The Day It All Changed Part 2

Eventually, he meets back up with his dad. He sees his dad stabbed through his stomach and his dad's hands in the soldier's eyes. Terrified of what he's seeing he feels despair. Unsure of what to do his father yells "Run as far as you can!!" Susumu shaken up goes to run again. This time he runs into the forest and doesn't stop until he finds a place to hide in. He was only going deeper into the forest to places more and more unknown. Susumu runs for a long time going deeper in the forest. Feeling the grass and sticks graze his legs with each step he takes. He grows tired of running and slows down. He looks up and sees the sun rising and hears chirping from birds signifying the start of a new day. Fatigue comes over his body allowing him to feel all the pain in his body.

Susumu grows tired as old memories flash through his mind. Tears flow down his face as his breathing gets more stuffy and sporadic. He gradually starts walking slower and slower. Only then does he find a cave that he can hide in, to rest. He puts his brother inside his robe tightening up the waist area before getting some sticks. His body moving sluggish makes it harder for him to do anything. However, he continues to push through at least for him to make a temporary fort in the cave. He is carrying all these sticks in one spot and wrapping them up with leaves and smaller sticks. He crawls under it patting down the ground with some leaves. He lays down a bit to get some rest. 

Without realizing it, Susumu had passed out for a few hours, to just now be waking up. He can hear nature and the sound of trees blowing in the wind. It all sounded so peaceful to him. He's so unsure of what to do next. All he can think of is to run and look for the next town of people. He sees that his brother is still asleep and prepares to embark on another town that he and his brother can live in. Susumu starts to get up and move after feeling the fatigue from his body, struggling to barely lift his hands and arms while they're shaking in muscle pains. He can faintly hear a carriage being pulled by horses, take a sudden stop by the cave. The voices of people can barely be heard. At that moment, Susumu decides to take a risk to see if those people could help him. He stands up and walks forward with one hand on the wall.

Slowly approaching them as more anxiety fills him unsure if he's making the right choice. A man who's tying up the saddles on the horses stops and turns to look to see a boy in front of him with beaten-up clothes. As soon as he makes eye contact, the man with grey hairs and age of wrinkles on the skin, realizes who he's looking at. The old man says "Is that you? The farmer family's weird son?" Susumu responds in a serious tone "Do you know what happened?" The old man sighs and looks at the carriage saying "Everyone else who escaped is on here. We're heading to my land and i'll keep everyone safe there." Susumu doesn't respond immediately and thinks about what he's looking at. Unsure if the head of a baron family can be trusted. He throws some bait to see if he'll be fine by the end of it. Susumu says to the man "If you can guarantee my brother's safety then i'll do it." The old man silently looks at the kid wondering why he's so mature compared to other kids his age. He ponders a bit and then says "Of course, everyone in the carriage will be under my care."

Susumu gets himself in the carriage. He sees all the other kids, that survived, with some of their parents. A few didn't have both of their parents. However, one of them didn't have either of their parents. Just crying all alone in the corner by himself. Susumu noticing it thinks of his little brother and wonders to himself "What if I didn't make it out alive?" Cold shivers go down his spine in response to that thought. He then decides to sit next to the scared little boy. To allow him to have a shoulder to lean on. After getting comfortable the old man says "Alright everyone, we're continuing to my home."

Hours go by with everyone sitting in the carriage. Everyone's stomach can be heard growling, but no one says or does anything about getting food. They all just sit and shake being filled with anxiety about what may or may not happen. In the meantime, Susumu wonders who chose to destroy their village and why they did it. He continues to stress about many things related to those thoughts. So as the sounds of the carriage move and rattles throughout the forest and into their ears. Susumu's little brother, Fleecy, starts to open his mouth to say something. Fleecy says "Where are we?" Susumu responds saying "Somewhere safe..." only in hopes that his little brother goes back to sleep without worry. This is what happens especially since it's now getting dark out with only one lantern lit to give out light in the forest.

As they keep going deeper into the forest they run into a creature. One that Susumu calls a 'Leecher', mostly because they reminded him of leeches. However, they only remind him of the memory of an old life. Because those types of creatures suck blood from other life forms regardless of the size. The more blood they drink the bigger they get. It's dangerous to not take them seriously due to how strong they are with human-like arms and slug-like legs. Susumu makes sure that his spot has little light as he puts more of his body huddled up in the corner of the carriage. The old man says quietly "Don't make any noise. Stay as silent as possible.