Extracts

The Forest

The cold air was biting their cheeks and the fog whirled up while they were running into the gloomy forest. Lou was out of breath and the frosty air was piercing her lungs like a needle. None of them stopped running until the tip of the great tower disappeared out of sight. Will fell to the moss covered ground gasping for air, June leaned against the black bark of a tree taking deep breaths, Lou held her rips trying not to collapse while letting air in her system and Francesco had his hands on his knees desperately trying to breathe.

"You think we're far enough?" June said out of breath.

"For now, but we can't stay here longer than we have to," Francesco said.

"And where are we gonna go? This is a fucking forest! Do you propose we just live like Nomads until we find a nice spot to settle down at?" Lou asked aggressively.

"Look I don't want to be in this situation either, but none of us have a choice," Francesco replied, annoyed.

"You know what, for once I have a choice. And I choose not to stay with you guys," Lou started walking deeper into the forest.

"Wait, we shouldn't split up. We'd be more at risk," Will said heisitly.

"Risk my ass, I have super powers," Lou said from a distance.

June grunted and started walking away too. Francesco cursed, turned around and walked into another direction. Will was left, confused and helpless because he didn't know what to do.

The further Lou walked the darker the forest got, not just because there was less light but also because the trees and grass got darker and darker. The tiny amount of moonlight shining through the cracks in the canopy layer was barely enough for Lou not to run into any trees. She tried to power up at least a finger tip but there was absolutely no power left in her body. She stopped and leaned against a tree, this is not what she had imagined it would be like once she escaped the facility. Even Though she is happy she is out of there she can't stop feeling as helpless as she did when she was tied in that room. She had no idea where she was going, she was hungry, cold and tired and if she didn't find a space to sleep soon she was wondering how long she would make it out there. After wandering around in the dark for a bit a dim orange light appeared in the distance. Maybe it was a hut or just a camp with a fire. She started walking towards it and then stopped when the light started moving towards her. She watched it for a while when she heard quick footsteps coming towards her. She hushed behind a tree and the footsteps got closer and closer until June tripped over her. It seemed she wanted to hide behind the same tree.

"What are you doi-" Lou asked, but June put her hand over Lou's mouth.

She looked behind the tree and so did Lou. She could see what she thought was a light now more clearly. It looked like a fierce cloud of dust with two burning red holes for eyes hovering above the ground. The creature was big and moved silently around the trees and bushed.

"We need to move," June barely whispered and the two started running away. After a few metres they stopped to catch their breath.

"What is that thing?" Lou whispered.

"I have no idea, all I know is it just suddenly appeared in front of me and attacked me," June looked back to see where the creature had gone, " it reacts to the slightest sounds so we need to be as careful as possible."

A branch cracked behind them, the two jumped only to see the dim moonlight reflecting in Will's glasses. Before any of them could even say anything the area was filled with bright orange light, the dust of the ball was right in front of them staring at them with its burning red eyes. The three were moving back slowly whilst the red in the creature's eyes got more and more intense. It was just about to touch June when there was a loud crashing noise behind them and one of the trees started falling. The creature quickly turned around and went towards the noise.

Francesco appeared from behind one of the bushes, "we don't have a lot of time, let's go"

They ran past the creature and deeper into the forest. When Will turned around he saw that not only one but 3 of the dust clouds were following them. "Guys there's two more," he cawed.

"What do we do?" June asked, " none of us have energy left, at least not enough to fight whatever is following us off."

Francesco grunted, stopped and turned to face the 3 pairs of red voids following the, "no matter what happens, keep running."

He said while charging up, it wasn't much but he was optimistic it could do something. He directed his powers into his arms and then released it by swinging his arms in a propeller motion creating a gust of wind blowing towards the three monsters chasing them. When they turned around the orange light was gone.

"Did he do it?" June asked.

It was quiet when a wind with the strength of a hurricane swept them off their feet and blew them into the darkness of the forest. All of sudden they were falling down something, they didn't know whether they were falling off a cliff or fell into a big hole but when they landed all four lost consciousness.