Waveland

Chapter 24

The world was in a daze. All of her surroundings smeared together. She felt a touch on her bare arms but couldn't place what it was. Her bones ached underneath the rubble. She felt like she was being crushed. Every breath was a desperate rasp for oxygen. Every inch of her body was covered in scratches.

"Rose!" Someone screamed her name. The voice felt sounded too far away. Her vision was darkening around the edges, her body forcing it to shut itself down. The feeling of going under sent her into a panic. With the last of her strength, she crawled on her forearms trying to escape whatever was keeping her captured. She could feel the rough cement digging into her skin.

The touch was more apparent. She could feel it on her arm, helping her stand. She didn't refuse. Her legs felt like they would collapse underneath her if the shadow were to let go. The comforting woods stood in front of her. She took a moment to breathe, her ears still ringing from the explosion. Her adrenaline coursed through her body ignoring the pain. The plan worked perfectly. The crawlers burned alive, the building came crashing down and Rose remained alive not even a single bone broken next to the large pile of stone. She would love to see the look on David's face.

The soft voice screeching at her came to her senses. The hot touch against her arm that never let go. The voice that was screaming her name came into view. Tyler. Unfortunately the blast didn't take him. Rose didn't anticipate the warm feeling she felt knowing he was save. She couldn't decided which she would prefer.

"We need to go!" His voice was more clear. She saw the urgency in his features. Her head still felt heavy from the blast. She had no voice only nodded her head for the solider to lead. Something Rose was sure she would come to regret.

She trailed after Tyler running through the woods. Blood flowed down her limbs. Each movement ached. They twisted between the trees getting further into the woods away from the destroyed aliens camp. A triumph victory.

Rose ran directly into Tyler's steel back when he came to an abrupt stop. Peeking over his shoulder she could see a pack of crawlers starring at Tyler. Their eyes red with thirst for violence.

"Come on!" Rose stuck her hand in Tyler's and dragged him away from their predators and further into the woods. Rose should have left him, a nice distraction for her escape. Plenty of time to make it safety back to Xavier's arms. She could still feel the gentle touch of his lips on hers. The way he held her, she desperately wanted that back. She needed it.

She knew the woods better than anyone. She could sense the crawlers trailing after her. Rose's hand still remained in Tyler's hand dragging him. The muscle of a man refusing to move any faster. The crawlers legs rapidly moving toward them. They were on top of them in all directions. Some trailed inches behind them others were climbing trees, the rest drifted off waiting to cut them off.

"Where's Christian?" Rose yelled over their heavy breathing. She could feel her tough exterior falling. Everything she had worked on was falling. Christian stayed behind to save her. Xavier's brother was still here she could feel it in her bones. She needed to find him.

"We have to go before David leaves." Tyler turned to her. His breathing rapidly as he tried to steal as much oxygen he could into his lungs. "He won't wait to leave us behind. Again."
Rose calculated every variable in her head. David. Christian. Tyler.

"Go!" Tyler looked at her confusion layering his expression. "Go find David!"

"No!"

"I am going to find Christian. I will find you as soon as I can." Her last statement almost sounded like a goodbye. Something you would say to say one you cared about, but Rose didn't care for Tyler.