Save Our Souls

Chapter 1

Deep in your mind, set in your heart, resting on your shoulders: the burden of knowledge is as dangerous as curiosity.

Tick...tick...tick...
The incessant ticking of the old watch was magnified in my thoughts, a countdown I could not escape. Staring at the battered face of the watch, I counted the seconds as the hand slowly moved round. The strap dug tightly into my wrist, causing the skin around it to redden and cut. I didn't loosen it or take it off. The pain, the ticking: it was a constant reminder that each second should be felt, each second should be counted.
A flapping sound cast my attention away from the watch and up to the bleak, hazy sky. A small, black bird was flying above me, across the sky. It must be one of the last ones left, but I felt no pleasure from this rare sighting. No song came from its beak, no beautiful music could be heard. Instead it flew straight across, it's small little wings fluttering in the wind that kept pounding against it, pushing it back. But still it went on, with a purpose. Soon it was out of site, obscured by the darkening clouds that gathered over me, their silence bearing down on me, forever looming, echoing their gloom.
Turning my gaze down, away from the sky, I looked around the deserted field, with the long waist high grass that hid the path and any traps that lay near you. A few metres away I could see Tilly bounding around, chasing rabbits that ran through the field.
'Mad dog' I muttered. 'Tilly! Come here girl, come on.' At the sound of my call, I saw the grass dip slightly from the change of direction and then suddenly a small weight was pressed against my chest as Tilly bounded towards me. Jumping up high again and again, yipping at me and making so much noise it took me a few minutes to calm her down.
Too long.
I stared around the field while stroking Tilly, trying to look for somewhere to hide or shelter for the night. Towards my left was a cluster of trees that stretched into a small forest if we kept walking west.  Deciding that it would be our best chance of survival, I beckoned Tilly and we began to walk to the forest, my feet already tired and bruised from the previous weeks of walking. I pressed on, determined to never doubt my actions or away my judgment. Anything is better than that house. Anything.
Keep going.
Willing myself to go on, conscious that darkness was settling upon the field, I adjusted my backpack and walked on.
Each step was painful. Each breath was painful. But I didn't care. I focussed on the pain so I didn't have to think. If I didn't think, then I wouldn't remember. If I don't remember then that would be a blessing. The images still flickered through my mind, the numbers following in streams. I clenched my fist, swallowed and moved on.
One step closer to freedom, one step closer.
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Stop it! Stop it! You know I hate it when you ignore me. You can't block me out forever, and I'll be waiting, always waiting. The shadow trapped to your body, the smoke from your breath escaping into the air, the figure in your dreams: we are one.
I chose you and you chose me.
No matter what you feel, what you think, how much you hate it, face it. The truth hurts sometimes. Regrets? You of all people should know that the clock keeps ticking. Tick...tick...tick
...running out of time...
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My eyes snapped open. How long had I been asleep? Glancing around the small tent, I saw Tilly scratching at the flap and whining. Climbing out of the sleeping bag as quietly as I could, I went over to her. Listening and stroking her to keep her calm, I heard the small crunch of dried leaves.
Someone was outside.
Feeling the small knife inside my belt, I took a few deep breaths then yanked open the flap from the tent and ran out of it. I tackled the person who was standing directly outside the tent and pinned them down. Pressing their face into the he mud I hissed 'don't move or you'll die.'
Immediately the figure stiffened and lay still.
'I'll ask you some questions and you will tell the truth. I'll know if you don't, and trust me, you don't want to see the consequences.' Pausing to catch my breath slightly but still not relenting my grip, I asked 'who are you?'
They coughed before replying 'I am Thomas Hepson. Surely you recognise an old friend Meg?' My breath caught in my throat but anger filled me.
'What the hell are you doing here Tom? Didn't you know I could have killed you, sneaking up on me like that!' I yelled at him, and then rolled off him, so he could get to his feet. Putting the knife back in my belt, I stood a few feet away from him.
Laughing he replied 'nice to see you to, Meg.' He stood up and brushed of the mud and leaves that lay scattered on his clothes. I looked away from his muscular frame, focussing my gaze on Tilly who had been barking for the past two minutes.
'What do you want Tom?' Despite my silent plea to try and sound normal, my voice came out as deflated.
He looked up at me, staring into my face, his bright green eyes searching for something.
'Come here.' He pulled me into a hug and I breathed in his scent of warm tea, leaves and home. 'I'm sorry.' Confused, I turned to look at him.
'For what?'
'I should never have left. I should have done something, anything, maybe things wouldn't have turned  out the way they have, maybe-'
His voice had a slight panicked edge so I interrupted.
'Stop it! We can't keep looking back. This is how things are, this is how they are going to stay unless we do something about it. It's no good saying 'maybe this' it 'maybe that' because it's too late. We've got to keep moving on.' I shook his shoulders slightly, trying to shake some sense into him whilst battling with my 'good friend' side. I needed to give reassurance, not a lecture.
He took a few deep breaths before turning away and grabbing his backpack that lay on the floor behind him.
'Come on, let's get going. We don't have much time.' He shouldered the bag and then started walking away off into the woods.
'Woah, wait a minute, where do you think your going?' I called after him.
I heard his footsteps slowing and then he turned to face me.
'I'm coming with you, we need to get going if you want to make it to the city.' He seemed determined, like he knew what I was about to say and he'd already prepared an argument in his defence.
'Nope. Not happening. I need to do this alone.' I stood my ground.
'This isn't some heroic quest your going on, you'll need help and also company other than a dog.' Tom crossed his arms over his chest, a clear sign that he wasn't budging easily.
'I'm not a hero, and I don't want to be one either. But it's going to be dangerous, and I don't want my friend getting hurt along the way.' My voice was firm, but my heart started to pound after the truth began to sink in. Who was I kidding, I wasn't going to come back even if I was lucky. But I didn't want to drag someone down with me, especially not Tom, he didn't deserve that.
'Listen.' His voice was gentle yet commanding. 'I'm coming with you. Don't you remember that promise we made when we were kids?'
'Always together.' I said it quietly while the realisation of the promise filled the air around us. The enormity of the situation seemed to magnify in the silence.
I felt my eyes begin to water as I held up the palm of my hand and turned it towards him.
'You know what this means. There is no going back if you agree.' My voice shook as his eyes gazed on the charcoal black skin that formed in the centre of my palm, it's shape blackening the skin as the numbers burned the decaying skin.
'I know.' He swallowed, but moved his eyes away from my hand to look into my eyes, green into blue.
'I know.' His decision was absolute and I knew there was nothing I could do to persuade him otherwise. Closing my fist, I hid the blackened skin.
We worked quickly to pack everything away, then began walking. Towards Vargedden, the city of sleeping Angels.

Always together.

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Hi everyone,
Hope the first chapters good, feel free to comment and like etc I would love feedback. :) Sophia