I slowly approached the tent, my eyes wide open, scanning my surroundings for any other traps or movements in my surroundings, any at all. Have to be careful. Very, very careful. They could have a rifle, or maybe even a shotgun. I could try to just wait it out. Ah, but I would lose more energy doing so. No choice then.

I crouched as I reached the entrance to the tent. I took a deep breath. I'm not going to hurt them, no. Just get them to leave all this behind. That's all. 

Don't lie.

I shook my head. That's all. That's ALL. I slowly crept into the tent, my machete ready. What would be there? A poor, sleeping person? Or a fully armed hunter, ready to take me down? Either way, I was ready.

Or so I thought. What I saw horrified me.

Nothing.

"Let go of the machete and place it behind you. Now." A stern female voice hissed behind me, a cold steel pressed against my nape. This had happened to me countless times, and even now it chilled me down to the bone.

It's a gun.

My heart beat palpitated. Normally, I'd simply swivel around after 'admitting defeat' with a kick to the ribs to take them down and make them release their weapon for me to use against them. But with me being in the tent, despite it being bigger than regular ones, I would end up banging into the objects inside it trying to send a full force kick and lose balance or topple. That would be a one way ticket to getting shot in the face.

Such an idiot. Idiot. Should have been more careful. Always have to be more careful.

"Okay, now put your hands behind your back." The voice said once again, this time a bit softer. I took in a ragged breath and did as I was told. She tied my hands up with rope. I tried to move my wrists to remove it. No dice. Dammit, dammit!

"What's the code for the bag?" She asked as she fumbled with my lock.

"Why do you even want to know? How did you even know I was here?" I hissed, my body shaking. My captor was just a young brunette who wore thick, black rimmed glasses and had a bobbed haircut. She was wearing a bulky jacket and baggy leggings, the revolver on her right, far from me. I realized that, for a rich teenager, she wore quite worn-out clothing. Did she get run from her home? And, that jacket...

It gleamed with blue and red gems.

"How I knew you were here? Well, who knows, maybe you were mumbling to yourself like a madman! Now tell me the code. I'm getting testy." She groaned. Her voice was fierce, but her eyes were far from it. It was slightly hard to tell in the darkness, but they showed nothing but fear. Sweat trickled down her forehead as the silence filled the tent. She's all bark, it was quite obvious to me now. I just needed to appear like a threat, even if my hands were tied.

For a while, I did nothing. I observed what was around the tent; it was best to know areas I should avoid. Then, when she finally put her focus back to my bag, I stood up, my back in an arc. I loomed over her like a tower. The girl bit her lips and her eyes widened as I glared. She turned around to face me, trying to appear like a bigger threat. In her desperation to act like the predator, she forgot the one thing that I would actually fear.

Her revolver.

"Look, I have no idea what you're trying to do here, but I believe that it should be painfully clear that I have the upper hand. Just accept your loss, old man." She barked. I paid no attention to what she said and began to casually walk forward, my eyes ripping her to shreds. It was true that there were strands of white in my hair. It had built up as the years of paranoia overwhelmed me, despite me being just twenty years old. But that did not mean a thing to me. Definitely not now.

"How terrifying." I mocked as I slowly knelt to get my machete. I turned it in my hands, making the blade rest against the rope.

"You--" She began, but stopped abruptly, taking in a sharp breath as I stepped on her hand, which was reaching for her revolver. A little too late.

"Ah, tut-tut. Such bad manners for a well-to-do child. Didn't your parents teach you manners?" I said in a whisper, giving her a crooked smile. Her eyes glared. I lifted my foot, just slightly. I was blocking her from the revolver now.

"HOW DARE YOU!" She shrieked, pushing me with as much strength as she could.

It was a won battle right then and there.

I let myself topple,  the sudden impact against the ground allowing my machete to cut part of the rope wrapped around my wrists. Part of my arm got cut, but no matter. The thick rope was now much easier to get rid of. I pulled my wrists apart, making the rope snap. My arms were now free. The revolver was now my weapon. There was nothing she could do now.

The girl was now frozen in a glassy state of horror, almost as if she were to shatter into pieces any second. 

Scare her off and keep her things, th-- Wait. Hear that?

I hear it. I wasn't able to discern it before, with my focus solely on breaking her, but now I can recognize what it was.

Slow, wary, footsteps. The tempo of a hunter tracking prey. Immediately, I rushed for my bag and unlocked it with haste.

"H-Huh??" She murmured as she watched me grab two small smoky crystals from my bag. I toss one to her.

"Crush it!" I quietly ordered, as I crush mine in my hand. 

"Ahh, little lady.... So THIS was where you were hiding!" A low, raspy voice exclaimed. "Now, how 'bout we stop with this useless game of Hide'n'Seek?"