Page 6 of Ravaged Saints

When I return, Bryn has put the twigs on the floor, and looking at them with a frown face, I can tell she’s not entirely sure what she’s doing; it’s kind of cute, but this girl wouldn’t last a day in the woods on her own.

I redo the fire, moving the logs around, and Bryn mutters, “Sorry,” under her breath. I give her a small smile. “Don’t worry. It’s fine. Just need to shift this one here.” I find two stones and strike them together, creating a spark. The flames flicker to life, and I blow softly, coaxing the fire into a brighter flame, and Bryn moves closer, warming her hands.

“So, how have you been living all these years like this?” She asks quietly but curious, eyes gleaming with the firelight, and the warmth feels like a small slice of heaven in this harsh world.

I settle on the ground, the dirt and leaves scratching at my skin, less comfortable than I’d like, but it’s better than the cold.

“During the colder months, I move to towns nearby and find abandoned homes, usually farms, far out in the middle of nowhere, and when the weather warms, I head into the woods,” I explain, noticing her listening carefully. She crosses her arms over her legs, her hair cascading over her face in the firelight, and a soft smile tugs at her lips as she listens.

“You see, it’s dangerous to stay in towns when the weather’s warm,” I continue. “Hunters come out looking for people, but in the winter, they tend to stay indoors.”

She nods, her brow furrowing in concentration. “I hunt to eat, pick wildflowers and herbs, and sometimes go into towns to scavenge. There’s always something left behind, even after all this time. I also carry seeds to plant if I end up staying somewhere long enough.”

I shrug, feeling uncomfortable. “It’s not glamorous. I bathe in cold rivers and use leaves for soap. I carry a toothbrush, but I also use fruits to clean my teeth.”

“That’s impressive,” Bryn says with a small huff. “I don’t think I’d last a day like that. I’d probably be dead by now.”

I can’t help but chuckle, even though I know how close I’ve come to dying more times than I care to count; let’s face it, it’s a miracle I’m still breathing.

“I thought the same when my brother Josh died,” I say. “He was my anchor after everyone else… my family…” I swallow the lump in my throat, fighting the wave of emotion threatening to overtake me. “He knew Cash’s intentions, and he left me a bag with everything I needed to get away, but I thought I wouldn’t make it. They hunted me like an animal…I couldn’t sleep and barely ate. I thought I was going to die.”

I pause; the memory is still fresh in my mind, and Bryn stays quiet, watching me carefully.

“Then I saw another group, so I hid in the bushes, and Cash’s group collided with them; it turned into a fight to the death. Cash’s men won, but they were exhausted; they had no more guns or food, so they gave up. That’s when I took my chance to run.”

I exhale, the weight of the memory making my chest tight. “I walked for months, surviving off whatever I could hunt, drinking rainwater, scavenging through abandoned towns and ghost cities. I found clothes, blankets, and whatever I could use to keep going.”

Bryn’s eyes soften, and I realize that I haven’t shared any of this with anyone. It feels… good, in a strange way.

I don’t tell her how I slit Cash’s throat; there are things better kept to myself, at least for now. The memory lingers, thick and heavy, but I shove it down. It’s done. No point dragging ghosts to dinner.

A suddenclapsnaps me out of my thoughts. My body reacts before my mind catches up—I jolt upright, heart pounding.

Bryn yelps, stumbling back a step. “Jesus, Aspen!”

I blink, realizing I scared her. “Sorry!” I huff out a breath, forcing a grin. My pulse is still racing, but now for a different reason. “It’s dinner time!” I rush forward, skidding to a stop near the trap.

And there it is—a rabbit, a big one.

We sit on the dirt, bellies full. The fire crackles between us, casting flickering shadows across the clearing. The warmth of food settles deep in my bones, a small, rare comfort. This will help. A few more days like this, and we might actually make it somewhere—somewhere we can plant, build, survive.

I take the blanket from the bag. I usually sleep in bushes, but the warmth of the fire is so inviting that I decide to take a chance and stay here.

Bryn lies next to me so we can use the only blanket I have to keep us warm. “I’m glad I met you,” she says, snuggling on my back.

“Me too.” I can feel her breathing soothing as she falls asleep, but I can’t; I stare at the trees, moving with the wind, making a beautiful symphony. The air is still warm; summer is probably arriving, and the occasional howl makes a sound that echoes through the woods.

I don’t know if we should keep the path deeper into the woods; maybe we get lucky and find some old hunt cottage, or we get lost in this place forever and no one will ever find us, but that’s the point, right? Being hidden from the world.

Or we can head to the river, find a place to cross it back, and pray the men hunting Bryn aren’t there anymore, and we can try to get to a nearby town for some clothes and blankets.

I inhale sharply. I don’t have a problem keeping myself alive, but taking care of another life? Someone who knows nothing about living in the wilderness, someone who lived in a community where men did all the work? What if I get her hurt? Or worse?

I must’ve fallen asleep at some point because when I wake up, it’s morning and Bryn is sitting, washing her face with a bit of water. I get up and find some apples. They’re terrible, dry, and bitter, but at least it’s something.

“This is great,” Bryn jokes, clearing my anxiety a bit.

“Listen, Bryn, we have two choices here.” She stops eating, her attention fully on me. “We can continue this path through the forest and try to find a safe, hidden place we can set up home for a while, or we can cross the river back and try to find a town while avoiding the men that are after you.” If I were alone, I would take the forest, but I’m not going to force that on her; it’s up to her. I can take her to a town and maybe find her group; she will be safe, and I will return to my…routine.

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