The Last Dose Of Reality - Part 2

This is a continuation of the original novel I am writing, if you missed part one click here to read it now!

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I woke to golden rays of sunlight dancing across the windscreen of my car. Sleeping in your car is never comfortable, never mind the situation in which I found myself. The few hours of sleep I’d managed had been intensely troubled. Images of broken bones and nooses had chased me throughout my slumber.

I checked the clock on the dash; it read 6am. 55 hours since my last dose. I quickly scrutinized my skin for anything that might hint at the arrival of the symptoms. Finding none whatsoever I opened the car door and stepped out to stretch. The air was cold and still. Nothing moved in the clearing around me. An intense unease settled over me, but I shrugged it off, maybe the wildlife hadn’t awoken yet. Either way, I needed water. The aftermath of half a bottle of whiskey the night before had left its’ mark; my tongue had the texture of cotton. I recalled passing a stream on my drive up the mountain last night, if I remembered correctly it couldn’t be anymore than a half-mile walk back down. With this in mind, I headed back to the car, picked up my bag and spare shirt and set off.

Judging by the position of the sun it was almost 7am by the time I got there; the stream wasn’t quite as close as I had thought. The walk had cleared my head but I was in desperate need of a drink and a bite to eat. I began cursing myself for not bringing something to eat, but I quickly stopped myself. I hadn’t anticipated I would ever be feeling the need to eat again. I had been entirely prepared to die, not to still be alive.

I quickly surveyed the area, the sense of unease was still with me; something seemed wrong. The stream was lined on both sides by the same trees I’d been walking under since I left the car. Although the emerald green canopy above was slightly thicker here than it had been higher up. By now, some noise had returned to the trees, branches swayed in the gentle breeze and I could hear the occasional flutter of a bird going about its’ business. I walked down to the edge of the stream, to where a tree had fallen across the path of the water creating a slightly deeper portion of water. I removed my shirt and backpack placing them next to the tree, and bent down to drink.

“He has to be around here somewhere, right? Intel told us the cameras tracked him coming up this way last night.” I jumped at the voice. Instinct told me to stay where I was, something about the tone of the man’s voice suggested I was the one they were looking for.

“Absolutely. Relax, they almost never get away from us, they come out here expecting to die. Trust me, when they don’t they get complacent. They forget to look over their shoulder, to busy thinking they’re an exception to see us coming. Sooner or later we catch them, then they die”. A second voice, laced with arrogance had answered the first. He’d spoken long enough for me to judge the location of the speakers. They were on the opposite side of the stream, thankfully the fallen tree blocked their view of me. Nevertheless, I remained as statuesque as the tree behind which I was sheltering.

“Our records show this one gave up his mobile a few months ago. Apparently he couldn’t afford it anymore. Decided it was a luxury he could do without, strange for this day and age. Makes it a little harder to track him, not impossible mind, just harder.” The second voice continued. Oblivious to my ears hearing every word. My mind raced, trying to understand what I was hearing. Was there others who had survived missing a dose?

I got the impression they were walking away from me, the voice had begun to tail off towards the end. I pushed thoughts on the question of the dose to one side, deciding instead to focus on the matter at hand; survival. The second voice had suggested this exact situation had happened before, and more importantly that he usually came out on top. It was strange, when I thought I would die at the hands of some horrific disease I had been at peace with the prospect of dying. However, suddenly with the introduction of these two men my body was gripped by fear. I suspected the cameras were on the main roads so that ruled out going back for my car, but how long would I survive on a mountainside with two men searching for me?

By this time the two men had moved out of earshot. I risked raising my head above the tree, a quick glance revealed the empty scene I had witnessed when I first arrived at the stream. Only a few minutes had passed, but suddenly the scene was different. There was a slightly sinister shade to the emerald green canopy now. The sound of leaves rustling against one another now had an eerie edge; as if they were whispering to one another. The presence of evil was evident.

I quickly evaluated my options. I had already discarded heading back to the car; clearly they had somehow picked up my movements on the cameras; if they knew I didn’t have a phone they would surely know my registration plates. So what was left? I could try and follow them, or I could get as far away as possible.

Every fibre in my body was shouting at me to choose the second option. Although, I have to admit I didn’t like the idea of two men searching for me. I had no idea what was going on, and one wrong move could be my last. Clearly I needed more information, maybe if I got close enough I would be able to overhear more of their conversation.

I felt my back start to straighten as I stood up. My fingers trembled as I buttoned my shirt. Without realising I had made a decision, my feet started to move in the direction the voices had moved.

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Here ends the latest part of 'The Last Dose Of Reality'. Please, any feedback will be greatly appreciated below! Also, if you've enjoyed reading please remember to upvote, resteem, and follow me @jhcooper7 to not miss out on the rest of the story!

Any feedback, both positive and negative would be greatly appreciated!