𝐌𝐎𝐎𝐍𝐒𝐓𝐑𝐔𝐂𝐊- 𝐄𝐋𝐋𝐈𝐄 𝐖𝐈𝐋𝐋𝐈𝐀𝐌𝐒

Chapter Twenty

Losing Yourself

5742 words

Terrified. That's the only thing Aurora could feel. Her hand was over her mouth squeezing to keep her breathing down when the person walked up whistling in a strange way. She laid on her stomach frozen staring straight ahead of her, they saw her, she'd be dead. The footsteps came close just by her head, she could practically see their boots but the darkness covered her in the tall plants allowing her to stay hidden. The footsteps stopped, she swore they would hear her heartbeat pounding against her ribcage. Then, the footsteps continued walking off into a different area of the woods.

She waited alongside Ellie staying down for another moment before moving her hand away from her mouth looking to Ellie who laid next to her. The girl was already looking at her which was somewhat hard to see through the darkness. Without saying anything Ellie got up on her feet staying low to the ground and grabbing Aurora's hand pulling her up.

"Street." She spoke fast and so quiet Aurora would've thought she was hearing something if she didn't watch her mouth move. Aurora quickly nodded looking forward towards an area with some light coming from it, a body hanging on a lamppost just down the path. They went to move keeping down staying in the plants but leaving the path into a small trench crossing to the other side. Ellie went to climb up first, out of the trench but yelped falling backwards and back down to the ground. Aurora stayed low but ran for her holding the wounded shoulder, an arrow sticking out from her flesh. Aurora looked at her, she nodded, then Aurora put her hands around the arrow ripping it out of her shoulder a small river of blood seeping into the sleeve of her shirt. "Fuck." Ellie whispered, shaking it off and turning back.

Whistles still came from above sending them both out of the side of the trench as fast as possible and away from the strange people. A lot of them carried torches, while Aurora and Ellie ran through the plants. Aurora could see the light from the torches, following them not far behind but slower the whistles going back and forth between each other. They ran forward before taking cover behind a large rock when two people came past holding torches.

Aurora examined the parts of their faces that she could see. Scars ran along their cheeks, one of them with scars in a design on his forehead. She watched them walk by before turning to Ellie who already had the same idea. "Scars." She whispered. Aurora nodded. They then left the shelter of the rock and continued on away from the torch light and towards the street as fast as possible. Two scars then showed themselves with one carrying a torch. They heard the rustling of the plants turning to look, but Ellie and Aurora had other plans lunging at the two. Aurora pulled out her knife stabbing the man in the neck dropping his body into the ground.

Ellie stomped out the torch letting it burn out into the dirt. They quickly crouched back down continuing on and away from the bodies when frantic whistles called out. Aurora looked over her shoulder, a person stood over the bodies looking down at them. She turned back and pulled Ellie away slamming them both onto their stomachs in the bushes. "Stay down." It came out in barely a whisper, Aurora's lips just beside Ellie's ear. Aurora then continued crawling on her stomach hearing the whistles shooting back and forth between them frantically calling out then calming only to get frantic again. Finally the light from the street was close, just in front of them was a truck.

Ellie looked around then at Aurora who wasn't even looking at her, more so focused on her surroundings. Ellie tapped her hand making her look over with eyes full of fear, then she relaxed a bit. Ellie nodded to the street that was finally in their sights, the light of a large fire bringing both comfort and more fear. The scars were far behind now, still in the woods when the two took cover behind an old bus stop shelter. They sat down taking in a breath.