"When she wakes up I want to be notified" A voice says.
I keep my eyes lightly closed. I'm now awake and I hope they don't notice.
A chuckle. Someone have a good old laugh.
"She's awake" The same voice speaks.
"Doesn't look that shaken to me" someone else says.
"Leave us"
I'm under the covers of a bed I now realise. I look down and someone has washed and clothed me in dark green colours. Looking up, and handsome face stares down at me. Brown hair and blue eyes, it's all so clear, like I could name every eyelash or facial hair separately.
"Hello Kindred, my name is Alex"
I just stare him in the face. Why is this so casual?
"Look, about your parents." Oh no.
"You did it out of instinct, not out of fun, however you may feel about it, It's just part of-"
"Wait. Hold up, what do you think I did to my parents?"
He looks uncomfortable. A Stalker, uncomfortable. What a sight to behold.
"Well, Kindred, you. Uh. Killed them."
"No. No I didn't thank you very much" I cross my arms. I'm pretty sure my face is red.
"Look, It's okay. Natural, even" He speaks.
Just as his comforting reaches its peak, a big man dashes through the door, Sweat beads on his forehead. "Sir, Kindred's parents aren't d- Oh. Alex, can I talk to you outside?"
Alex smiles and gets up. "Wondering how we got your name?" He nods to someone who's at the door and a girl stumbles in. It's Karen!
"Karen!" I yell. She looks around, a haunted look plastered on her face. She spots me and it lights up slightly. She runs to the bed and hugs me.
"Kin. I killed them, Kin! I did it" She sobs. I just hold her until her eyes stop leaking. I remember that the door is covered by a possible stalker, so talking very low it is.
"Hey, K" She looks up at me, sunken eyes and all "How about we get out of here?" I speak so low I'm not sure I'm talking. I can hear the guards breathing, so I bet they can hear mine. I nod toward the window. She looks me in the eye, assessing our ability to exit. She nods after a time and I slowly get up and turn to the fire place. It has a large amount of kindling loaded into the stone frame.
I walk over and grab the matches of the shelf and start the fire. After a while of burnt fingers and matches the fire is crackling louder than our steps thanks to the kindling. I whisper for her to exit the window. She slides up the glass and hops out. The movement is so fluid I pause for a second before following.
Then I see the sun.
"Wait, how long was I out" I turn to her.
"About a day, sun sets soon"
Sheesh. A day. I shrug it off and try to ignore the sun on my skin as I tell Karen to follow me. The encampment seems rather small, almost temporary. I hear fighting a way off. Footsteps and more footsteps. We need to go further into Threadwood.
"Okay, we run for it when I say go" She nods.
"Wait. Wait. Wait. GO!" We take off to the west side of the camp. We sprint, and I soon become much ahead of Karen. Just as we reach the damp tree line they exit the forest. They are in line formation and only 6 of them. They exit the trees in a casual tone, talking to one another.
Karen sees what I see when she catches up and starts walking backwards. Alex Is at the head of them and speaks up "We mean you no harm. Honestly, we just want you to listen to what we have to say and gain some control, then you may leave if you wish."
One of them circles around our left and tries to grab my arm. I unleash a full throttled kick straight to his abdomen and he whirls straight into a tree at the tree line. The others look, wide eyed at me. Reconsidering their approach, they look to Alex.
"Please. Come with us, let us teach you. We want to help. And you need to learn before you are fit to go anywhere by yourselves." He pleads.
I look around. Threadwood to our fronts and an open space full of them behind us. What is there left to do. I remember that we will be shot when seen at any town or city looking like Stalkers. Karen looks defeat and scared. I have no intention of playing by their rules, but would it kill anyone or make us in an even worse state to hear them out?
I look Alex straight in the eye. Sigh.
"Agh, fine. K'mon K". And we walk back into a camp full of Stalkers.
