A/N thanks silver ice hope you like this chapter. -------------------------------------------------------------------------

I was surprised. Though I wasn't going to tell Emma. I thought that we would see someone along our travels, but so far, no-one. I was kind of scared actually. That night as we set up our area in we were going to sleep, under the bruise coloured clouds, I felt uneasy. I continuously looked around. "Mum, what's wrong?" She despaired, glancing at me sideways. "That must be the tenth time today that you have looked as though someone is watching us!"

I made a brief smile her way. "Nothing's wrong." I shrugged and looked away again. "I'm just looking around that's all," I zealously lied to her. I made sure she couldn't see my face as I turned towards the horizon, the setting sun glinting its secret light upon the overhanging trees. My stomach churned and for a moment I felt all the uneasiness shoot through my body, before it went back to my stomach. That night I killed a man. I went to bed feeling confused. I kept a sharp jagged stone next to my pillow. I knew it was stupid but as I fell asleep with it next to me I felt safer. My body eventually relaxed and I fell asleep slowly and lightly. Hearing a crunch of snapping twigs outside, I quickly reached out my hand to the flat, cold boulder and gripped it with my tired, stiff fingers. I gently lifted myself out of bed and then crouched beside the partially open door of my shelter. I took a deep breath to calm my nerves, but they skyrocketed again when I found out my mistake when the noise outside stopped. I cursed myself for my stupidity. I waited agonizingly for about 50 seconds before I heard another creak. After that it was over in about a minute. The figure reached the door way and I could tell by his stance that it was a man. I leaped at him with a lot of force. We fell together his weight bringing me down with him. I didn't know whether I should have not done anything at that moment because I felt powerless against the strong figure on top of me. He grunted with such impatience that I felt scared. This man could hurt me and he wasn't afraid to. He struggled to untangle himself from me and aim his gun. I didn't let him. Before I knew what I was doing I smashed the stone against his slanted head. I don't know how many times I hit him, but by the time I was certain he was dead, the stone and myself were blood splattered. I dropped to the ground and gasped, my lungs welcoming the night air. I dropped to the ground and took in a deep breath. I was a murderer. The realization shook me to the bone and I knew I couldn't tell Emma. I waited for sunrise, rocking uncontrollably outside the door of our tent. I was covered in filth, head to foot. My hands were dry with the dirty soil of the ground around me. I looked at my scratched. I had 3 on my lift arm and one deep gash one my right. It hurt. My heart ached with what I had done. I had taken a life, even though I had been protecting Emma and myself I still felt wrong. I finally came round to myself deciding that if I hadn't done anything I would probably have been dead now.

As I heard Emma stirring I quickly ran off to wash myself before presenting my shaking body to her. She came out of the tent sleepily.

"Morning," I smiled weakly at her. She grumbled a reply. I tried not to look at her as I made her breakfast.

"If we leave soon we could probably get to Warn by this evening."

She looked at me hopefully. "Really?"

"Sure."

I packed up our things and gathered everything in a pile, ready for us to leave. We were ready to leave by late morning. The sun just coming out to warm us. We continued our travels along a dusty road. The heat of the sun bore down on us and I felt the sweat hanging off my face. I was boiling. I took off my jumper without any thought as to what I would tell Emma regarding my marks.

Her eyes widened when she looked at me. "Mum, what are those from?" She looked almost disgustedly at them. I winced as I thought how stupid I could be sometimes. I shrugged away her question by fumbling with my pack to get the water bottle.

"Mum," she said warningly. "Tell me what happened."

I tried to look foolish as I slowly told her a heart wrenching lie about getting up in the night and falling into a thorny bush. I could see the doubts flitting across her face. Though she took it without question. I felt bad, it was like she was accustomed to me lying to her. I vowed never to lie again.