Here I was again, walking.
I had left Malvin behind.
I couldn't help it.

When Jeremiah's eyes glowed, it had immediately reminded me of a wild dog's shining in the dark.

Then I'd seen my eyes.
My eyes that shone red. How could I not feel a little overwhelmed?

That had been what everyone was staring at all the time. They all seemed so impressed by my eyes. But how could they be?

I looked like a monster.

I wished Malvin could understand why I'd left. Cults were for the vulnerable.
And I couldn't stay there because I couldn't fall into the trap.

Malvin was vulnerable. I thought.

Guilt oozed out of me.

He'd already idealised that place in his head. It was going to be a home to him and I knew it was hard for people to let go of that kind of hope.

So I left him and I walked swiftly to the exit.

Outside the hut were several more carefully designed huts, much like the one we'd been stuck in. Some were slightly bigger than others, but they definitely didn't look luxurious.

Children skipped past as they played their games and there was a buzz of conversation as people roamed around.

The whole thing was actually... normal, especially considering the deserted streets that I had seen before.

Don't get me wrong- it was still weird.

It was situated underground.
Literally.

We'd been led into a tunnel through the amphitheatre.

Once inside the colony, I had looked up and the roof was made of earth. The mud and roots worked together to form a solid foundation concealing what lied within. It felt like I was trapped in the centre of the world. I didn't understand the mechanics of it, but it was certainly impressive.

I finally got to the massive steps. Once I was back in the bush, I started taking my anger out on the plants by banging them out of my way and swatting every fly that dared to pass.

I'd been walking for about an hour and half before Jeremiah's warning became relevant.

The sun had set a while ago and I was trapped in complete darkness, unsure of my surroundings. What if I stepped on a snake or something?

Unfortunately, that soon became the least of my worries.

I heard voice in the distance.

I weighed the odds and concluded that it was unlikely to be somebody friendly. I hid behind the nearest tree and prayed for the best.

"You go hunting, Phyllis. You watch the kid, Phyllis." A female voice said with a hint of a lower-class drawl in her accent. "You find dinner and then you make it, Phyllis. And I'll sit here on my good for nothing ass and complain."

Her stomping was so aggressive that any animal would have heard her. I don't know much about that stuff but if her objective was too hunt then she wasn't doing a very good job.

I thought she might have been talking to someone but it looked like her mumbles were to herself.

I quickly leaned over the tree to take a peek. She was carrying something on her back, but I couldn't make it out. It was so big that I assumed it was some type of animal. In her other hand was a massive shotgun.

Just as I turned back to conceal myself fully, I heard a voice,

"Hey Phyllis, quit whining, looks like I found us the main course."

And then everything went black.

Who took Pacem?

Where will she end up next?