A Hero in the Dark: 2nd Edition

Chapter 3: Run, Hide, or Die

Over roots. Under branches. Running faster than I thought my legs could go. Away from an enemy I only recently discovered. An enemy that's been on my planet for years, lurking in the shadows.

I have no idea which direction I'm running in anymore. I hear them chasing me, closing in. I hear twigs snapping below their feet.

I'm not concerned with getting lost in the woods. All I want is to get away; I know I need to. If they catch me, there's no telling what will happen.

A clearing. Nothing but dirt and dry terrain. The sun's too high, and its rays heat my skin so it bakes. I hear the distancing highway through the trees still; cars, trucks, horns, and them.

They haven't given up chase.

My legs burning from exhaustion, I keep running. There's a rock up ahead in the middle of the clearing. Maybe I can hide behind it and figure out what to do. I can't keep running forever.

The boulder barely offers enough shade for my entire body, but I gratefully crouch in it, careful to stay out of sight. I peer my head around the rock—just an inch—to see them come out of the forest. They're scanning the vicinity.

I turn back, close my eyes from the overlooking sun, hoping—praying—that I won't be found. Until, that is, I hear a shuffling sound.

I jerk upright. My body stiffens. My fists are tense, anxious, afraid, but there's no one. No Mogadorians. No people. Instead, a fuzzy creature nuzzles the top of my left hand.

A small brown rabbit with floppy ears and a white round tail. Its fur is dirty, but its heart is clean. I'm not sure how I know this, but somehow, I can tell that this rabbit is in a similar situation like me: lost and scared—but willing to do whatever it has to do to survive.

The alien shouts out in a language I've never heard before. I almost laugh. It's not that I find anything particularly funny; I just can't believe this is happening right now. Sure, there were times where I wished the Lorien Legacies were real, but I never really wanted it. It would mean an intergalactic war.

Now that this has become reality though, I know there's only one option: find John Smith. Find the Loric and help them put a stop to this.

The bunny climbs into my lap and rests its front paws on my abdomen.

I've never had a pet bunny before. Though I can tell that there's something different about this one. I can't place my finger on it and I'm afraid I don't have the time to figure it out.

"I don't have any food," I say as I lift the bunny off. It's obviously fond of me, but why?

I stand to survey my hasty pursuers, trying not to pay attention to the hare, and there—a massive alien stands over me; tall, slender, but muscular at the same time. He's at least twice my size! He grabs me by the throat in an instant and I gasp as my feet leave the ground. I kick, clutch at his hand, but it's futile.

They found me. They caught me.

They'll kill me.

The Mogadorian smiles, revealing sharp white teeth like baby shark teeth. "Human," it says, voice deep and low. "At last." I kick and thrash, clawing at his grasp, but most of all, I pray for a speedy death. I pray he'll only sink his teeth into me for a millisecond. I prepare myself for what's certainly coming: failure.

He tightens his grip. I can't breathe. This is the end. My life will end before it begins. I barely stood a chance—what was I thinking?! I can't breathe!

He reaches for something at his waist, a sword maybe or some other weapon, then there's a low guttural growl. I think I'm hearing things, but I'm not? The alien turns—we turn—and a claw slashes through its back, like one of a feral cat. It's sharp, dirty, extended, covered in black blood, and protrudes from the alien's chest an extra inch or two. Dark blood begins to spurt, a black liquid I've only read about until now, then I'm down.

I fall to my knees, gasping in breaths as the alien turns to ash before me, and standing in front of me in the pile of alien ash, is the same brown bunny.

Confused, I reach for my dusty backpack and force myself to my feet. It takes a substantial effort, but fear lets me do it, and the bunny gets excited, bobbing its tail from side to side. "I need to go," I mutter to the animal, too focused on the rest of the hunters to fully be attentive with it. "I'm sorry. You can't come with me."

I already put an innocent person's life in danger today. I won't put an animal's life in danger too. I'm not making that mistake twice. But it doesn't seem intent on listening to me. It hops closer. I don't have time for this. "No. Stay," I command with an open palm.

For a few seconds, it stays, and I'm amazed at its ability to listen so well, but it doesn't take long for its restlessness to pursue my commands.

It spins in a circle, once, twice, then something strange happens. Its body begins to morph, changing shape, changing appearance, growing larger, stronger. Its round ears become pointy. Its legs form muscle. Its claws develop sharpness. Its tail spreads longer and thinner.

I almost panic at the transformation, my eyes wide, but in a matter of only a few short seconds, the alteration ends, and I find myself looking at a full-scale lion. I can't believe my eyes.

A Chimæra. I found a Chimæra. How's that possible? I thought they were all captured and experimented on in Plum Island. I thought that Mogadorian traitor would be the one to set them free—Adamus Sutekh, his name should be.

Never mind that. How did it find me?! And why would it choose to save me? Of all the people it could choose to protect, why me? Why not search for the Loric? For John Smith? Or Bernie Kosar? Surely their lives are more valuable than my own.

The lion tilts its head, as if wondering what there is that I possibly have to ponder, like there's nothing at all that doesn't make sense. "Over there!" shouts another alien, and I snap to.

They all spot me standing idle in front of the antsy king of the cats. They unsheathe their long alien swords and begin their approach. For a second, I worry for us both, but that quickly vanishes when the lion bows its head, letting its head dip low to the dust without touching it. It lies its two front paws on the ground, back arched forward. It's like it wants me to climb on.

Suddenly, my worry escalates.

But when a dagger whizzes past me at a speed incomprehensible, things click into place. That sense of urgency returns; the uncertainty of being clawed or eaten by a ferocious predator is gone.

Carefully, I climb onto the lion's back. My dirty backpack delves into my spine, and I hug the beast tight with both hands and legs, ready for anything.

It rises, standing on its own four legs, strong and mightily so, and as one of the Mogadorians raises his sword, the lion roars. It dashes into a dead sprint, past the confronting aliens and, quickly, out of view.

***

After hours of running alongside the highway, the lion slows to a tired trot. Although it tries to push forward, I can feel it slowing down.

We've lost the hunters nearly ten minutes into the chase but have stuck to following the trees and bush at the edges of the freeway, fearing that more of them will be on the road. We'll be harder to track this way, and it's all thanks to the Chimæra that oddly found me. Cars and trucks speed past us, but we should be mostly covered by the overgrown vegetation.

It's getting late—4:35 p.m. to be specific. It'll take a couple of hours to get to Ohio. "Keep your eyes out for a place to stay for tonight," I tell the lion, oblivious to whether the creature can understand me or not.

It purrs in response; I can only hope it's able to comprehend my words.

The sun's beginning to set, darkness slowly fading in. Our forest becomes nightly quiet too; crickets begin to chirp, birds fly into their nests, and wild owls commence their opening hoots.

"Look! There!" I shout, pointing to a one-story building. Dave's County Motel. "I don't know if animals are allowed in there," I say to the alpha. "Can you, like, shape—" I don't even need to finish before the animal transitions again. Except this time, it doesn't change into a rabbit. It shrinks into a tiny cricket, like all the others. Its similar sounding chirps completely hide its ferocity. It's unbelievable! "I have to say: That will always be impressive to watch."