Rovers

EARTH, 2056 The forest was silent. Too silent. I crouched behind a fallen tree, my fingers wrapped tightly around my bow. Then I saw it. A deer. It stood between the trees, completely unaware that I was watching it. For a second, I just stared. It looked almost peaceful. Almost like the world hadn’t ended. I slowly pulled an arrow from my quiver. My stomach growled. I hadn’t eaten properly in days. None of us had. I raised the bow. Pulled the string back. My fingers trembled. “Easy Kelsea,” Christian whispered behind me. I took one last breath. And released. The arrow cut through the air. The deer collapsed. “Good aim Kels,” Christian said. I lowered my bow. “Let’s eat.” We were the Rovers. Hunters. Gatherers. Survivors. Only a handful of people were chosen to leave the safety of the city walls. We were sent into the forests to find whatever food remained. Because food had become more valuable than gold. Ever since we had run from the tribes living deep inside the woods, we had learned the truth. Earth was no longer ours. We rushed toward the deer. Samantha and I immediately began cutting the meat into smaller pieces while the others kept watch. We were so hungry that we ate a few pieces before we even finished preparing the rest. I didn’t care that my hands were covered in dirt. I didn’t care that the meat was raw. Hunger had erased all of that. “Put those in the bags Kelsea,” Samantha said. I nodded, stuffing pieces of meat into the small plastic bags. “That’s enough,” Christian called from the edge of the clearing. I looked up. His sword was already in his hand. “Something’s wrong.” Then— Screeeeech. Everyone froze. The sound came from somewhere beyond the trees. My heart stopped. Samantha looked at me. “What was that?” Another screech. Closer. Christian’s eyes scanned the forest. “We leave. Now.” “But we haven’t finished!” Samantha protested. “Forget the rest.” “People are starving!” “I KNOW!” Christian’s voice echoed through the clearing. “We take what we have and go.” Samantha immediately started chopping faster. “We need every piece we can get.” I grabbed another piece of meat. “She’s right.” Christian looked at me. I tightened my grip on my bow. “We can’t come back tomorrow and tell them we left food behind.” He stared at me for a moment. Then nodded. “Two minutes.” We worked faster. The forest grew darker. The wind stopped. Even the birds had disappeared. Then I heard it. A branch snapping behind me. I spun around. Nothing. “Guys…” Christian looked at me. “Go.” We grabbed the bags. Everyone mounted their horses. Christian secured the meat before climbing onto his own. “Move!” The horses began running. Then “RANDALL!” I looked back. My heart dropped. Randall was on the ground. Something had grabbed him. It was dragging him deeper into the trees. “RANDALL!” I pulled my horse to a stop. “Keep going!” Christian shouted. “No!” I turned my horse around. Christian was already charging toward Randall. “No man left behind!” He drew his sword. The creature emerged from the darkness. I couldn’t breathe. It looked almost human. But it wasn’t. Its body was twisted, its movements animal like, its face something I couldn’t understand. Christian swung his sword. The creature released Randall. Christian grabbed him. “Get him on the horse!” Randall cried out as Christian pulled him up. “I’m okay,” Randall gasped. He wasn’t. Blood was spreading across his side. “GO!” Christian screamed. The forest erupted behind us. More screeches. More movement. Too many. “RUN!” We kicked our horses forward. Branches whipped against my face as we raced through the trees. I didn’t look back. I couldn’t. We burst out of the forest. Civilization appeared ahead. Or what remained of it. Broken buildings. Empty roads. No cars. No lights. No normal life. Just survivors. We raced toward the massive gates. They opened. “They’re back!” “The Rovers are back!” “The Rovers are back!” People rushed toward us. The city depended on us. They grew what little vegetation they could inside the walls, but it was never enough. That was why we went out. That was why people like Randall risked their lives. We had to feed everyone. Christian jumped from his horse. “Medical team!” Nurses rushed toward Randall. “Take him!” They carried him inside. I followed. “Randall?” He didn’t answer. “Randall!” Sarah, our nurse, examined him. Her expression changed. Just slightly. But I noticed. “Hold him still.” Christian grabbed Randall’s shoulders. “Stay with us, brother.” Randall’s breathing became weaker. Then the doors opened. His parents rushed inside. His mother ran straight to him. “My baby…” She grabbed his hand. Randall slowly opened his eyes. “Momma…” She smiled through her tears. “I’m here.” Randall looked at her. For a moment, everything seemed peaceful. Then his eyes closed. His hand went still. “Randall?” His mother shook his hand. “Randall?” Nothing. “No…” Her voice broke. “My baby!” The scream that followed destroyed whatever strength I had left. I turned away. Samantha was crying. Christian stood completely still. None of us knew what to say. I’d seen people die before. Every Rover had. When you signed up, you understood the risks. You