Maizy’s head slammed into Tor’s stomach, winding him and jostling him from his day dream. Tor rubbed his belly as he looked up. A long metal trestle stood in front of them spanning a deep valley of trees like long ago a giant sword had sliced into the side of the mountain. Tor massaged his arms which still remembered the last trestle they crossed. The train tracks were in disrepair as nature attempted to recapture its lost ground. The last train had probably used these tracks nearly a hundred years ago. The wooden beams were decayed and covered in moss which made it extremely slippery. Far off in the distance a section of the trestle had collapsed into the abyss long ago. It was hard to tell how large the gap was from where they were.
“Can you make it across this one Maizy?” Tor asked looking down at her. Maizy stared straight ahead as she vigorously shook her head nearly off, as tears started to well up in her eyes.
Tor took off his large heavy green and black backpack and placed it gently on the damp ground.
“Alex stay with the backpack and bike I will be right back,” Tor said.
“I can carry them across,” Alex said, as his voice cracked in the middle of his plea.
“Stay right here bud,” Tor Said, “Dy come with me.”
Alex grumbled and dropped the bike onto the ground.
Maizy wrapped her arms tightly around Tor’s neck like a cute little baby anaconda trying to squeeze it’s large prey to death but it lacks any strength at all. This trestle was far higher than the last. The trees below looked so tiny. There was a faint roar of a stream below but it was hidden by the thick canopy of the trees which formed a dark green blanket completely covering the side of the mountain. The smell of pine and cedar lingered in the brisk air. The sun hadn’t yet risen from the behind the smaller mountain to the east. Clouds were being drawn out of the trees near the top of the peak they were on. Between the two mountains was a inlet that flowed out into the pacific ocean. Old power lines still drooped from one side to the other.
Tor heaved Maizy higher onto his back. His arms and legs burned, but he hardly noticed it over the pain his empty stomach was causing him. Tor delicately stepped on each wooden beam making sure not to slip. There was no rails on the side; nothing stopping you from plunging to the hard earth below. Half way across they passed a small square platform with a single piece of wood encased the three exposed sides, pretending to be a fence. The platform hung off the side of the trestle like a boil. Countless kids must have tested their courage here and leaned over the edge, gathered a wad of saliva and then watched it take the plunge all the way to the bottom.
A scream broke the pristine silence. Tor looked back. Alex was on the ground wrestling with someone. Tor gingerly put his weight on the platform. It was sturdy. He placed Maizy gently onto it.
“Dy stay here with her,” Tor shouted as he started to sprint. Dy obliged begrudgingly, she wanted to help.
Tor slipped one of his legs fell between two beams and dangled in the air. He quickly got back to his feet. Tor made it back to Alex in what seemed like three strides. He tackled the assailant knocking it onto its back. Tor pinned the assailant onto the ground, and then placed the tip of his revolver in its face, which was covered by long bright blue hair.
“Don’t you fucking move,” Tor shouted. It brushed the hair out of its face. It was a young girl. She stopped squirming. Her shirt was only held onto her with a few remaining pieces of fabric. Her stained and ripped jeans exposed her boney knees. She didn’t smell too fucking pleasant either.
“Please God, don’t let him kill me,” she said, “I am just so hungry.”
“Shut up,” Tor said, “Alex, you alright?”
“That bitch scratched the shit out of my face,” Alex said as he stood up holding his face. He quickly showed Tor the bright red gouges down the side of his cheek, then reapplied his hand.
“Why did you do this?” Tor said as he drew back the hammer on his revolver.
She gulped. “Chunky must have food, I haven’t eaten in days,” She said.
“Fuck you,” Alex said fingering her.
Tor realized he was crushing this small frail and malnourished girl. He eased up and let go of her wrists.
“Don’t do anything stupid or I will end you. You got that?” Tor said. She nodded. Tor helped her up and holstered his gun.
“You all alone?” Tor asked.
“Yeah,” She said.
“You aren’t seriously going to let her join us,” Alex said, “She just tried to fucking kill me.”
“A ninety pound tween just about killed you, really?” Tor said.
“She ambushed me,” Alex said.
“I’m Tor that asshole you see there is Alex and way over there is Dy, the older one, and Maizy,” Tor said.
Alex sneered at her.
“I am Violet,” she said, “but my dad always called me Vio.”
Tor reached into his backpack and tossed her his last protein bar he had been saving. She engulfed it.
“You going to stick with us?” Tor asked. She nodded. Alex grumbled.
“You’re gonna get us killed, you fucking softy,” Alex said.
“Let’s get moving,” Tor said, “Vio you get the bike if you can and Alex get the backpack.”
Alex perked up a bit.
The gap in the trestle was several meters long. The height was even more menacing staring through the void. The only thing connecting the two sides was a single metal beam which was a few feet below them.
“We can’t cross that shit,” Alex said, “we have to go back.”
“You know what is behind us,” Tor said.
Alex stared back and knew Tor was right.
Tor gently lowered himself on to the beam with a rope in his hand. He tied it onto a beam about waist high. Tor started to slowly walk across. The gently breeze felt like a hurricane. Tor stared dead straight. He reached the other side tied the other end of the rope, heaved his backpack onto the other side of the tracks and headed back to the group.
