Read Online Running Away - A Post-Apocalyptic Novel (The Ravaged Land Series Book 4) by Kellee L. Greene - Free Book Online

I’d just throw it up what was the point? This way at least they got to enjoy a little more of it. For now, I’d eat the leaves and hope we’d find some real food soon. We’d already walked for miles… chances were we’d find something.
    I looked down at the leaves growing out of the ground and tried to match them up to the leaves Dean had given me. There seemed to be a decent amount growing around me. I’d find as much as I could, or at least that was what I thought before I heard the howl of the dog-beast in the distance. I tightly held onto the leaves Dean had gathered and jogged back to the group, not wanting to be alone if the dog-beast came our way.

    * * *
    A fter everyone finished eating their tiny fish, and I’d eaten every last leaf Dean had gathered, Penn kicked out the fire and we were on our way. We followed the river for a long while before it twisted back, practically in the direction we had just come from.
    We’d have to choose to stay with the river for a water source or go in the right direction and leave the river behind. If we stayed with the water it would mean we’d have to travel for an unknown amount of time in the wrong direction, but if we left the water behind no one knew when we’d find a drink again.
    Penn laid out the options, and we took a vote. We all agreed to leave the water source behind. We couldn’t risk traveling back and losing all the miles we’d put in when we were so tired. Not to mention we were all sick of walking. No one wanted to add extra miles and more time to our route.
    We’d go east. Alice had refrained from voting. But it didn’t matter, it had been unanimous, and we all knew that whatever Carter’s vote was would count as two because it wasn’t like she would vote against him.
    We all took a final drink of the unpurified water and headed east. I couldn’t even guess how many hours or miles we walked, but the whole day had come and gone by the time we saw the barely standing gas station on the outskirts of a small town come into view.

7
    seven.
    T he small town was in shambles. Some of the houses were still intact but many of them looked as though they were falling apart piece by piece. The destruction had probably been due to the storms since the buildings appeared to have been in this condition for some time. The older buildings probably hadn’t been built to survive the devastating storms.
    Then again, the storms that had come through around here must not have been as strong as the ones that had gone through North Dakota. If they had been, there would have been nothing left. The tornadoes would have ripped this little town to shreds.
    We went inside the gas station and no one was surprised to see that it had been cleaned out. Even the expired stuff that sometimes remained wasn’t sitting on the shelves.
    “Let’s check in the back,” Penn said nodding towards the door that would likely lead towards the offices and storage areas. Dean followed him through a rickety white door with a small window near the top.
    I made my way over to the main window and looked out over the area that had once been a parking lot. It seemed like someone should keep watch… just in case.
    They returned after a couple minutes. Dean caught my eye and shook his head. I knew they hadn’t found anything. He stood next to me and put his arm around my shoulders.
    “We’ll find something here,” he said trying to sound confident.
    “Maybe,” I said, feeling far less confident. It wasn’t a very big town.
    “Let’s get out of here,” Penn said walking past me and out the front door. He kept his hand on the handle of his gun even though there wasn’t anyone out there.
    “I think we’ll have better luck searching the houses,” Dean said nodding down the deserted street.
    My clothes were itchy from being wet with the river water and then having dried while I wore them, but I didn’t care about finding new clothes as much as I did finding water. And something to eat