I followed Bryann through our growing camp, he led me to a tent where I heard things crashing and shattering. I turned to Bryann, “If he’s angry why do I have to deal with him?” His voice was mournful, “You're the one who was there.” he turned and left.
As I entered the large tent yelling started, “I'm not going hunting ever again! You can't make me!” The room was destroyed with a table flipped and many things torn or broken, Kat crossed her arms, “You're one of only experienced hunters! You can't let us starve!”
I felt frustration rising in my chest, “That's enough, Kat!” I didn't want her to continue guilt tripping him, but I could tell they were both on the verge of tears. Kat huffed, storming past me out of the tent.
Brent collapsed on the ground, his face tucked into his hands, “Please don't make me hunt… please don't… I don't want to anymore!” his voice was frail and shook, “I don't want to go back there…” I sat down beside him in the middle of the destroyed tent, “Brent, I’m not going to make you do anything.”
He looked up from his hands at me, his face lit up as if he realized who I was. His eyes were red and full of tears, he leaned towards me wrapping his arms tight around my body. I let him sob into my chest, “Why?” I wrapped my arms around him, “Why what?”
He turned his face so he could talk clearly even though his voice still shook, “Why do I cry so much? I want to help everyone but I can't!” He tucked his face back into my jacket, I thought for a moment on my response, “It’s normal to cry, good in a way actually. If you release your emotions then as time passes it will hurt less a lot sooner.”
I loosened his grip to look up at me, “Have you cried?” All I could do was stare down at him, I hadn’t thought about it. Ever since I watched Charles die I hadn’t felt much of any emotion.
The tent opened and I turned my head to see Dekota, “What’s going on?” I felt Brent squeeze me tighter, “Nothing of your concern, here.” I handed him the notebook about the containers knowing I still had the paper in my pocket, “Take it to Humphery.”
Dakota looked at Brent who hit his face, “Brent, we need you-” “No!” I felt him begin to shake, “I’m not hunting! Never again!” Dekota softened his voice, “Okay, would you like to go with a small party to search the cave instead? We still have work to be done, we need all hands on board.
Brent relaxed, “Oh… okay.” Dakota waved to us as he left, “Meet Zelder and his group by the river at dawn tomorrow.” After he left Brent let go of me sitting back, his face had turned pink, “Im sorry… I shouldn’t have hugged you like that.”
A chuckle escaped my teeth, “Don't worry about it, you can come to me whenever you need. You know I have your back.” A smile spread across his face. I spent the rest of the night helping him pick up his destroyed tent.
“Thanks for helping me out, I really went off, huh.” Exhaustion made my legs feel weak but I stayed standing tall, “Of course. But it’s getting late, good luck tomorrow on your expedition.” He walked me out of the tent, “Thanks, this cave is huge, wonder what else we’ll find, bye!” I waved back as I started through the camp, “Bye.”
I walked across the camp and took my time to watch the happy faces of young children running around. Mothers chatting together while sewing leather coats thick with fur. Men grouped talking and joking as they crafted bows, arrows, and other ammo. As I walked I found a pit in my chest, hollow and lonely as I pulled the draped leather to my tent that sat on the outskirts of the village.
My tent was fairly empty compared to everyone else’s I've helped set up. I sat down on my thin bed and soon fell asleep.
A sudden shaking woke me up, in a panic I shoved the figure away, my heart beating loud. I rubbed my eyes and looked up to be greeted by Humphery, his dark eyes were wide with energy, “Charlie, we need to talk.”
A while later I found myself in the secret room, he held up the journal, “You hid this from me?” I looked at him in surprise, though he was right. I hid it from him, “Yes, but I think it could defeat the stalkers as the person in the book said…” He flipped through the pages, “Yes… and I had found another book in here too.”
I clenched my teeth, “What did it say?” His narrowed eyes stared at the book, hungry for knowledge. Or was it power? He then seemed to snap out of whatever thoughts he was buried in, “I know how to do it…” His voice was snake like, it hissed with a tone or greed, “I know how to create these… beings! These mutants! These weapons!” He gripped the book, his eyes flashing at me, “We can stop them… but we need everyone!”
He rushed out of the room, I followed close behind, “What are you doing?!” He made his way towards the capm that was stationed on a sturdy ledge overlooking the river that ran far below us, “I'm going to tell everyone!” I didn’t know what to say, we couldn't hide this, maybe everyone will agree to help with this… but that would mean testing on a newborn, an infant.
As he marched through the camp he called everyone out, “Everybody! Gather! I have an important announcement!” All I could do was follow him to the center of the camp where a large flat rock stood. Humphrey jumped up onto it and called everyone to gather.
It didn’t take too long for everyone to crowd the rock, and an estimate of over a hundred people including children. Humphrey grinned, “Now, After these past couple years we have sustained ourselves, hunted, crafted. We had lost Charles to one of those monsters!”
Through the crowd I spotted Brent, his eyes dimmed as he heard those words. But he stood strong as Humphery continued, “Me and Charlie found a room, within many journals I have read of these abandoned labs I have learned what this room is for. Now after this meeting I will give these journals to the public to share and study, you all need to know about this. This power we have been given can defeat the Stalkers!”
Everyone stood in silence, trying to soak in what he was trying to explain, “In the room there are canisters full of power that we can use against them! We can save Utopianople! But I need everyone to understand how this works.”
Dakota pushed through the crowd to the front, “Humphery, this could be dangerous. But we will do as you say and research and study these journals.”

© AHDANSOOT123