Short Stories + Contest Entries

Found (Updated)

A final version of a fiction project I was working on. Please let me know what you all think!

The forest howled in response to their arrival, as it warned of the peril ahead. The boy's feet stomped rapidly and spread across the grass like wildfire. The sun had disappeared just as the journey began, a beautiful peach colored sky faded away. All that's left were the sprinkle of stars and the mystery of the moon. The darkness hid the boys now, but it was no matter. They knew how to find them.

The sirens wailed on.

Ian was in the lead, as he always was. He guided their way through any adventure and storm. He was the chosen one, the boy they called upon when danger struck. He would bring them out, far from the worry and stress with the skill of mind that he was born with. Ian was the face of the team, a true leader. That's the kind of boy he was, that's the kind of man he may become.

Their sharp breaths whispered through the air and crunched leaves snapped as they ran by. Adrenaline coursed through their veins with anxiety mixed into their blood. There would be no sleep tonight, not until there was safety. As hopeful as they were, each passing second could ruin their chances of surviving.

The sirens wailed on.

Harper was the eldest, the unlucky one. He got too close and couldn't escape. Harper let the poison get to him, then it started to spread in phases. A blast of pain, itchiness, a tired voice with migraines, drowning in obligations. But he wasn't one to complain, he was the head of the pack in another way; Harper was the guinea pig, the first of the three. Now he had to pay the price as it manifested into an illness, a required stage of life. A plague that tore apart their bond, their life.

The sirens wailed on.

Mercury was faster than Ian and much stronger than Harper, but his temper was what sold him short. As Harper gagged on his breath, the poison broke into hives and aged his face. Patches of green slime splotched on his skin. It was Mercury's job to hold onto him. Carry him, drag him along. No one gets left behind, Ian always ordered. But even Mercury had his limits. The pressure on his shoulders was hard to ignore, sweat showering over him as the shrieks grew louder. But he would be tough. Relentless. He would fight beside his brothers, through thick and thin.

The sirens continued.

With a sigh of relief, they caught sight of the treehouse, their beacon of hope. Mercury's cry of joy loudest among them as Harper's arm tightened around his neck. He would have no time left to fix the damage done, but to slow the spread and beat the odds, that was the goal.

Ian replayed his last request, the plan that would free them all.

When it's my turn, take me away. Promise me you'll fight when I cannot. When my skin fades and my mind blanks. I want to make you promise me you won't let me be one of them. Harper's steady voice rang vividly through Ian.

I promise Harper, I swear to you. That was the vow he made years ago. A promise he'd keep, even if it killed him.

The end goal was so near. All that was left to do was bring his brother to high ground.

Get him up, Ian whispered urgently, the crack in his voice concerned Mercury slightly. Still, he bit his tongue and held back a retort. He thought better than to argue now. Of all the plans Ian and Mercury fought over, this one would not be up for debate, no matter how impossible the odds seemed.

There was a wooden ladder connected to the bark of the house, unsettling and incompetent. There was no other way up, but the slanted angle of the wood's position gave Mercury a chance. He would have to swing him on his back and climb. No easy task, even for him, but there was no other option. Mercury glanced up at the treehouse, his eyes swelled with urgency. It was his time now to save his family. Would he be able to bring his brother to safety? He hoped with all his might that he could.