understood that the forest could take someone from you. But knowing death was possible didn’t make losing someone easier. Randall wasn’t just another Rover. He was our family. And now he was gone. I stared at the blood still covering my hands. Outside those walls were monsters. Inside them were starving people. And somewhere between the two… we were expected to keep humanity alive. I looked toward the gates. Tomorrow, we’d have to go back. And this time, I wasn’t sure all of us would return. Christian walks away from the scene. “Light a fire immediately!” someone screams heartlessly. The smell of a dead body would attract the creatures lurking beyond the walls. There was no time to grieve. No time to hesitate. As several people carefully lifted Randall’s lifeless body, I followed Christian. He was all I had. He was my family. I still remembered the day he found me hidden inside my family’s basement, clutching the lifeless bodies of my parents. I had been badly wounded, barely clinging to life. Others had told him to leave me behind, that I wouldn’t survive. But Christian refused. He took me in. He saved me. Everything I knew, everything I had been taught about surviving this world, I had learned from him. And through all the years of fear, hunger, loss, and uncertainty, he had shown me nothing but love. I followed him into one of our small community halls. It was completely empty. Christian stood in the middle of the room with his back turned to me. His shoulders shook as silent sobs escaped him. “Chris…” He turned around. I didn’t say another word. I simply rushed toward him and wrapped my arms around him. He embraced me tightly, finally allowing himself to break. “Not Randall,” he whispered. “No…” I squeezed him tighter. “It’s going to be okay,” I whispered, even though I wasn’t sure I believed it myself. Eventually, I pulled away and gently wiped the tears from his face. “You have to be strong, Chris.” He looked at me. “Everyone is counting on you.” I swallowed hard. “You need to go burn his body.” The words sounded heartless the moment they left my mouth. But I needed him to understand. Christian was no longer just Christian. He was now the senior leader of the Rovers. The city was counting on him. I was counting on him. We needed him. For a moment, he simply stared at me. Then he gave me a small, reassuring smile and pulled me into another hug. “Let’s get going,” he whispered. He stepped away from me and straightened his shoulders. “For Randall.” He walked out. His face hardened. Outside, the fire had already been started. The flames climbed higher as the crowd gathered around it. Whispers travelled through the people standing nearby. Some of them were probably wondering whether we would actually have the strength to do it. Whether Randall’s death had finally broken us. They were wrong. We couldn’t afford to break. Not now. Not when the creatures were waiting beyond the walls. Not when the city depended on us. Rowan stepped onto the stage. He was the leader of the City of the South were we resided he calls all the shots over here. He is also the reason we were called the Rovers we were named after him. We travelled between the remaining settlements, carried supplies, protected the walls, and did whatever was necessary to keep our people alive. The crowd fell silent. Rowan looked toward the fire. Then toward us. He took a slow breath before speaking. “This is very unfortunate and heartbreaking news,” he began. “But today, we are not only mourning the loss of one of our own. We are reminded of the price we continue to pay for survival.” The flames crackled behind him. No one moved. No one spoke. Rowan’s voice grew firmer. “Randall fought beside us. He protected us. And he gave his life for this city.” Christian stood beside me, staring into the flames. I reached for his hand. He squeezed mine. Rowan continued. “And although we have lost one of our own today…” He paused. “…we will not let his death be the reason we lose ourselves.” His mother was given a chance to speak. She slowly stepped forward, her eyes swollen with tears, and looked directly at Christian. “Thank you for bringing my baby back home,” she whispered, her voice breaking. Christian’s face softened. For a moment, all the strength he had been carrying seemed to disappear. A tear slipped down his cheek, followed by another. I reached for his hand and squeezed it tightly, letting him know he didn’t have to hold everything in. He squeezed my hand back. He took a single step forward toward Randall’s mother and bowed his head in silent, with deep respect. “He fought until the very end, Mrs. Vance,” Christian said, his voice raw with emotion yet filled with unwavering honor. “He saved us. I promise you… his sacrifice won’t be in vain.” The older woman gave a small, heartbroken nod, pressing a trembling hand against her chest. For a moment, the entire community fell silent. And as I stood beside Christian, still holding his hand, I realized something. This wasn’t just Randall’s farewell. It was the moment everyone saw Christian not only as the man who had led us through the darkness but as the leader we would follow into whatever came next.