Free The Regenerates by Maansi Pandya

weapons they had brought, but finally gave up in frustration.
    While Kayn hadn’t tried to murder him, he didn’t hesitate to steal Ven’s food, or shove him to the ground and snag the most comfortable sleeping space. He would often throw Ven out into the cold when he decided he needed more room. As the days pressed on, the bullying began to get worse. So far, Ven had tolerated everything. No matter how much Kayn’s tricks bothered or hurt him, Kayn was keeping him alive.
    Now, however, Ven had had enough.
    It was late afternoon. They had finally left the dry, barren wasteland behind them and had reached lush green forests. They set up camp in a clear, wooded area for the night. The rain had left the forest smelling fresh and the ground damp. Ven had never seen such beauty. Seeing nature like this in a book was one thing, but smelling the air, running his hands over the soft, dewy moss and hearing the cries of exotic birds was a different thing altogether. Everywhere he looked, he could see vibrant color, greens, blues and pinks. The woods were thick, as were the tree roots that covered the forest floor. High above him, a canopy of wide leaves spread out amidst the now darkening sky. He wished Coralie, his mother and the others could see all of this.
    Kayn lit a fire and began to warm up the food from his satchel. The fire reflected off the wired engine and chrome wheels of the pod they had parked on the man-made path running through the woods. Their rations had begun to grow thin. Ven rummaged through his bag searching for his food. After a few minutes, he realized that almost all of it was gone, save for a single loaf of bread. He dumped the contents of the bag on to the forest floor. Nothing remained of his rations but the meager loaf in his hand and a fistful of crumbs that now littered the ground.
    Out of the corner of his eye, he could see a small smile form on Kayn’s face.
    Furious and starving, Ven rounded on him. “What have you done with my food? There’s nothing left!”
    Kayn continued chewing his hot meal. Ven’s blood began to boil.
    “I asked you a question.”
    Silence.
    Forgetting who he was talking to, Ven stood up and lifted his foot, ready to kick the plate of food out of Kayn’s hands. Before he could react, Kayn leaped to his feet, seized his head and slammed it hard to the ground. Ven gasped in pain, seeing stars.
    “You worthless piece of trash,” Kayn said, looking down at Ven as he clutched his head, blinking. “If you try something like that again, I will kill you.”
    In a final blow, Kayn picked up the single loaf of bread that had fallen onto Ven’s satchel, took a massive bite out of it and flung it into the dirt by his face.
    A mad fury erupted inside Ven. He took a deep breath, then sat upright, pain thudding in his skull. What was a few meals, anyway?
    As night fell, hunger made it impossible to sleep. Ven got up and quietly walked over to Kayn, who was fast asleep. He glanced around for his satchel, but Kayn was using it as a pillow. Ven glared at him.
    I could throttle you right now if I wanted, or pick up a boulder and drop it on your head.
    He racked his memory, trying to think what he had read about edible plants and fungi in the forest. Ven left the campsite and pulled a small gas lamp out of his bag. He clicked it and pointed it at the forest floor, trying to find edible mushrooms by the pathway and against the trees. The woods were less beautiful after dark. The sounds of strange bird cries filled the air and he tripped several times over the thick roots. Moisture left over from the rain dripped onto his head from the hanging leaves. He made sure not to stray too far, because getting lost would mean trouble.
    As he scanned the ground, a rustling noise halted him in his tracks. In a moment of exasperation, he realized how stupid it was to shine his lamp around a dense forest in the night. He would have to rely on the moonlight.
    Ven clicked the light off and crouched low.