The Hunted

What had I done, and who was I kidding? They need me, I can't just leave. I will never quit. Even if I am hated until the end, I promise I will never quit, I will never give up. I ran back to camp, on the way I picked some berries and caught some squirrels. I was greeted warmly by everyone but Tarrion, and Domi. "What happened to you leaving, and drowning?" Snapped Tarrion. "Guys, I messed up big time, I tried to be perfect." I said. "I need for all of you to forget and forgive." I stated again. I placed the food on the bench I carved my note on. For the rest of the night I was ignored. I went to bed, and would just have to find out what happens in the morning.

Wren

Dimitri went to bed. I was still kind of scared of him but I knew that he really was trying to be... better, and that he was sorry.

I finished eating and sat there quietly as everyone else socialized. Dominique walked over to me and sat down. "Any part of you completely killing you?" she asked.

I motioned towards my foot. "Since when does the only thing that gets hurt in a battle your foot?!" I asked, rolling my eyes.

Domi laughed. We both were silent, til she spoke.

GEMMA

"What happened to you leaving, and drowning?" snapped Tarrion. Tarrion was one of the kindest people I had ever known but oh man was he ever bitter toward Dimitri.

I grabbed his arm, "Tar, chill. Forgive and forget, right?"

He eased up, "I can't promise anything but I'll try. Don't worry okay?" he muttered and walked away. I was going to go after him but I decided it was best if he blew off some steam alone. Instead I walked over a sat down next to Saphire.

"Hey Saph, how are you feeling?" I asked

She gave me a weak smile, "It still hurts, but I think I'm going to be okay."

"Okay good. Just don't go leaving us a suicide note if things get bad okay?" I laughed. She winced, okay so it was too soon too joke about that. "Want to help me attempt at making something with those... um, squirrels?"

She smiled, "I'm not promising anything, but I'll try." Now where had I heard those words before...

~Annie May~

It was a pleasant sight to see them working together, but I didn't really want to be here. I stood, dusting off my old torn bluejeans. "I should be going now," I announced, barley audible in the noise they were making. But it wasn't meant to be heard. It was an excuse to leave without being noticed, but anyone who heard it could tell the others I had left. I started for the trees once again, not looking back, not wanting to see my own kind once more. In truth, I wasn't one of them. I was part of the scene around them, just a force of nature helping them when they needed it. Merely that, and nothing more.

Wren

I saw the girl leaving but couldn't bring myself to follow her. She wanted to be alone like this... and I wasn't going to stop her.

I walked over to Tarrion. He was closing his eyes and thinking. "You alright?" I asked lightly.

"I'll be fine," he said, smiling slightly. "I'm just.... thinking."

"About what?" I asked.

Sorry it's not much guys, but I'm baking a cake, and I don't have that much time!

~Annie May~

No one stopped me as I walked off. I walked past the trees and into the dark forest. The only thing I could ask of them now, was to leave me alone. But no matter how much I told myself I was OK, I knew I wasn't. I yearned for someone to hold me. Love was the only thing I was really missing out here. That and a chease burger!

The important thing was, I needed a family to love and be loved by, and I was passing up what could be my only chance.

I climbed in the closest tree I could find to them, hid in the leaves, and watch them, hoping I wouldn't be seen.

Dimitri

I woke up, and was amazed to see Tarrion and Domi sitting at my side. They were whispering, so I pretended to be asleep. "I am kind of scared of him, but I know that he never meant to hurt us", Domi said quietly. "I feel the same way, but I could also be more kind to him as well", Tarrion replied. I shifted lightly, still pretending to be asleep. This must have scared them, for they left the cabin and went over to the fireplace. I got up and went over to them, setting some chopped wood on the fire place. I walked over to the lumber area, and chopped for an hour. I cleared my mind of everything. I always have been calmer and more relaxed when I am working. Just then I noticed someone staring at me in the distance. It looked like the new girl, Annie May. I tied all of the rope together in a bundle and set them near camp. Then I walked over to her. She looked down at me with longing eyes. Something was wrong. "Hi, I'm Dimitri, you can call me Thunder though." I spoke. "I'm Annie May", she said quietly. "You look like a person who knows how to take care of themselves in this place, you look like you know what to do, and when to do it." I said, cautiously. "Thanks, you know, Ive been watching you and your group over the last couple days", she said. "But your the only one who knows what to do around here", "They miss treated you, and badly, and its because they were jealous." she said. I made a motion for here to come back to camp, and she follow reluctantly, but with out complaint. So, lets talk...

