Chapter 3: The Hive

Situation Unknown

       I can't get it out of my freaking head! This is ridiculous but I have no time to think about that. I have to focus on how to get there. While I was running, feeling the chilling air hits my face and hearing air-crafts passing above me. The sound of it makes my blood run cold. The sky was orange colour, fluffy white clouds was floating around above me. I can see the emerging sun above the horizons. The warm feeling from the sun ray warmth me up, the look of the clouds calmed my nerves down.As I realized I was distracted, I quickly bonce back my thoughts and continues heading back to the tent. Hunter was keeping pace with me, and he should be. Hunter has been my companion since my dad pass away when I was 14. He was a trained by my dad as our guard dog at home.Tough, agil, intelligence, loyal, everything you want from a dog. Daddy always bring him out everyday to train him and make him tougher, better everyday. Hunter was a German Shepard, he was a very loyal guy. He got those fluffy brown and black patterned fur which blends well in the woods. He was pretty big guy, around 40-50 pound. He got a ferocious looking eye. He was a quick learner and can allow me to teach him commands and trains him quicker as well easier. He can executes task and do it at an impressive speed. I always takes him out for hunting as he was very good at it due to his great sense of smell, he was definitely helpful in one way or another. He was the only partner that never turn my back on me.


  I made it back to my campsite, but the scenery makes me break out in the cold sweat, I cannot believed me eyes. I am just frozen in fear. Stuck for a while until I get back to my senses when Hunter scratches my leg. I knew that I have to pulled myself back together and think about the alternatives. After a few minutes of thinking, I recalled that I usually have my survival kit hidden buried somewhere around my camps. It will come in handy. My typical survival kit contains a few bottles of water, some canned food and the most important items was the weapons. I knew it had to be somewhere around here but I can't remember the exact location. The only thing I do remember was that it was beside a tree stump. I have to get to work and search for it. I look at my surrounding, finding a tree stump that matches my description. Wandering and scanning at the surrounding forest.Then I saw a mysterious brown coloured block of unidentified object popping out of a bush.'' It could be the tree stump'', I thought. I got there and took out my pocket knife. Starting to cut away the bushes, it reveals the mysterious object and it was certainly a tree stump! I finally found it, but I have to hold back my celebration because it was not the time for it. I need to find the spot where I buried it, because it was not easy as I always enshrouded it. A few moment of feeling and fiddling around, I felt a bump. ''This must be it!''. Without any form of hesitation, I began to dig. The ground was harden probably due to the cold temperature. Digging and carving out the ground for a few minute, I can see the box sticking out of the dirt. A sigh of relief when I saw that the kit was still there, the Scavengers did not notice it luckily. I got it out of the ground, and brushes the dirt away on top of the box. I opened it and the content was untouched. I grabbed everything and put it in my backpack, in a blink of eye, everything was in.

  While wandering around my campsite, I felt that I still have something hidden around here. Some where that I couldn't think of. I can see the tent was wrecked by the Scavengers. Thinking about the tent brought up memories of the secret compartments I had in it! I set the tent back up and went inside to checked for the secret compartment. Everything was in ruined, from the smallest thing to the largest thing. My chest that I stored my belongings, most of the items were stolen. Only left me some rubbish and other unusable things. I knew that the secret compartment was behind my storage chest. I use both of my hands to move away the chest and unveil the hidden compartment. I unzipped it and found more canned food, but also an important item; the compass. Compass can be very useful for traveling, it keeps you heading the right direction and from getting perplexed by nature. Scavengers don't usually leaves out items like food, water, weapons, or anything that they could make into and sell it in town. This time was unusual, they seem to be in a hurry. The food and water I found should be enough to keep me going. The Hive was about 146 miles away, in Columbus. I have to go to the town near by to find a faster way to get there except walking. Walking definitely the safest way as most of the Deus's troops does not patrol out of the city and towns. Even though they still have drones patrolling and looking for illegal mining or illegal loggers, but for us travelers were small sized and could not be spotted easily with the tree camouflaging. While taking the train was vice versa, it is very risky for Out-casters to board one due to the high security standards. Those includes surveillance camera, patrolling guards, and more. In the other hand, it could save me days of time and energy. Asking and getting information from The Hive is easy as I am familiar with most of the members. The most familiar person was definitely my cousin; Eirenne. She was the leader of The Hive, not only that she was good at leading the group but also a peace keeper. The reason she called the group, ''The Hives'' was to symbolize the bees. Bees always worked together to fight, protect their comrade and to stay alive. The thought makes her admired them and realized that human can work together to find peace and prosperity also. That why I always admire her work and keep supporting her.


  While thinking and planning for the journey. I suddenly heard the sound of crunchy leaves stepped, that attracted my attention. The first thought ran through my mind was Scavengers, but as I saw the lurking shadows behind the bushes with guns. I knew that it was something else that was carrying guns. Usually Scavengers don't carry those type of guns, they carry low class, classic metal bullet riffles or pistol. For those mysterious figures were different....It has to be them! No wonder why those Scavengers were in a hurry...

    

Author's Note

Enjoy or not.. Please leave a comment or review on those needed to be improved or correct. Thank You for reading. BrX

Reviews

[David Ung]

Nice chapter, some improvements will make it better. But overall still good. Keep up the good work! :)

[BryanCX]

Thanks knowing you much enjoy it.