Dull Colours [EDITED EDITION]

Eleven | The Beginning

Hera's world cracked down the middle. Hera felt sick. Best-friend-and-person-you-love-may-die sick.

Hera badly needed to get this out. She just wanted to go and scream on the balcony - scream and shout until her throat was red raw. "Why?" She uttered quietly. "Why me?" She put one hand over her mouth and stared at Jacob, hoping like hell he would at least blink and say it was a dream.

Hera sat down on the bed, gutted. At last Jacob spoke. "There's nothing you can do except save yourself." He said the words so softly Hera only just heard him. Hera's hands shook as she held the book that would save her but not Jacob.

Then she made up her mind.

~~~~~

Hera waited - quite patiently for her - until around 1:00am to make her move. Sliding out of Jacob's bed which she had fallen asleep in while he was reading, she padded over, in her socks, to the book that had the cure in it. Feeling overwhelmed, Hera picked it up, running her hands over the stitches. Tucking it into a small book bag, she tiptoed over to her sneakers and pulled them on. Reaching for the door handle, it made a small creak as she opened it. Glancing back at Jacob, she let out a breath she didn't even know she had been holding, and slipped out the door, closing it as quietly behind her.

~~~~~

Hera's sneaker's made a soft crunch as she landed on the grass, having jumped down from a first-floor window - which wasn't hard, as she jumped out of trees all the time. Pulling her bag further up her shoulder, she did what she was best at - sticking to the shadows and hiding. Creeping into the shadow of a tree, she quickly double-checked she had everything. Book - check, food - check, water - check, sleeping bag - check, tent - check, keys - wait, why were there keys in there? Whatever, her sword strapped to her waist, and - her personal favourite - a locket, one her mother had given her just before her Kolawi. A tear slid silently down her cheek before she could stop it. Sniffling and wiping it away quickly, Hera stood up - only to hear a twig snap behind her in time for her to pull her sword expertly out by the hilt and swing it at a lurking shadow.

The strangely human shriek was what stopped her from driving her sword into Issy's head. Hera screamed too, seeing what she thought she would never - her sword at Issy's face. Pulling it back and trying not to drop it with surprise, Hera yelped, "What are you doing? I could have killed you!" Not noticing she was yelling until the adrenaline in her veins faded and she heard the echoes, she made a mental note to lower her voice. Issy put her hands up in surrender. "Calm down, I wanted to help you! Jacob told me what you were doing!" She whisper-yelled. "Jac-" Hera groaned as two more people emerged out of the shadows - Jacob and Matthew. The latter she was especially unhappy about.

Knowing there was no use arguing, Hera sighed in defeat, swiping a hand over her head and pushing her glasses up roughly. "Have you got stuff?" She snapped, a little harsher than intended. Silently, like in a movie, they all held up bags that looked to contain the same stuff she had. Stupid boyfriend, always knowing what she was doing even when she didn't want him too. At least, she thought of Jacob as her boyfriend. Seeing his dark eyes glimmer in the moonlight though, she felt her stomach turn and she felt sick. Pushing down the feeling, Hera shook her head, pulling her hair back. "We'll keep going until around 3. Then we'll stop for the night." Hera whispered, starting to turn and walk towards the dark forest. But the Goodbye Mat spoke up. "Three? How much sleep are we gonna get?" He sounded annoyed and unwilling. Playing on this, Hera smiled with fake innocence. "Well, you can stay here if you really want, Princess." Looking scandalised at being called 'Princess', Matt took one look at Issy who smiled at him warmly and he shook his head. "I'm staying," he said firmly.

Hera strode into the foreboding forest, her friends following her faithfully, head held high as shadows blanketed her and swallowed her whole.