~Annie May~

I followed him without complaining. I needed someone to talk to, and he seemed to be just the person.

"We're both outsiders," I whispered, sitting next to him. He looked over at me. I kept looking forward out at the people.

"What do you mean?" he asked. I had a feeling that he knew, even though he acted dumb on the topic. "I don't belong here with y'all, and neither do you. I've been watching, so I think I know what I'm saying. You don't fit in here, and you know it just as much as I do." Now, it was his turn to think.

"Am I wrong?" I asked.

She was correct. Despite the fact that we had all been on the same island in the beginning, I felt out of place. I had been the only one who knew what to do in the storm. I built the cabin, and I had been treated wrongly each time I had done it. She was so right. "Now that I think about, you are right" I said. "I know I am, but what can WE do about it" she said. "We have to options, a smart one, and a not so smart one" I replied. "The smart one being: We could stay here, and be loved like a family, and make our roots here, or we could leave" I said. "Exactly what I was thinking earlier" she said. I wanted to stay, I had promised never to give up. So that's what I'm going to do. "Lets talk with the others, you and me" I said confidently. "Lets" she said.

~Annie May~

"Lets," I agreed. We stood. What was there really to discuss? We knew what the options were, all of us, and we knew what we had to do.

Saphire
I walked over to Gemma and smiled at her. "How can I help?" I asked politely.

GEMMA

"How can I help?" asked Saphire.

I laughed, "I really don't know, what do you think you can do with a couple of squirrels?"

"First off, pretend they aren't squirrels." she chuckled.

"Yeah," I said, "Squirrels are not exactly the most appetizing thing ever."

"Maybe we could just skip the squirrels and go forage something?" said Saphire.

"Good idea." I said, throwing the squirrels aside."

We started to walk into the forest when I stopped, "Wait." I said picking up a large, sharp stick. "Just for good measure." I smiled.

Saphire
I smiled back at Gemma. I started to poke around and found a blackberry bush. I knelt down beside it and picked one. "These aren't quite ripe." I said dropping it. "Ah well." She said shrugging. I stood up and smiled at her. "Shall we go on?" I asked.

GEMMA

"Shall we go on?" asked Saphire.

"Yes, I think we shall." I said, linking her arm and laughing.

I spotted what looked like and apple tree, it had small, green apples on it. "It doesn't look like these are ready yet either." I frowned.

"Ugh, really? Those squirrels are starting to sound good." said Saph.

I laughed and shook my head, "No not really, the thought still makes me sick."

"Hey look, up there." said Saphire pointing up a rocky slope. There was a huge patch of raspberry bushes, and they looked very ripe. "Mmmm, those look tasty. I'll get 'em." she said, darting up the slope.

I followed her, only much slower, I wasn't the worlds best climber. Saph had already reached the top, "Hurry Gemma!" she called, "There are millions of ripe berries!"

I quickened my pace, bad idea. I lost my footing, I was falling. I grabbed a stony ledge and caught myself. My knee crashed against a sharp rock. A splintering pain shot through my leg and I could feel the blood trickling down my leg. "Saph! Help!" I screamed.

"Gemma, oh my god! Hang on! Don't panic!" She called over the ledge. Saphire grabbed my stick and held the blunt end out to me. "Grab on." she said.

"I-I can't d-d-do it." I stuttered, "My hands are slipping, I'm going to fall!"

"No, you aren't!" exclaimed Saph, "You will fall though if you don't grab on."

[b]Wren[/b

I could hear Gemma yelling and Saphire saying something to her. I ran over towards where they were. "Whats going o-" I spotted Gemma hanging over the edge.

"Oh, crap," I said. "You keep the stick there. I'll go down."

I could mountain climb, anyone can give me that compliment and I at least know they're telling the truth. But this was a steep ledge. I slowly and carefully climbed down. "If you fall, I'll catch you, Gemma."

It wasn't a lie, but it wasn't the truth.

The truth?

Catching her was very unlikely.

So I hoped she wouldn't fall.