Dy crossed first using the rope as a guide. It took her a long time but she made it safely to the other side. Alex slowly lowered Maizy into Tor’s arms. Maizy held on tightly around Tor’s neck like a baby monkey and its mother. Maizy squeezed her eyes shut not even daring to open them. They made it to the other side in record time. Vio went next without a problem. Tor then took the bike across. Now it was Alex’s turn.
Alex was frozen except his legs shook violently, like a comedian’s first time on stage. Tor put his hand on Alex’s shoulder.
“You got this,” Tor said quietly.
Alex took a very dry painful gulp. He lowered his short pudgy legs over the edge. They flipped back and forth searching for something solid but weren’t long enough. He took a deep breath and lowered himself a little further. Contact. Alex gingerly lowered the rest of his body. He clung to the side of the trestle and shut his eyes tight.
“Move your ass Alex,” Tor shouted.
Alex reluctantly let go and started to walk across the beam with both hands in a death squeeze around the rope. Half way across Alex looked down. The trees looked like hundreds of tiny green spears all patiently waiting to impale their next victim. Alex grip on the rope loosened. He started to lose his balance. He let go of the rope. His hands started to swing wildly. His eyes widened. Alex couldn’t regain his balance. He was going down.
An arm reached out and grabbed his collar, his shirt started to rip. The thin arm yanked him upright. Alex grabbed tightly back on to the rope. He looked up at his saver, staring directly into Violet’s eyes. She smiled. They all made it across safely, with the only casualty being Alex’s now twice as large shirt collar.
Alex slumped down on a moist mossy tree suspended above the ground as if by invisible string. It that had lost its balance many nights ago and it would never regain it. Sweat dripped down Alex’s fat fucking face. He wheezed a deep asthmatic breath. He reached down to the floor of the forest and picked up a large rock and tossed it as far as he could, which was unsurprising a very short distance. Everyone received the message loud and clear, a long time ago.
Dy chugged a long drink of water from her canteen then handed it over to Tor. He took a tiny sip then passed it back. The canteen then hit Tor hard in the chest. Dy locked eyes tilted her head slightly and raised her eyebrows, like a mother trying to get her child to eat her gross over-boiled boring broccoli. Tor tried to push it away but Dy hit him with it again, even harder. Tor took the advice.
“You’re weak,” Dy said.
“What do you see in her?” she asked.
“Not sure,” Tor said, “just a feeling, I guess.” Tor Shrugged.
It was cool underneath the canopy. Tor’s stomach ached. He was exhausted. Deer use to be plentiful, but now the wolves and cougars had regained their dominance of this mountain. Tor use to camp near here when he was a young cute boy with rosy cheeks. One time Tor and his parents and his friend, Peter, were eating charred hotdogs at the picnic table when a deer walked right to the middle of their camp site. The deer paused and then looked at them as they ate. Tor reached his hand out to pet it. He got an inch away then it bounded away. Tor sure wished a deer would try that again.
Tor grabbed his rifle and remaining bullet then headed deeper into the woods. It was calm except far off in the distance a Raven called out. Tor’s feet crunched on the ground as he gingerly placed each step. He focused and slowed down his breath. Sounds that were minute a second ago became magnified in Tor’s ears. He could hear birds far off to the east chirping away their busy afternoon. He scanned his focus through the forest. A branch snapped straight ahead. Tor raised the barrel of his rifle. He slowly proceeded forward. He came to a clearing across from him stood a large buck chewing on foliage.
Tor was exhausted and starving. His brain was running on fumes. He strained to hold the gun steady. He took a deep breath and held the gun tightly against his shoulder then stared through the scope. He lined up the shot, moved his finger onto the trigger. Finally meat.
Thud. Bang.
A rock had fallen from the sky and landed right where the deer had been standing. The bullet had whizzed right over top of the startled deer. Tor’s face reddened as he clenched his teeth, and sealed his lips tightly together. Tor looked to his left there stood the perpetrator, who was frozen and starring directly at Tor.
Tor was at Alex before even a single neuron fired in Axel’s simple brain. He tackled him to the ground. The built of anger and desperation was about to get released, there was nothing that was going to cap it. Alex, who was fatter, younger and lacked any sort of fighting ability, had zero chance. A baby probably would have had a better chance at least his bones were still jelly like. Alex put his arms in front of his face in hopes a few punches would miss his face. Tor punched Alex again and again. Wyn’s thin boney arms wrapped around Tor’s body and tried to pull him off of Alex. Tor reached back and grabbed Wyn and effortlessly tossed her onto her ass. Tor punched Alex in the face. Wyn yelled “stop” at the top of her lungs, which echoed throughout the forest.
Tor was awoken from his craze. He slumped to the ground beside Alex, he stood there staring at his hands. Tor took deep breaths, his heart was pounding. His hands ached but he knew that was little compared to the pain Alex must be in at the moment. Alex lay motionless on the ground his face was already starting to swell and was covered in blood. His nose had been broken and his lip split open. Alex groaned as Wyn came to his side.
“Everything is going to be ok,” Wyn said to Alex.
“You could have killed him!” Wyn said as she slapped the back of Tor’s head.
“I had a deer all lined up until that idiot threw a fucking rock at it,” Tor said between gasps of air. Alex leaned over and spat out blood.
“Fuck!” Tor yelled as he punched the ground.
“We have to fix him up quickly,” Wyn said.
Tor slowly raised up off of the ground and then helped Alex up. Alex was reluctant at first but accepted the help. Tor supported him all the way back to camp.