SCRATCHED

Chapter 32

2020, Woodland.

Alex, throughout the ride, had her fear assuaged by the thought of the women whose smell she had perceived, whose cries she almost heard. They had been taken away in that vehicle, Tianna had mentioned. To somewhere unknown, which was exactly what Woodland now was.

To her it has always been unknown, a place fortune and misfortune had joined hands and thrown her, into the arms of shitty foster parents. All this while, she had been housing a secret envy of her friends, who had real parents. That envy included Jay. At least he knew what it felt like to be loved by his own parents. Funny enough, her friends considered her and Brandon the lucky ones, having both foster parents, having to obey curfews, and being grounded for misdoings. Amy was motherless and her father was never home, Jay's parents were dead, and Camie's family had abandoned her.

She almost left out Aiden, guilt immediately consuming her. He hadn't been gone for long and he was already being forgotten. He was motherless, just like Amy, and his father-circumstances were worse than hers. When she came to think of it, they were all pieces of different puzzles, and each piece found its partner. Amy with Aiden, Jay with Camie, and Alex with...

Brandon's speeding helped in shortening the journey, but his often mirror glances had only served to infuriate her, as she had been sitting in the middle. Tianna was by her right. Camie was by her left. And Amy, being too weak to sit, was spread on their laps.

They were now here, in the outskirts of this unknown place, where the yellowish-red curves of the sun pecked rooftops, saying goodbye.

Their little planning had been the only disruption of silence during the journey. They were now at the parting point. They were to enter the city from the east, closer to Amy's house, where Brandon would take her. If luck was on their side, her father would be home, and things would only get better from there. But if not, then he would have to hunt for clues while watching Amy die. Once again, he had chosen the hardest task. And he would do it alone. No objection arose because it was clear he was the only one strong enough to carry Amy. Tianna didn't know Amy's house, and though she was reluctant to leave Amy's side, her fighting skills were needed if the rest were to get to the mines, the only underground tunnels known in Woodland.

The mines had been abandoned for years. It was the perfect place to set up a lab. The smell of chemicals would be contained, and the labyrinth of passages would provide several hiding places. The Moans had now adapted, so light and dark were basically the same. It was a risk they could take, they would take. For Amy.

The entrances to the mines were situated between two of Woodland's oldest wood factories, and far ahead was an old building that used to be a training institute.

"Here," Tianna brought out something and gave Brandon.

"What's this?" he asked, observing how small and black it looked in his palm.

"It's a comm. Casper and his men use it to communicate over long distances. I have enough for everyone."

It looked like a pill. "OK, so..."

"You put it in your ear."

"Oh."

"Everyone clear on the plan?" he asked.

They nodded, including Alex.

"Good luck, and stay alive guys."