The sun beat down on the men as they put some miles behind them and the ticks. They spoke little as there was nothing to say. The still air seemed oppressive, expectant, and both men began glancing behind them unconsciously.
The side of the road began to display sprays of white flowers, like fine lace. Bees were busy moving from path to patch, bringing home the bacon for their hives. The thought of food for the bees made the men realise how hungry they were.
“Fancy a forage?” asked the son, as he kicked a stone off into the bushes.
“As long as we don’t go back into tick land” replied his father shuddering. “I’m still itching from the last lot.”
“I hear that” agreed the younger man. He too scratched at phantom ticks as they began looking along the side of the road for anything that might be edible.
The old man shuffled off to the side of the road to inspect the flowering plant that they had been watching the bees plunder. He grabbed a leaf and crushed it between his fingers. Taking a sniff he immediately dismissed the plant. “Poison Hemlock’ he said knowingly.
The son nodded and carried on scanning the other side of the road for anything he might recognise as edible. But there was nothing that he could remember being safe to eat.
They continued on, taking their time. They had no deadline to get where they were going. They also didn’t really know where they were going, so hurrying didn’t make much sense.
“Aha!” exclaimed the old man as he trotted across the road to a shady patch under a large tree. He bent over and pulled up some broad leaves from a low growing plant. “That’s dock, that is” he said proudly.
“Excellent” was the reply. “Well spotted, dad.”
They spent some time harvesting the dock and stowing it away in their packs, while munching on some of the leaves raw. It was not the best meal either had enjoyed, but it was food, and their stomachs appreciated it none the less.
Feeling happier, they wandered back to the centre of the road, and carried on eating up the long miles, one step at a time.
Stories in this series
STEEM-POCALYPSE SURVIVAL GAME CONTEST - Day 1 Round 1 - the Kiwi's story
STEEM-POCALYPSE SURVIVAL GAME CONTEST - Day 1 Round 2 - the Kiwi's story
STEEM-POCALYPSE SURVIVAL GAME CONTEST - Day 2 Round 1 - the Kiwi's story
STEEM-POCALYPSE SURVIVAL GAME CONTEST - Day 2 Round 2 - the Kiwi's story
STEEM-POCALYPSE SURVIVAL GAME CONTEST - Day 3 Round 1 - the Kiwi's story
STEEM-POCALYPSE SURVIVAL GAME CONTEST - Day 3 Round 2 - the Kiwi's story
Check out my stories here on Steemit
Running Deer
Running Deer - part 1
Running Deer - How legends are born
Charlie Rabbit
Meet Charlie Rabbit
Charlie tides up
Charlie Rabbit and Margery Mouse
Charlie Rabbit and Margery Mouse make music
Little Peppers Adventures
Runaway Rabbit and the hungry fox
Maybe and the land of purple rainbows – A Little Peppers adventure
How Pappa Pepper and Monster Truck the Pepper got their wild hogs - a Little Peppers Adeventure
Dark Angel Regiment of the Space Marines - Mission Files
First Squad Sniper Elite - Zaresith mission
Other stories
Also don't forget to check out my Dad's blog
Who else can tell you stories about impersonating an officer, stealing a military aircraft to go on a booze run, or steal military aircraft and go on an unsanctioned bombing run - and that's all before he turned 18!
Check out 
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