The Long 7 Days

The forest was eerily quiet now. The wind rustled the leaves above, but the usual chorus of animals had not returned. The dead wolves lay scattered across the forest floor, the stench of blood mixing with the earthy aroma of the woods. Alex wiped the sweat from his brow, his hands shaking from the adrenaline and exertion. His side was throbbing where the wolf had raked its claws across him, but the wound wasn't deep enough to slow him down—not yet, anyway.

Eve stood nearby, her bow slung across her back, her face hard with the same focus that had kept them alive. Jack, breathing heavily, was still kneeling on the ground, his rifle clutched tightly in his hands. They had all survived, but only by the narrowest of margins.

"How are you holding up?" Eve asked Alex, her voice low but filled with concern as she approached him.

Alex gave her a tight smile, though it was more of a grimace. "I'm fine. It's nothing serious. I've had worse."

Eve nodded, her gaze flicking to the gash on his side. "You'll need to clean that up before it gets infected."

Alex glanced at the wound, which was still bleeding lightly. "I'll take care of it." His voice was steady, but inside, he could feel the fatigue settling in. His body was aching from the fight, and the constant strain of survival had begun to take its toll.

Jack, meanwhile, had stood up and was scanning the perimeter, his rifle still raised, the barrel aimed outward. "Do you think that was all of them?" he asked, his voice shaky but still carrying a hint of authority.

Eve narrowed her eyes, watching the trees warily. "No. There's always more. Wolves don't travel alone, not when they're hungry." She paused for a moment, as if weighing her next words carefully. "We'll need to move. We can't stay here."

Alex nodded in agreement. "We should keep moving. Staying here makes us easy targets."

Jack hesitated, his eyes flicking between the dead wolves and the surrounding woods. "But where do we go? We're running low on food, and I'm not sure if we have the energy to go much further."

Eve's expression softened just slightly, though it was clear she was not ready to let her guard down. "We'll keep moving. We don't have a choice. If we stay here too long, we'll attract more predators. Not just wolves."

Alex's mind was already working. The situation was grim, but they had survived. That meant there was still a chance they could keep going. "We need to find shelter, food, and clean water. A place we can defend. We won't make it far without those."

Eve gave a single nod, confirming that she was on the same page. "There's a creek to the north. We can follow it for a few miles and look for a better position. We don't have much time. Let's go."

Without another word, Eve turned and began walking in the direction of the creek. Jack moved to follow, but before he could take a step, Alex caught his arm.

"Are you alright?" Alex asked, his voice softer now. Jack had been through the same battle they had, but there was something in his eyes—a lingering fear, a weariness—that hadn't been there before.

Jack met Alex's gaze, his mouth tightening. "I'll be fine. Just need to rest. I'm not used to… this." He motioned vaguely at the fallen wolves. "I was a soldier, but that was a different kind of fight. This…" He trailed off, as if searching for the right words. "This is different."

Alex didn't need to say anything. He could see it in Jack's eyes—there was something broken in him, something that had been shaken by this new world. The constant battle, the unpredictable dangers, the strain of survival—it weighed on people in ways that they didn't always show.

"I get it," Alex said quietly. "We all have our limits. But we've got to keep going."

Jack gave a stiff nod, his expression hardening. "I'm with you."

The two men fell in behind Eve as she led the way north, her steps purposeful and steady. The trees seemed to close in around them, the shadows growing longer as the sun dipped lower in the sky. The air had a cool bite to it now, and Alex could feel the weight of the world pressing in on him. His mind kept flashing back to the battle with the wolves—the way his body had moved, the adrenaline that had surged through him—but it wasn't just the fight that weighed on him now.

It was the knowledge that this was their reality—constantly fighting, constantly moving. It wasn't a life anyone should have to live, and yet it was the only one they had left. Alex had learned early on that trusting others too much was a dangerous thing. But Eve and Jack had become his companions in this harsh world, and though he didn't fully trust them, he knew he couldn't do it alone.

It was a hard truth to accept, but the world had changed, and in this new world, survival was a team effort.

As they walked, Alex kept his eyes on the trail ahead, but his mind wandered back to the fight. His thoughts turned inward, to the training and the experiences that had shaped him into who he was today. He had learned to survive on his own—how to hunt, how to track, how to fight. But in this world, there were no easy answers, no guarantees. And every day brought with it new challenges, new dangers.

Eventually, after hours of walking, they reached the creek that Eve had mentioned. The sound of running water was a welcome relief, and Alex could feel his muscles relaxing as they approached the bank. They had made it this far. Now, they just needed to find a way to stay alive long enough to reach the next milestone—whatever that might be.

Eve knelt by the water's edge, cupping her hands to drink. Jack followed suit, though Alex noticed he was more hesitant, looking around nervously as if expecting something to leap out of the water at any moment.

"It's safe," Eve reassured him, her voice calm. "Drink. We need to keep our strength up."

Alex, too, knelt beside the creek, letting the cool water soothe his dry throat. He hadn't realized just how thirsty he was until the water hit his lips. As he drank, his thoughts once again turned inward, to the nature of survival in this new world. They had faced down wolves today, and in the future, there would be more battles—against nature, against people, against whatever this world had become.

The thought didn't scare him as much as it once had. It didn't even fill him with anger. It was simply the way things were now. He had been preparing for this his whole life, and yet, as the days wore on, the weight of it all was starting to sink in. This wasn't just about fighting anymore. It was about living. About finding a reason to keep going even when every instinct told him to quit.

He had come a long way from the boy who had first picked up a knife, from the child who had been forced to survive against impossible odds. He had learned how to kill, how to fight, how to endure. But he was starting to wonder—was there more to survival than just that?

"What now?" Jack's voice broke through Alex's thoughts, pulling him back to the present.

Eve was already standing, scanning the area. "We'll need to find a place to rest for the night. But we can't afford to get too comfortable. We keep moving at dawn."

Alex nodded, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. His eyes met Eve's, and for a brief moment, he saw something in her gaze—a flicker of understanding. It was a silent acknowledgement that they were all in this together now, for better or worse.

"Let's make camp," Alex said, his voice steady. "We'll need to be ready for whatever comes next."

The three of them set to work in silence, preparing for the night. The weight of their survival was a constant pressure on their shoulders, but in that moment, as they worked together to build a fire, Alex allowed himself a brief moment of peace. For now, they were alive. And that was enough.