Regeneration by Rory B Byrne

Author:Rory B Byrne [Byrne, Rory B]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781952134029
Publisher: Chestnut Treehouse Publishers
Published: 2020-02-26T22:00:00+00:00

Chapter Eight

I hunted better alone. It had a lot to do with Boompa’s coaching. He had said that more people in the wilds made it easier for predators to find them, which made it harder for someone to hunt for food. Too many people lost track of their purpose.

Anyone living within the walls of RowOak knew there was more than one way to get outside without passing through the gates. Overnight guards usually spent more time napping than patrolling. If I wanted to slip over the wall, I had my choice of several hundred meters. Instead, when I left the hut after I heard Dad’s snoring, I followed the scrub brush that grew profusely near the tire and concrete barriers and used it to make my way up the wall.

The generation before Grandfather knew enough to plant briars against both sides of the wall. Most predators avoided hunting in briars. With millions of hooked thorns and an unlimited supply of germination, Boompa explained the sweetbriar was a natural safety wall.

Over the years, the foliage and tendrils spread several meters outside the parameter wall. While inside, each of us took time to push back the errant growth. When I climbed the leaning oak tree and shimmied over the wall along the high branch, the wild thorns had reached the thick limb three meters overhead. The prickly scrambles scratched my calves and thighs.

Once clear of the dangerous tangles below, I dropped to the soft jungle bed and rolled with the drop to lessen the fall. I let go of the halberd before somersaulting. I retrieved it quickly.

“Oh!” I heard from the dark of a nearby thicket.

The jungle was always dark; at night, it was inky black. The blanketing canopy of the top leaves fought for light while the jungle floor only got moisture from the rains. I knew the sound I heard was human and not something looking for meat. It had to do with the alto of the voice. Roach had a high voice when he got scared.

“I told you she’d be here,” Eli whispered. He stumbled out of the fallen leaves. Eli carried the rebar war hammer. In the dark, his bronze skin blended with the surroundings.

“What are you doing here?” I asked. I knew the answer. They saw it in my face during the council meeting.

“You’re going to earn points. We’re going to help,” Roach said. He smacked the bludgeon on his open hand. Then he shook out the sting.

“You’re going to earn yourself a fast track to Extra Life with that stupid club,” I said. “You need to upgrade.”

“When I find something different, I will.” Roach slung the club over his shoulder. “Let’s get going. I think I got ants in my shorts.” He slapped at his legs.

We padded forward in a single file. Boompa taught me about tracking animals and about keeping quiet. I taught my friends to hide our numbers by using the same foot traffic.

After an hour weaving through the overgrown underbrush and around the tall trees, we managed to reach the valley floor.

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