We shouldn't have found food that easily.
That was my first, uneasy thought as we stumbled upon the small grove.
My second thought?
I didn't care.
Hunger had gnawed at my insides for too long, turning every rational warning into a distant, irrelevant whisper. Survival had a way of simplifying things.
We hadn't gone deep into the forest. At least, not intentionally. The group kept repeating the same cautious mantra.... "don't go too far," "don't trigger anything," "don't be reckless" ....even as our feet carried us forward step by careful step. We were all lying to ourselves, pretending we were exercising restraint while hunger pushed us just far enough to justify the risk.
Because hunger doesn't negotiate. It doesn't respect boundaries or fear invisible dangers. It simply demands.
We found the fruits clustered near a group of low, twisted trees with silvery bark that seemed to shimmer faintly even in the dim, filtered light.
Too neat.
Too convenient.
