A blinding flash and ear-splitting bang from high above interrupted the gentle rays of the crimson sunrise.As the flame-engulfed object fell from the heavens, Alex turned his head away from the farm.

He leapt as his father's powerful hands grabbed him from behind, held him close, and carried him across the green field in stunned silence.

"Dad, what's going on?"Alex inquired.He was looking intently at the sphere of flame that was about to explode.

"Not much good."

I took aim after cautiously emerging from behind the foliage and pulling back on my father's bow.When I thought about bringing Bambi back to my sister, I gave myself the tiniest grin because, at least from the tan fur to the strange, forking horns, it resembled the animal in my mother's stories.That was all I thought it had been, a story, up until this point.Yet, fantasy or not, the monster would end up being a truly necessary wellspring of food.

I was warmed by the sun beating down on my back and I had a perfect view of my target.

Crimson.It was a warning and a sign.Crimson had always appeared to indicate the impending horror, whether it was the djinn and the plague or my parents' passing.I had always shrugged it off.

Before pulling back a few inches on the bow's string, I took several long, deep breaths and held the last one for a more stable aim.The animal was completely unaffected as it stood there grazing in the forest.It appeared as though the entire forest was waiting for the kill to happen.

My grip on the string became less tight.The beast raised its ears, giving the impression that it was aware of the threat, but it was too late.The kill was virtually certain.I never miss.

The air was shaken by a piercing scream.

My arms jerked out of nowhere.The string fell out of my hands, and the arrow flew somewhere in the forest away from the animal running away.From their trees' perches, dozens of birds squawked and flew.

“Blood!”

My swearing had nothing to do with not being able to make such a nice kill or losing an arrow.Who had screamed had nothing to do with it.

I gasped, "Evan."

I ran like a kangur on the move, awkwardly slinging the bow across my back.I had a narrow viewpoint and scarcely saw when branches caught on my tattered dress and scratched along my skin.

More from fear and anxiety than physical exertion, my heart raced.Evan was capable of taking care of herself.She had learned to survive over the three years we had spent in the forest since our parents' deaths.It had been more than a year since I had really worried about her safety, even though I admittedly overprotected.

That is what frightened me:not knowing what might frighten her.Something truly horrible had to be it.

And that yell.I trembled.

I was fortunate to be aware of her precise location.Our activities were always planned out in advance.Knowing where the other person was could sometimes mean the difference between life and death.

I pumped harder with my legs.My muscles screamed for me to stop as they burned.I just couldn't.Evan was the only thing in my life that made me want to fight for it.

The thick tree roots that ran up through the forest floor made it even harder to run.In this section of the forest, the trees were enormous, massive, and thick, rising like giants into the sky.

Even though I had only been running for ten minutes, my lungs still felt like ice—hard work had made me better suited for endurance rather than short sprints.Evan would be foraging in the crimsonberry patch when I finally broke through the last of the foliage.

The bushes were thick and chest-high, making it a large area.As I pushed thorny bush after thorny bush aside, the blood-stained lines created by the thorns blended in with the red berries and leaves.In the middle of the patch, I found Evan lying on the ground, face down.From the basket she'd carried, red berries that were ripe and juicy were all over the place.

There were no evidence of bloodshed or violence.

I shook her by the shoulders and knelt down.Evan!Evan!”

Nothing.

I felt for any breathing as I rolled her onto her back and placed my hand right above her mouth and nose.

Nothing.

Raising her head onto my lap I pulled my container of water from around my midriff and uncapped it. "Evan, bloodAvoid dying.I poured the contents of the canteen onto her face in the hope that the cool liquid would shock her system and whispered, "You can't."

It took one second.

Ten minutes.

Fifteen.

Nothing at all.

"Damnit, Evan!"First my dad, then my mom, and presently Evan.My tears were heavy and thick.I was done fighting the vengeance of fate against me.Why did it matter?Death and heartbreak were the inevitable outcomes of every struggle, achievement, and happy moment.There was no getting around it.

A minuscule twitch.A sluggish movementSputtEvang and coughingclinging to life.Also, she was back, alongside my will. "I exhaled, "Thank the Maker," assuming there was one.

As she gasped for air, I elevated her head.As if the light were hurting her eyes, she slightly opened them and squinted.What . . .”She started speaking slowly.She then struggled and flailed in an instant of panic to escape me.

I said, "Evan, it's me," holding her tightly.

She immediately stopped struggling, focusing her attention on me and widening her eyes slightly.However, I could still feel the tension in her muscles.Alex," she exhaled, relieved.I assumed that you were

"You were thinking who?"I pressed lightly.

"Oh, well.It has no significance.I knew she was hiding something when she turned her gaze away from me.She had a "tell."Her sign was that she could never look me in the eye, just like everyone else did.

"What took place?"I pressed.

She muttered, "None,"It was so foolish.

"Show me."

She shook her head and feigned exacerbation like irritated at her own idiocy.All of it was a show.Evan was attempting to act too casually.I was much better at hiding my emotions than she was.

This bird flew out of the bush as I was removing some of the ripe berries from it.I probably screamed and fainted because I was so surprised and exhausted.She gave me a half-smile as she looked back at me.naive, right?”

I might have laughed at how ridiculous her lie was if I hadn't been so concerned about her.Did a bird make her faint and scream?This is coming from a girl who didn't worry about nighttime wolves roaming our camp.

Her failure to lie made me love her much more.It probably made me even more despised myself.

However, despite the fact that I was aware that she was lying, I chose not to question her.I wanted to, but trust was the most crucial factor in survival.She had my complete trust.When she was ready, she would inform me.

I grinned.Naturally, it was a fake smile;Since a long time ago, I hadn't given a genuine smile.Even though that is rather stupid, you are still the smartest person I've ever met.

Evan let out a little, genuine laugh. "You only have me in your life.

As I helped her stand, I said, slipping into a cheery voice, "See."There is nothing to be concerned about.As she settled herself, I kept a close eye on her.She concealed her weakness admirably.There was a grin all over, her stance was great, and her breathing quiet.I may not have noticed anything if not for the slight tremor in her legs.

I said, "You should go back and rest," but I already knew what she would say.

She stated, "You know we need the food," shaking her head.I'll be alright.It was true that we required food.We still had some dried meat, but our fruit and vegetables were all gone.It had been a long, hard winter and plants were simply starting to age.

She was able to take the day off, but it wasn't like we were so desperate.She was being stubborn because she didn't want to disappoint me.She had no idea that I was constantly trying to prove myself to her while she was trying to impress me.

As she bent to pick up the basket and the scattered berries, I closely observed her.She could only get so far by crouching.She only had to start bending over before she was overcome by gravity.

I was there immediately, catching her and holding her in my arms because I had anticipated that something similar might occur.Wow.That bird must have been quite terrifying.Sarcasm had always helped me through difficult times.It was how I got through it.

She stated, "Oh, shut up."I could only infer from the way she looked over my shoulder that she was smiling.I assume you want me to return to the camp for a short time?

I helped her get back on her feet and let her lean on me for support.the entire dayNo disagreements.

"Are you also coming?"

"Of course," I replied.You must be shielded from the birds by someone.She amusedly swat at the back of my head with a smile.As I ducked away, I thought about how one of the few things that had made living in the forest bearable was her never-ending optimism.

The fallen basket was picked up by me with my free hand, and we continued our journey back to camp.Although it took a while, I enjoyed it.Most of the time, we didn't have much time to talk casually because of all the things we had to do every day to stay alive.We usually only talk at night, when we are both exhausted, so that is the only time we talk.