Chapter 3

They were walking single file, Vincent was lost in his own thoughts when Erin yelled his name. He looked around and saw that everyone else was crumbling to the ground, exhausted. All of them that is except Rayna. She did not seem to be tired at all, much like Vincent himself. Vincent slid his pack from his shoulder and called, “Hang out here for a minute, I’ll be right back down.” He jumped into one of the trees, pulling himself through the branches with a practiced ease. Rayna watched him climb.

“So what do you see up there?” Erin called up after Vincent.

Vincent dropped to the ground, “Something is burning off to the west, looks like a wild forest fire.”

“Did you want to check it out?”

“No reason to, unless you want to find out what started it.”

“Nah,” Erin said replied.

“Everyone ready to move out again?” Vincent asked.

“I think Rayna could use another few minutes,” Jerrimy gasped.

“Ya, that’s it,” Alex teased.

“Okay, we can relax a few more minutes,” Erin said.

Vincent just leaned against the tree he had climbed, a smile spread across his face. Rayna walked over and leaned against the other side of the tree. “How do the new boots feel?”

“Good,” Rayna answered. “You are kind to ask.”

“You don’t talk much,” Alex said.

“Nor do I,” Vincent responded.

“But we know about you, Vincent,” Jerrimy said. “We want to know the lovely Rayna a bit more… intamently.”

“What do you want know?” Rayna asked.

“For starters, why didn’t you get the vaccine?” Erin asked, she had found a small fallen branch to sit on and was doodling in the dirt.

“I was camping with my dad, and when we got back things had already started falling apart. What about you? Why didn’t you get yours?”

“I’m not a fan of needles,” Erin said.

“I already had the flu when they started giving them out. The real flu I mean,” Alex said.

“I was just lazy,” Jerrimy said.

“What about you Vincent?” Rayna asked.

“Vincent was military; so he got his shot, but it didn’t change him. Well it changed him, but not like those others,” Erin said.

“What does she mean Vince?”

“She means that I’m a bit stronger and faster than average and sometimes I forget it,” Vincent answered. “That’s why I was not tired when we stopped.”

“Cool, it makes you a better fighter, right?” Rayna asked.

“Ya, he’s Rambo,” Jerrimy said.

“Who?” Rayna asked.

“He was an old movie character,” Alex answered.

“He was a movie hero that was able to do some very strange impossible things,” Vincent said. “But like I said, he was a movie character.”

“So you don’t want me to start calling you Rambo?” Rayna joked.

“No,” Vincent answered.

“It would be cool to hang out with a movie star,” Jerrimy said.

“Jerrimy calling Vincent Rambo wouldn’t make him a movie star,” Erin said. “It would just annoy us.”

“No, it wouldn’t,” Vincent said, “because the first time he does it I’m breaking both his legs and we’re leaving him where he sits.”

“You wouldn’t,” Jerrimy said, concern filling his voice.

“I wouldn’t test him,” Erin said, “the last guy we traveled with ended up as a lawn ornament.”

Rayna walked around to where Jerrimy was hunched down next to a tree and patted him on the shoulder saying, “I think you better not call him Rambo, maybe something like… I don’t know…”

“How about snuggle bunny?” Erin suggested.

“Or, maybe, just maybe honey bunch cutie pie,” Rayna said.

“How about we stick with Vince or Vincent,” Vincent said. “Now come on we’ve a lot of ground to cover.” He picked his pack up and the others followed his lead as he headed off into the trees.