Reluctance [Open]

[Fletcher Brooks]

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like you always say,
"safe travels, don't die."
The idea of joining a group terrified Fletcher. For a year now, he managed to survive all by himself, never going long without food or water. A feat that is an accomplishment by itself and even more of an accomplishment when Sparrow was factored in. The medium-sized border collie lay next to him now, fast asleep. With her training, she'd become far more useful but Fletcher knew that having an actual hunting dog would have been a wiser choice. Although an actual hunting dog would have been more independent and headstrong, so he questioned if one of those dogs would have stayed. Nevertheless, Sparrow tagged along and remained loyal even when food was lean. Besides, Piper would have insisted they bring along her prized pet, had Piper been able to come along. Despite his apprehension concerning groups, Fletcher realized that food was running low and the few rabbits Sparrow cared to hunt would not be able to sustain them much longer. For Sparrow, some dog kibble had been acquired, though carrying too much at a time proved to be an action that slowed down his movement. To combat this problem, Fletcher camped out about an hour out from the looming gates, barely hidden behind a lone tree. A few days passed by uneventfully, and while he'd assumed that the group living there would have found him by now, from watching them, Fletcher saw that other survivors came to them. In a twisted sense of pride, he refused to actually go and interact with the group on his own. Of course he needed them, if only for a little while, but Fletcher certainly did not want to need them. The edible contents of his pack were laid out, just one bag of jerky and three Clif bars. Hunting attempts in the area had failed, but Fletcher was determined to keep trying. Simply by standing up, Sparrow woke up and looked at him, her tail swishing side to side. 'Play with me,' her eyes pleaded. “Nah, Sparrow, we're gonna go hunting,” the border collie, despite not comprehending the words, began to follow him. She walked in a way that resembled a very close heel, sometimes breaking a bit ahead but then correcting herself. Sparrow's attention laid firmly on Fletcher, awaiting instructions on what her next action should be. NOTES:386 words TAGGED:

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embers ★