You hide behind a large oak tree.

The night sky is dark as pitch, with only the faintest of stars barely breaking through the smog in the air.

Your ragged breath fills the otherwise silent forest, the only breaks in the deafening quiet are the shouts and clanging of the nearby scavengers, searching for you just off in the distance.

You press yourself tight against the rough bark of the oak, hoping the shadows of night shroud you from their gaze, though you know your ragged and torn clothing probably makes that nigh impossible.

Jon, your older companion, lays unconscious on the cold ground in front of you.

His breathing is heavy and labored, his head caked in a thin layer of sweat despite the biting cold surrounding the two of you.

You know that you only have one chance of surviving; to fight back and escape the scavengers searching for the pair of you in the dark forest.

However, fear grips you tightly; the scavengers are big, rough, and dangerous, and the thought of facing them fills you with dread.

As you stand there, frozen with fear, the sound of footsteps and distant chatter grows louder.

The scavengers are closing in, their voices now distinct and clear amongst the trees.

Your heart pounds in your chest, each beat loud and jarring, as adrenaline pumps through you.

Every inch of your body is filled with the will to fight, but also the fear that grips you tight, almost paralyzing.

You hear each step the scavengers take, know each one brings them closer to you, closer to the unconscious body of your friend.