A Collection of Seemingly Unconnected Tales

Lost

20170527
9:36am

Leo's day started out okay. As okay as a day in the underground bunker his parents had found while they were on the run could be. You see, they were being chased by hunters who thought that because his family was different than humankind that they were evil and needed to be hunted down. The boys in his family were Fire Fae, fire users; his father Hephaestus, his brothers Charlie and Will and himself. The girls were Sirens; his mother Aphrodite and his sisters Nyssa and Piper.

They started running two weeks ago. His parents found this bunker a week ago. His parents went out for supplies four days ago and they never cam back. Leo's big brother Charlie went to look for them three days ago and Nyssa, his older sister, went to look for him two days ago. His second oldest brother, Will, decided yesterday that they were going to leave the bunker and find somewhere else to hide. He thought it wasn't safe anymore. Even though Leo knew all Will wanted to do was find the rest of their family, Leo also knew that Will wanted and needed to protect his younger siblings more. Will was put in charge when everyone else left and he had to protect Leo and his twin sister Piper.

"Leo, Piper, pack up. We're leaving in an hour." Will shouted to them from across the bunker.

"Okay." Leo and Piper responded in unison. Neither of them wanted to leave yet, but Will thought it was for the best and they trusted him.

Suddenly, the bunker shook. Dust and rock fell from the ceiling. Leo and Piper were pushed to the ground as Will laid over them to protect them from the falling rocks.

"It's them." Will whispered as the bunker stopped shaking. "Get your things. You are leaving right now. I'll hold them off."

"No, Will, we can't just-" Leo tried but he was interrupted.

"Go! Now!" Will shouted at them. Will never yelled at them. Not even when the twins broke his favorite bow. Not even when they pulled a prank on him and he ended up breaking a leg. Leo knew that meant he was terrified, but he was determined to let them get away.

Tears were streaming down his face, but he grabbed his sister and pulled her out the back door of the bunker. He looked back one last time to see Will surrounded by hunters with their swords and bows aimed at him. Will's hands were on fire, but there was no way he could win against twelve armed men.

Leo turned and ran away as fast as he could, pulling his sister behind him. He and Piper heard something that made her pull against his hold on her arm. They heard Will scream.

Piper tried to go back and help Will, but Leo kept a tight grip on her arm and kept pulling her along. He knew Will wouldn't want them to go back. He'd want them to escape, to live. So he kept running, even though his sister was pulling him back, even though he was silently sobbing, even though he wanted nothing more than to go help Will.

Then Leo tripped. And Piper's wrist slipped out of his hand. When he got up, he saw Piper running straight back to where they came from. He tried to run after her, but she was too fast. He lost sight of her.

Then he heard another scream. Piper's.

"No...." Tears were running down his face even faster now. The last of his family was gone. He was sobbing now. But he had to leave. He knew that. He had to live for them. Even though he'd rather be with them, he knew they'd want him to live. That was Will's last wish after all.

So he ran. And ran. And ran. He ran until he couldn't see anymore because of the tears. He ran until his legs gave out from underneath him. He collapsed on the ground. He crawled over to the base of a tree and pulled his knees up against his chest and he cried. He cried for the loss of his family. He cried for the loss of his home. He cried because now he was all alone.

He kept crying for what felt like hours. But then he heard something. Or someone.

"Hey... Are you okay?"