Chapter 2 ⭐️ Shadow Man

The Barefoot Rambler

The dark and distant voices were closer and had spread out, they were closing in, it was only a matter of time she thought. She ran.

Then soon she came to the much talked about perimeter fence that was not complete, but where she had run into it it was solid. High wooden posts and meshes of barbed wire, to keep others out, but as everyone knew, to keep them in. Dotted randomly around it were traps to catch unlucky ones and one of the traps she had run into and all was black, all was pain. She waited in the dark in pain and after what seemed like hours, but was only minutes a shadowy voice shouted ‘take my hand,’ and instinctively she reached up.

‘Aaahhh,’ she yelled as she got pulled out of the pit, her wrist almost dislocating.

‘We must go on, there’s no way back,’ the dark figure said and limping, she hobbled along with him as gun shots rang out. They headed for the shield of the great forest, it was quiet there and although pitch black it felt safe.

‘Thank you,’ Celine said clutching at the small stream of blood soaking through her jeans.

‘I must go soon,’ said the man whose face began to form as her eyes adjusted.

‘To the wilderness?’ she asked as they walked, she looked at him, he was tall with long hair and tanned skin, she thought he might be a Tracker. (A Tracker is an individual who lives off the land and has no fixed abode. Usually male they stay away from others, in fear of societies and their rules)

‘There is nowhere else and you must get away from that place back there. They will hunt you down,’

‘I am aren’t I. Every step I take is another step towards freedom,’ she said, she knew they would keep after her as she had stolen a gun, she wasn’t going to walk around undefended.

‘Where are you heading?’ he asked. He looked at her leg, it wasn’t too bad he thought she could walk, that was the main thing.

‘To the Ultra,’ she said. The man stopped and laughed and then moved on, but more slowly his shoulders shaking. He stopped again and let out a sharp noise that was a stiffled laugh. (The Ultra is the fabled Ultra-Compound that has a large civilised society. It is rich in resources and offers peace and protection)

‘You actually believe in it?’

‘Some of it. I know I couldn’t live in the wild like you,’

The man stopped and faced her and said seriously ‘How do you think I’ve survived all this time?’

She looked back in the direction of the compound and saw a line of lights bobbing through the trees. As painful as it was she walked on in quick strides, knowing she must get clear of them by daylight. ‘I have survived too,’

‘Yes and now you’re running,’

She thought for a minute about how rude and sure of himself he was. She wanted to yell at him, but quickly remembered he had saved her. ‘What were you doing hanging around our compound area?’ she said looking at this hulk of a man and what power he had. Her mind flashed to the gun and how quickly could she draw it. It was in the backpack and by the time she got it out it would be all over.

‘I have been watching your compound for a few days, I sensed there would be a breakout,’ he said in a low voice as they were still being followed.

‘Really?’

‘Yes, really,’ he said, but he looked away from her.

‘I didn’t get your name?’ she said feeling embarrassed to ask.

‘Q,’ he said. She looked at him, her head to one side, raising an eyebrow. ‘My surname is Quartermaise,’

Reviews

[Coyote Poetry]

I liked the chapter. The pace of the story is very good. You are giving strength to the characters and the story line. I liked the discussion and the strong ending. Thank you Tertia for sharing the entertaining story.
Coyote