Who: Victor Borkowski and OTA What: help! When: Monday Where: Eastern Pennsylvania Warnings: possible language, violence
Victor had been cutting through the woods on what was turning into a very long journey to New York when his situation suddenly got a lot worse. Having grown up in a small town, Victor right away recognized the sound of the rifle fire from knowing people who hunted in season. At first, Victor thought the shot had been a mistake, but then a second shot ricocheted off of a tree beside him and he heard some slurs shouted out. It wasn't hunting season for anything that he knew of, except perhaps for mutants.
Luckily for Victor, he was fast and his reflexes quick. He was able to dump his pack and put distance between him and the hunters, moving in the general direction of a nearby small town. He lucked out and emerged from the forest in a parking lot of an abandoned shopping center, seeing a pay phone beside the structure. He had the number to dial and quickly made the call. He couldn't do this on his own anymore.
Over the phone, he'd been assured that help would be there soon, he only needed to stay near the lot. As he was running from the pay phone to find shelter, the men emerged from the woods, dressed in camouflage, but without a hint of orange on them, another hint to Victor that their prey wasn't merely animal. He heard the gunshot again, but didn't look back or pause to see how close it had been this time. He dashed back into the woods, sure he could find more cover in there.
The time of year was working against him as the trees were not yet leaved, so he focused on getting far from the pursuers before looking for a hiding place, preferably somewhere in view of the parking lot he'd been in, so he could know when his calvary had arrived. As he ran, he made the decision to shed his clothes. He wasn't wearing anything that stood out too badly, but he didn't want to take any chances, and he knew he could blend in perfectly without them. The cold of the air was unpleasant, but he knew he wouldn't freeze before help got there. Victor found a dense grouping of brush, ducking behind it, his skin color adapting to match it perfectly. He lay still and watched.
The hunters continued to move about, never getting too close to him. He saw one pull out a cell phone at one point, and Victor hoped he wasn't calling for more of his buddies to show up. After a while he'd wished he'd thought to at least keep his watch. He had no idea for how long he'd been hiding out and waiting. He hoped the hunters would tire of the hunt, but he'd occasionally catch a glimpse of one or more of them about in the woods, so he kept his defenses up.