Ride with you

15

Darryl watched as Zak set up the trap. This was the fifth and last one they had set up. They had used the substance that had come from the panther that attacked them as bait. It was quite common for animals, even herbivores, to eat this substance as it increased their health, strength and awareness. The traps had a small amount of the substance on a bed of leaves and twigs, underneath the leaves was a rope that, when triggered, would loosen and cause a small cage, made from weeds and sticks, to fall from above and trap the animal. The traps they made were able to fit around two rabbits.

Zak smiled and stood up, "There, that should be enough. A few rabbits and rodents should fall for these, I hope you don't mind eating a squirrel?" Darryl hesitated, "Are squirrels also made from the same yellow substance?"
"Yep,"
"Do they taste different?"
"Sorta, different fat and sugar levels basically,"
"Sugar?" Zak began walking towards a plant and cut the stem in half, bringing the end to his lips as a clear liquid trickled out. He grabbed another plant, cutting the stem and throwing it to Darryl, "Drink up," he smiled.

The two headed back to the creek, they had decided to make it their campsite for a few days. Darryl was hesitant when Zak suggested it but then realised that it would be about a days travel to get from their old campsite to their new one. When the two arrived, Darryl grabbed a few of his older shirts and walked over to the creek to wash the mud and dirt off of them. He put them next to them and began rinsing them in the water. As he picked up one of his hoodies, the photo of him and Alex fell out. Darryl picked it up and looked at it for a few seconds, the corner of his lips turned up into a slight smile. The happy memories of their time together flooded into his mind, but they were soon shadowed by everything else. The therapy. The insults. The health issues. Darryl sighed and the smile disappeared. "I've gotta move on," he thought. He let go of the photo and it danced in the wind, inching further and further away.

***

Three men walked through the forest, quietly grumbling to themselves. "Fuck, this is pissing me off, how do we even know that it was him?" Spoke the first. It had been about 3 weeks since Darryl had first ran off and many people had just given up, not his parents though. They were willing to put lots of money into finding their son. Once they stopped paying, the search would be called off. As the three walked, the one that was slightly more to the side noticed what looked like a piece of paper stuck in a bush. He walked over to it and grabbed it, flipping it over and noticing that it was actually a photograph. The other two walked over to him and chuckled, "isn't that guy the reason Darryl had to go see a shrink?"
"Maybe, the two do seem to be quite close in that photo." He examined it a bit more than folded it up and put it in his pocket. He smiled, "finally, we may be able to call off the search soon."

The sun began to set and the three men began walking back towards the city, "I think it's time to call in the night patrols, I want to get this search off as soon as possible."

***

Zak and Darryl sat next to the fire and watched as the orange tongues dance in the moonlight. Zak felt Darryl's soft hand gently stroke the top of his head. The slight sensation of Darryl's skin made him feel tingly. He enjoyed his company. For so long, Zak had been wandering by himself, he hadn't had any real company for years. He leaned against Darryl's chest and sighed, "Darryl..." he yawned and shut his eyes as he gently drifted off to sleep. Darryl smiled as he felt Zak gently slump onto his shoulder. A soft hum escaped from his lips as the burning wood crackled. He moved around the hot coals with a stick whilst the fire flickered. The night was calm and peaceful.

Darryl lifted his head as he heard a howl erupt from a distance. He turned his head, looking around whilst making sure not to disturb Zak. A soft growl filled the space around him as he turned around and made eye contact with a pack of wolves. They revealed their canines to him as they slowly stalked closer to the two boys. Darryl gently shook Zak and he opened his eyes, yawning upon his rising. "Wha-,"
"Shhhhhh!" The pack began to circle the boys, leaving no space for them to escape. Zak panicked and grabbed a flaming stick from the fire and threw it at one of them. It simply dodged and stared at him. They whole pack became enraged as they grew to twice the size as Zak and Darryl, the blue of their flesh turned darker and they began wildly drooling. The two wrapped their arms around each other as the beasts inched closer and closer.