echo [completed]

chapter 8

once they stepped foot outside and put a good mile or two distance between them and the facility, kyle slowed down and tripped on a tree trunk.

"we can't stop now, kyle, not yet." chloe tried to help him get back on his feet, carrying his weight on her frail shoulders. "just a few more steps, kyle, i promise."

kyle nodded at the girl who had more strength than him even though she just lost her twin - her other half - back in the place where they're running from.

the sun was almost peeking the horizon when chloe pointed a small, wooden cabin in the middle of the forest. kyle smiled at the girl and continued his limp walk, until he tripped again, fell hard on the swampy ground, but this time he didn't have the stamina to stand back up.

"kyle...kyle..kyle!" her voice faded out as he lost conciousness.

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scrambling sounds of rocks colliding against each other greeted kyle's ear as he tried to put himself in a sitting position.

chloe, noticing his slow movements, rushed to his side with the mortar in hand.

he wished he didn't have a nose at that moment.

"don't worry, it'll help clean your wound." she pointed at his right foot covered with cuts and green tint with leftover herbs.

"have you seen or heard anything unusual?" he asked as he grabbed the mortar from her hands and started doing the job.

she shook her head and a yawn graced her lips.

"you should sleep, chloe. thank you for taking care of me." kyle carefully guided the child's head on the soft and warm pillow and took over the squishing on the mortar.

if he were honest, kyle doesn't actually know what those things are. it looks like a bunch of guava leaves and something else he'd seen before, but couldn't remember the name.

a few more jabbings later, he was able to produce enough of the medine to lay on top of chloe's cut on her forehead.

"i'll go catch us something to eat." he whispered quietly and kissed the top of chloe's forehead.

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she returned at dusk, clutching the wild turkey tied around a rope and carrying three fishes on her shoulders.

suddenly, she heard leaves rustling near the cabin. instantly, all the things she was holding - the food, the jug of water, and spears - dropped on the floor and silently crawled.

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the door was torn open by a huge force.

"it couldn't be the wind," kyle said as he approached the door and closed it soundlessly, trying not to disturb the resting child.

just when he was about to turn around - to return back to his seat beside chloe - a figure was swallowed by the darkness.

kyle grabbed what ever his hands laid on and clutched it tightly, as if his life depended on it, which it did.

"what are you doing here?" the question was followed by a growl.

"what are you doing here?" kyle asked back, still holding his defenseless weapon.

"this is my place - my territory - and you have the nerve to ask me why i'm here?" the person's words stressed possessively.

"look, we just needed shelter after running for so long." he paused. "here, you can take this other fish meant to be our breakfast tomorrow -"