It was a cool night. The illuminating quarter moon high in the sky peered down at them with a welcoming glint. The fresh air was sharp and crisp, and the slight breeze carried the smell of petrichor. The night wildlife hummed in full effect: owls hooted, insects buzzed, and foxes hunted. All was peaceful and quiet. That was until a loud creaking noise disrupted the natural activities of the night. All fell silent, as though everything was awaiting the source with bated breath.
The disruptive noise came from the dark far end of a building in the middle of the woodland. Dense foliage surrounded the structure and up its walls as though it wanted to hide from unwanted eyes. There was no sign that the building was inhabited, not until today.
A girl and a small, unearthly creature came rushing out of the source of the noise, leaving behind bangs and curses in their wake. Twigs snapped as she stumbled away with heavy, unbalanced footsteps; an owl perched on a tree nearby hooted as if scoffing at the level of noise she was creating from her panic. More banging continued to arise from the lonely building. The owl's eyes widened, and its instincts kicked in; it glided from the tree and fled into the night sky.
The owl was everything the girl was not: free to do as it wished with no predators on its trail.
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J and Theo couldn't enjoy their newfound freedom. Not yet. Exhausted yet still determined, they stumbled on, hoping desperately to disappear into the night like the owl she spotted fleeing from the scene.
Her legs quivered, and she wanted so desperately to rest and inhale her surroundings, but she couldn't. It would be a shame to be caught now; her first experience of life outside the building shouldn't end in being placed in iron. Theo surprised her when he flew up above the trees with a whoosh, trying to gain a broader range of vision to find somewhere safe to hide out. It looked to J that he didn't have the best of luck when he didn't rush down to inform her of anything contrary.
Mud, grass, rocks and tree roots snagged at her feet as she pushed forward; the unfamiliar surface made it incredibly hard for her to flee on. The grass below was dampened by recent rainfall, which made her feet slip with every urgent footfall; she tripped and fell repeatedly, staining her hands and knees with bits of muck, gravel and wetness, but each time, she scrambled herself up and forced herself forward.
With every step she took away from her prison, her desire and optimistic hope grew; her determination knew no bounds, but neither did her fear. The metal restraint around her neck felt like it was tightening and growing heavier with protest. The device snagged on branches, making it harder for her to squeeze through tight gaps between looming trees and return herself to her feet with every disastrous stumble. Still, she did not pause, and she did not falter in her desire for freedom.
A loud bang and a crack echoed in the woodland. Flashlights broke through the thick foliage from the building. J paused, hiding behind a large tree, her chest heaving for air. She placed a hand on the bark to stabilise herself on the unstable rocks and mud.
"Terries has broken out, and I would say there's at least fifteen of them coming out of different parts of the building," Theo urgently informed her as he swooped down. "All we have to do is stay hidden and not get see-"
"I can see them! Over there!" a voice called out, and a flashlight illuminated them, attracting nine guards nearby.
"You had to say it, Theo, you had to say it," J groaned as she ungracefully jumped from her hiding place and fled in the opposite direction.
He cringed, but she was too busy stabilising her feet and body to pay it any attention.
"Fire at the girl! If she's hit, the Conjuncta will fall soon after," the cold, familiar voice of Doctor Terries broke out, his voice cutting easily through the woodland.
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Unforeseen¹
FanfictionJYD2641 had enough. In her seven years, she's only ever known the cruel hands of her doctors, who were determined to make her the next Winter Soldier. All she'd ever known was death, pain, and fear. Instead of a parent's loving embrace, she had the...
