The Monster

Chapter 8

After a while, the tunnel opened up into a lake like the first one. I swam up to the surface and let my eyes adjust to the light. I swam to shore and noticed how beautiful it was. There were lush plants and beautiful, green trees with flowers. Andrew walked past me.

"Where are we?" I asked, ringing out my hair. He shrugged.

"I don't know. Smells like we got away though," he said. I noticed a river through the trees.

"Let's follow the river." I walked to river banks and followed it. Andrew walked behind me. After a while of walking, we saw a waterfall that fell into a bay. I sat down on a nice patch of grass. Andrew sat down across from me.

"Now what?" he asked. I shrugged.

"Right now, we rest." He nodded.

"Do you think they'll ever give up?" I thought.

"No. I don't think they will. They want to make more of me, um, us. They want to make more of us. They'll use them as disposable weapons for war. If they get ahold of our blood, they'd be able to figure out how to recreate us and they won't be stopped." I stared down at my dirty, wet black Converse, and muddy jeans. My blue t-shirt was sticking to my skin, so I pulled it away. I pulled my wet hair to one side and ran my fingers through it.

"They're over there!" a voice yelled. I stood up, my heart pounding loudly in my chest. I saw the group of men not too far behind us. I ran through the river to the other side and ran into the trees. I looked behind me and didn't see Andrew. I stopped.

"Andrew! Where'd you go?" I yelled. I frowned. I reluctantly resumed running for a bit until I stopped. I looked around uneasily. It was too quiet. I looked all around me and sniffed the air. Nothing.

"Where's Andrew?" I asked myself. I didn't smell him. Suddenly, a net fell on top of me. It was weighed down, so I fell to the ground. I struggled against it, but couldn't escape.

"Novia. There you are," a man said.

"Let me go!" I yelled, "I didn't do anything to you!" He chuckled. Despite him obviously being behind me, I couldn't smell him.

"Ah, but you did. You ran away like a filthy child," he growled. He walked in front of me. I saw his black boots and pants.

"What are you?" I asked, "I can't smell you." He laughed.

"Unlike you, I'm pure human! Trust me. We just used ancient Native American hunting techniques," he said. I rolled my eyes.

"They're not ancient," I muttered. He crouched down and glared at me. He had black hair and pale, silver eyes. His skin was as pale as mine. I frowned. I had never come across a person with skin like mine.

"What are you looking at?" he demanded. I shook my head.

"Nothing." He pulled handcuffs out of his pocket and walked around me to cuff my hands behind my back. He lifted the net off of me and pulled me up roughly.

"Move." He walked behind me and shoved me when I walked too slowly.