Going Bush

“Where are you going to go?” Bernard called out.
Taylor cringed, swaying on his feet, trying to decide what to do. He could risk bolting into the trees and getting lost for who knows how long, or he could take off down the road and have Bernard chasing him in the car and maybe even hitting him. While the trees seemed the safer option, he had no idea where they led to if he ever got out the other side. He could end up in Kansas for all he knew!
He turned to look over his shoulder at him, still clutching the jacket as if it were a lifeline.
“You’re definitely going to kill me, aren’t you?” he said suddenly, his voice shaking along with his body, “I mean, there’d be no changing your mind. And it’s not like you haven’t already done it before…”
“I haven’t decided,” Bernard attempted to reason, slowly inching closer.
“You told me you would. And that was before…”
Taylor couldn’t finish the sentence.
“How do you know I didn’t say that just to scare you into obedience?” Bernard pointed out.
“Because if you were smart you wouldn’t have said anything you didn’t mean.”
Bernard scowled at that, before revealing the dagger he still had. Taylor began to back off, eyes growing wide.
“If I were what?” Bernard demanded, beginning to advance.
Taylor’s breathing heavied. He took another look down the road in the hopes of seeing at least a car, but when he saw nothing he whispered a quick prayer and bolted for the trees. Bernard’s footsteps were after him within seconds. Though the trees were nowhere near thick enough to shield him, Taylor hoped to get far enough away that he wouldn’t be in Bernard’s sights. Then he’d worry about getting back to the road.
A sudden thud halted him in his tracks. He looked back to see the dagger stuck in a tree barely a foot from where he’d been. Glancing back to sight Bernard, he could see him still running for him perhaps fifty metres behind.
He had to think quickly. Take the dagger and fight? He couldn’t run forever, but he didn’t like his changes taking on Bernard with any kind of close-range weapon. But even if he took the dagger, that would mean Bernard wouldn’t have it.
Weighing the pros and cons, he’d already lost some good time before he decided not to take it. He didn’t know how well it was stuck in the tree to begin with. A few moments later Taylor heard Bernard pluck the dagger from the tree and turned in time to see him take aim again. In doing so he wasn’t watching where he was going, and tripped over an abandoned log.
He was back on his knees in seconds, aware that he’d just lost some valuable time. Normally, he realised, he’d be able to outrun the larger man by miles. But due to malnutrition and just plain tiredness, that was far from happening now. The next thing he knew, there was a sharp pain in his right leg and the muscles seized up. In his rush he fell over again, grabbing at his leg as he tried not to get too worked up. The dagger hadn’t dug in too deep, but enough that it had blood on it when Taylor removed it. Looking back for Bernard, his eyes widened when he realized how close he now was.
He desperately pulled himself to his feet again, dagger in hand. But it was within ten metres that Taylor was tackled to the ground.
“Get off me!” he yelped, holding onto the dagger for all he was worth.
Bernard easily pried it from his fingers, then used it to slice at Taylor’s leg a second time.