The Ascent

Chapter 12

Trust. It was something Jasmine never gave other people, especially blind trust. Yet there she was, willing to make a leap of faith that the guy wasn't a monster about to cause their demise.

She wasn't sure what made him trustworthy in her eyes. Was it the fact that there were so few people left behind that her criterium was significantly lower? Or was it the worry and love he had for his children she could see in everything he did that won her over?

Regardless of all the questions drumming inside her head, Jasmine continued running after the guy and his older child, carrying his little girl in her arms. She figured if he trusted her with his child, she should show at least some semblance of trust in return.

Deep down, however, Jasmine was still on guard. The current situation reminded her too much of a painful event from the past. It made her doubt if any humans could be trusted.

Animals were a whole different matter. But people, they were an enigma that Jasmine never could fully understand.

That time, years ago, she trusted her best friend absolutely. She told her all her secrets and wishes, only for the same friend to turn her back on her. Worse than that, she even told other people about Jasmine's most precious and highly guarded secrets. She was embarrassed, to say the least.

However, this time, it wasn't just her feelings on the line; trusting the wrong person in the lonely place that her city had become could cost Jasmine her life.

For that reason, Jasmine decided to be very careful about what she did and how much she revealed to Asher.

"No, we need to enter the forest from this side. It's closer to the buildings and construction sites, so we'll have plenty of hiding places," Jasmine said. She was proud that she sounded like a professional survivor, not like a terrified little girl, which was how she felt. "That way we would be too exposed, and I can't run fast in general but especially when I am carrying so many things at once."

Asher's eyes quickly scanned both the way he was planning and her suggestion, deciding that Jasmine's option was the better one. He just sharply nodded and changed directions to where Jasmine had pointed out.

He seemed on edge, and Jasmine couldn't blame him. They were in a situation where she was grateful that she didn't have any children because keeping two young children alive in a crumbling world seemed impossible. Jasmine could barely keep herself safe. She couldn't help but admire Asher for being able to do so for his children. On the other hand, it did make her curious how all three of them had stayed unaffected by whatever had happened to other people. But that had to wait for a better time.

Suddenly, Jasmine had the strangest feeling, a presentiment of sorts. So, she quickly looked around just in time to see the light coming off the odd blue lamps that the bold men were carrying. They were still some way off, but it was clear that if they didn't hide in time, their light would reach them before they could get to the forest.

"We need to hide," Jasmine said, turning to a scared-looking Asher.

Asher clearly saw the same thing, but it must have been even worse for him because he didn't know the area as well as Jasmine. As she had told him earlier, quite a few convenient hiding places were nearby.

"I..." Asher stuttered clearly out of his depth.

Instead of continuing the pointless talk, Jasmine did something she rarely did. She initiated physical contact with a guy she barely knew.

Taking his hand, she dragged him, with his son in tow, toward the nearby empty barrel. It was just big enough for Asher to crouch in with his son. It would be tight, but no light could reach them, so Jasmine estimated it was safe enough. Or as safe as anything could be when nothing was secure.

As for Jasmine and the little girl in her arms, she moved to the long ditch type of thing they had dug out, probably for the sewers or something. Whatever it was, it was out of the central part of the building and deep and dark enough to only be visible if someone shone the light right above their heads. That was something Jasmine didn't expect the bald men to do.

Whatever their plan was, they didn't seem as dedicated to catching the humans left behind. It felt to her like they were merely gathering up those they ran across by accident, but their real goal at that time was something else. What that could be was beyond Jasmine's reasoning skills.

"Daddy," Ariyana decided to say just at that moment, talking for the first time at the worst possible moment.

"Shh, daddy's okay. He is with your brother," Jasmine said, her voice shaking. "We are just playing a little bit of hide and seek. I need you to stay quiet. You don't want us to lose the game, do you?"

Jasmine did her best to sound calm and friendly, happy even, but to her own ear, she seemed artificial and terrified, something that she was sure the little girl would pick up on. However, Ariyana just gave her one long look and snuggled into her arms. She was either trusting Jasmine's lies or deciding she was too tired to make a fuss about it.

Jasmine cradled the child as she squatted as low as possible, keeping her back to the wall because she could see traces of blue light overhead. She was afraid to even breathe. After all, she knew that if she got caught this time, there was no running away, no fighting back, because she had a small child in her arms.

Whatever happened, she realized that more than anything, she wanted to protect the said child. She wasn't sure if it was because she cared so deeply about the little girl she had just met or if it was her way of protecting childhood innocence. It was something she wished she had more of instead of being forced to grow up so quickly.

The clicking sounds were audible again, and Jasmine wasn't any closer to figuring out what they were. Nothing she saw when she was up close and personal with the bald man indicated that they had anything on their person that could produce such an odd sound. And yet she realized that she had heard it even as she was held captured by one of them every time he moved.

Wondering at her thoughts going back to the previous danger instead of focusing on the current one, Jasmine realized that it was her defense mechanism. There was nothing more she could do to escape the present danger. It was all left up to fate or chance. Instead of wasting time focusing on her fear, she used her time cowering in the dark corner to be productive, to figure out the mystery of what was happening.

"Jasmine," a low voice said sometime later that could have been minutes or days.

"Daddy!" the little girl exclaimed a bit louder than Jasmine would have liked, unsure if the danger had passed.

"Shh, we need to be as quiet as a mouse, okay?" Jasmine said sweetly to the child as they cautiously rose from their hiding place, checking what was happening.

"It's okay. I made sure everyone was gone before coming out," Asher said reassuringly, so Jasmine and the young girl slowly climbed out.

In the dark, they could barely see the shape of a strong man and a small trembling boy. However, it was enough for Ariyana to run toward him and hug her father very tightly.

Jasmine couldn't help but wonder if such tight hugs hurt. Or if they were so comforting that they removed all the potential pain. She didn't know herself as her family wasn't one for physical affection.

"We need to hurry," Jasmine said, shaking off the depressing thoughts.

And into the forest, they went.