3 Just a Little Lost

Several Hours Later...

We are camped out in the middle of a valley. I am a little concerned about our camp spot because if any predators happen to be nearby, we have absolutely nowhere to go.

"Shouldn't we camp more to the edge, near the forest?" They just look at me then at each other. I never get a word out of them until we go to bed and they tell me to sleep. I get as comfortable as I can on the hard ground and try. After a couple hours, I heard one of the guards snoring, so I guess they are finally asleep. I get out of the sleeping bag and get my socks on. I don't really mind not having shoes. I decide I will take a walk in the woods to clear my mind. I never realize why they don't kill me already until a little thought pops in my head. They are going to kill me in my sleep, ditch my carcass in the woods then go back. After we got passed the suburbs, the trees never seem to end. With little spots like the one we are camped in for open space. I keep walking further and further until I make myself completely lost. All of my willpower to live is drained, so I just sit down, and wait for something to eat me.

I hear something moving swiftly towards me. I wish I have Farley's hearing right now. It suddenly stops just a couple paces away from me. I can't see what it is because the bushes are too dense. Luckily the sun is starting to rise so I will have more vision of the things around me. I scan the greenery and as soon as I turn my head just enough, there is someone behind me, holding a knife to my back. I try to look back.

The person questions me, "It would be in your favor if you keep your eyes ahead of you. Where are your guards?"

I am just about to answer when someone from above speaks, "Hey, I found the way. Go north east."

I wish I knew that before. The person grabs my hands and shifts my arms just right that if I make a wrong move, my shoulder will dislocate. They make me walk and show no chance of letting go. It is close to thirty minutes before I see something like a campsite. I really must have walked further than I thought. When we approach the camp, I see a girl there. The person behind me throws me to the ground right in front of the guards. I landed right on my face. I push myself up, and face the guards. They stand over me and scowl.

The older one growls, "And where did you think you were going?"

"I thought I would be better off dead in the middle of the night other than by your hands," I growl back.

"Why you selfish little prick," The other one spoke. He grabs my shirt and lifts me off the ground.

I close my eyes as I prepare for his punch when the girl speaks calmly, "Now Hugo, calm down please."

Hugo answers over his shoulder, "Why should I? I don't take orders from you!" Just after he says that, I see a flash and the girl is holding a sword to his neck from behind.

"I think it would be for the best, if you let the kid go Hugo. Don't act so brazen around her," another voice pipes out, "Lisa, you can give me the sword. If anything needs use for it, you will be not responsible. You know how bad that would affect your grade. Especially this time of year."

The girl called Lisa lowers her sword while apologizing, "My apologies Hugo. Yes Sir." I look behind me too see guy nonchalantly eating a bag of pretzels. He walks towards Hugo and lowers his arm. He lets go of me and I fall on my knees. I glare at the guy standing over me.

He held out his arm in a friendly gesture, "I'm Christian. What about you?" I shove his hand away and stand up myself.

"I don't need help from a stranger," I state.

Christian responds, "Kid, strangers become friends. If you don't make friends out of strangers then you won't do good on the battlefield. We can't have an insufficient soldier that we put our trust into protecting us can we, Lisa?"

"Nope," Lisa chimes.

Christian continues in a friendlier voice, "So, I will let that slide and we can restart. I am Christian. Who are you?"

I have to think for a little bit before recalling what Farley used to call me, ¨Uhm Joey. My name is Joey.¨