids and ten adults. Nine, now. They’ll be okay.

“I still have a couple of weeks.” I reached up to my neck until my fingers found the golden heart shaped locket. I fiddled around with it, nervously. A habit that usually gave me away.

“I still have some time before anyone starts to notice my symptoms so I’m going to teach you how to hunt. To be useful.” I looked right in Tom’s eyes. “It’s time to grow up, Tom. You want to be in charge? You got it.”

Tom shook his head, “No, I-I don’t…” He wanted to run. I could tell. That’s how he survived all this time, I realized. He knew when to run and when to fight. He picked his battles.

“Well, you don’t have a choice. And you know what’s funny? I faith in you.”

Tom’s eyes widened at my confession. “Why?”

The tears rolled down my cheeks, cutting a clear path through the blood. I smiled.

“Because you’re a survivor. Like me.”

#

I stumbled and almost tripped over pieces of dead wood in the forest. I spent the last week or so helping Tom prepare to lead the group of campers. He was anxious, but he was smart. It was the first time I had seen a change in him. It was amazing to watch the confidence in him grow despite the circumstances. There was some self-doubt, but I hoped it was enough to probably keep him humble.

I decided to slip away from the group quietly. No one suspected my symptoms. They noticed the change between me and Tom, but no one question it. There were other things to worry about. I packed whatever clothes and other things I had and silently disappeared into the night. I didn’t want anyone to panic or worry so I left a note for Tom to read to the others. Some will be mad; others will worry but they’ll move on. They have no choice. I will miss them. So, I walked out and into the forest away from the short-term family that I had immersed myself in and said goodbye forever.

I walked. And I walked and walked until my legs burned and I was utterly exhausted. I was alone and I was pretty sure I was lost. I looked around me. Every direction looked the same to me, but I was sure I was in the right place. Well, 90% sure. But I was alone. I was ready to give up. Until I heard a voice behind me.

“You’re late.”

I tried hard to not roll my eyes. “And who’s fault is that?” I quipped. I turned around to look at Dean. The redheaded man stood there with a smirk on his face, his blue eyes twinkling.

“We gave you the coordinates.”

“You were a number off until I discovered that rock formation. I realized that I was heading towards Mary’s favorite spot in this park.” I said.

“And how long did it take you learn that?”

“Knock it off, Dean. Stop giving her a hard time.” Robert’s voice came from behind Dean as he walked out from his hiding spot towards me. “She had to tracker on the whole time.” He nodded towards my heart shaped locket that hung around my neck. “She’s right, by the way. You did send her way off the rendezvous point. Hey, you.”

Robert gathered me into a warm hug which I melted into. It had been months since I’ve last seen him. I pulled away from him.

“Where’s Jared and Mary?”

“They’re back at the compound, going over your notes and footage. You got some great stuff from your group of survivors. I think it’s going to give us a lot of information for our study.”

I sighed as we began our walk towards the jeep that Robert and Dean arrived in. “Good. You have no idea how stressful it’s been.

“Yeah, your ex showing up like that must have been a surprise.” Robert grinned.

I snorted out a laugh, “Oh my God. That was just huge surprise. But… even though I knew it wasn’t real, it was easy to get attached with them. I just...”

“What?”

“I can’t help but feel a little bad.

"About what? Project: Blue Eden will help us in the long run."

"I guess I just feel bad about not telling them the truth.” I said, sadly.

“Which truth? That the infection has been eradicated a long time ago or there are new people, the right people now in charge?”

I shrugged. “Both, I guess.”

Robert looked at me before he erupted into laughter, “If I didn’t know any better, I’d say you had gone native.”

“Maybe I did, Bob.” I said, quietly. “Maybe I did.”

It’s a brave, new world and we’re all just trying to survive in it.

The End.