𝘢 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘮𝘪𝘴𝘦 - 𝘯𝘰𝘳𝘮𝘢𝘯 𝘵𝘱𝘯

𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘟𝘟𝘐𝘝

𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐏𝐄𝐑𝐒 𝐀𝐑𝐂

𝐓𝐖𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐘 𝐅𝐎𝐔𝐑

𝐏𝐀𝐑𝐓 (𝟐/𝟐)
___________

To your surprise, they're not demons but humans- four of them, two boys and two girls, dressed in dirty white hospital gowns and seem disheveled.

They seem to have gone through some rough things. You carefully climb down the tree, and as you get closer, their voices become more distinct.

"Ugh, I can't stand this godforsaken place any longer!" the girl exclaims, her voice laced with frustration and exhaustion. She's short, with messy brown hair that's grown tangled from days of traversing the wilderness. Her eyes are sunken, and her face is smudged with dirt and sweat.

The boy, who towers over her with dark brown hair, lanky build and slightly muscular build, shoots her a stern look. "Keep your voice down, Jess. You're going to attract more of those...things." He whispers the last word, as if afraid to utter it aloud.

Jess scowls, her lips pressed into a thin line. "What's the point of whispering? They always seem to find us anyway." She throws her hands up in the air, exasperated.

The boy sighs and runs a hand through his disheveled hair. "What do you want me to do about it, huh? We're stuck out here, and we need to find a way out."

The other girl steps in. "Guys, please, can we just stop fighting? We need to find food and shelter...it's been days since we've had anything to eat." She's tall and slender, with long red hair that's now matted and dirty. Her eyes are haunted, and her voice trembles as she speaks.

The group falls silent, the only sound the rustling of leaves in the wind. They're all thinking the same thing: how did they end up here? They've been walking for days, scavenging for berries, but it's not enough. They're tired, hungry, and scared. As they stand there, unsure of what to do, you watch from behind the tree, wondering what to do.

'I have to help them.' You want to know how they've managed to survive this long and where they came from. It's clear that they don't know what they're doing, and you know that you can't just leave them here. They need help, and you're the only one around who can offer it.

You take a deep breath, gripping your knife tightly in your hand. You step out from behind the tree, trying to move calmly and deliberately. "Hey." you call out, trying to keep your voice steady.

The group whips around, their heads snapping towards you. Their eyes widen in unison, and you can see the fear written across their faces. You can tell that they're on high alert, ready to bolt at a moment's notice.

You take a step forward, trying to appear non-threatening. "What are you doing out here?" you ask, trying to keep your tone even.

Jess, the girl, takes a step towards you, but the boy holds her back, his eyes fixed on your knife. You can see the wariness in his gaze, the suspicion. You keep your hand open and relaxed, trying to show that you mean no harm.

"Answer my question." you say, trying to sound firm but gentle.

The group exchanges nervous glances, clearly unsure of what to do. You can see the fear and uncertainty written across their faces.

After a moment of hesitation, the red-headed girl speaks up in a soft voice. "We escaped from one of the Lambda facilities." she mumbles, her eyes darting around nervously.

'Lambda?' You furrow your eyebrows, intrigued by her words. "And what are your names?" you ask.

"My name is Rebecca." She  introduces herself, then points to the others: "That's Jess, Steven, and Max."