Waiting to Die

*Eve and Tirea run after Lilith and Vanessa, Tirea helping Eve keep up if necessary. Both remain low to the ground*

*Once in the forest, Lilith tries to lead them away from the lights, which remain pointed straight ahead. However, this means fighting their way past thickets & bushes...& into the pitch black forest.*

L"Looks like they stopped to investigate, but for how long?"

Tirea:<(Hopefully not long.)>

Eve:<(...I hope they didn't bring dogs...>

"Do we know what path we actually want to take?" Astarte asked, squatting and hushed.

L"There is no path, there's just getting as far away as possible."

Eve:<We should try and not lose sight of the road this time...>

"Yeah, cops are bad but these woods can be worse."

L"Go back if that's what you think."

*She keeps fighting her way through the bushes & Vanessa follows her. Soon, flashlight beams start sweeping through the trees.*

*Eve and Tirea follow Lilith and Vanessa, Tirea turning back to look at Astarte*

Tirea:<Coming?>

Astarte put her head down and kept moving forwards, making a non-committal noise in response.

*As they walk, the lights grow farther away & it becomes harder to tell where they are. Though they're not being followed, they're quickly growing numb & shaking worse than the leaves on the trees.*

*They keep moving, Tirea looking back to check on Astarte every once in a while*

Astarte keeps on going steady, but she is paler than the moon and her lips would look blue if it weren't dark. Internally she rehearses how to say 'I can't go any further'.

*Lilith keeps checking back, now using the machete to hack away growth in front of them. Vanessa rubs her arms to try to keep warm..*

L"I th--think they're m--moving away."

V"That's g--great, but what are--re we going t--to do when th--they're g--gon--ne?"

*Tirea tres to use her crowbar to back away at stuff, while Eve huddles near Astarte for warmth*

Eve:<Try and leave the co-country?>

Astarte stopped and leaned against a tree, shivering all over but not saying anything.

L"There's n--n--no way we'd--d make it that f--far. We n--need to s--set up some--me kind of c--c--camp."

Tirea:<We-we have the gas can, r-right? We need a fire or we'll fr-freeze to death.>

"Yeah... yeah..." Astarte dropped what she was carrying.

*Lilith fumbles with her pocket until she can get out her phone & aim it at a spot on the ground to illuminate it.*

L"G--get some wood--& use whatev--ver to clear the sn--snow...."

*Vanessa picks up the axe with her fingers in her sleeve & uses it to try to push snow out of the way. Lilith gets the fire extinguisher & does the same thing with the butt end, albeit even less effectively. Eventually, a half-assed circular clearing starts to form.*

*Eve puts on the leather gloves, then starts helping push snow out of the way with her bullhorn. Tirea does the same with her crowbar*

Astarte kept a lookout because everything she was carrying was also already being used.

*Lilith reaches for a branch & starts to hack at it because nobody got the wood. The woods just continue to be dark & mostly quiet with the occasional sound of something, hopefully animals, moving deep within.*

*Still working*

Eve:<Do-o we have somethi-ing to start a fire with?>

Astarte felt around under the snow for twigs to burn.