The Saviors

Chapter 3

       February 12

       It took a whole lot of convincing, but me and Declan finally managed to convince my dad and Daniel to let us go investigate. The argument went something like this:

       Dad: "If they really do hate you as much as this letter says, then you shouldn't go."

       Me: "They would take anyone. Look what happened to Kazemi. Clearly, they hate anyone associated with me."

       Daniel: "Even if you did go, you couldn't go alone. It's way too dangerous!"

       Me: "I could go with Declan."

       Declan: "Oh, no. Don't you bring me into this."

       Daniel: "Why Declan? No offence intended Declan, just why not me or your dad?"

       Me: "Dad is still mourning mom and needs to be here for the funeral and you can't come because someone needs to stay with the kids!"

       Daniel: "You mean in case you don't come back?"

       Me: "Daniel, this isn't going to be dangerous!"

       Daniel: "*sigh* I'm not going to be able to convince you, am I?"

       Me: "Nope. Either you let me go, or I'll leave in the night."

       Dad: "Just promise me something tiger lily. Promise me that you'll come home safe.

       Me: "I promise."

       So, there I was, a day later, standing at the door with my backpack on, about to walk over and get Declan, when down the stairs came none other than my fifteen-year-old brother, Henry.

      "Isla?" he asked sleepily. "Where are you going?"

       I knew that I couldn't exactly tell him something that I would tell a little kid like, I'm just going away for a little while. I had to tell him the truth.

       "I found a note in the woods yesterday that says that one of my friends is in trouble," I told him. "Me and Declan are going to go investigate."

       "And you expect me to just stay home with dad and Daniel?" he asked incredulously. "You know that's not going to happen. I'm coming."

       I sighed. If there was one thing that I knew about my brother, it was that he was just like me when he got an idea in his head. Stubborn.

       "Go pack a bag," I told him. "We'll be in the woods for three days. I'm going to go get Declan. Meet us at the edge of the woods in ten minutes. If you're late, we're leaving without you. Okay?"

       "Alright sis," he called, already bounding up the stairs. "See you in ten minutes!"

       I shook my head and went to get Declan.

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       Exactly ten minutes later, Henry met me and Declan at the edge of the woods, and we started walking. As we walked, Declan pulled me aside.

       "You let HENRY come?" he asked. "You do know that your dad is going to kill you when you get home right?"

       "He would have followed me anyways, Declan," I argued. "You know how he is when he wants something."

       "Hmmmmmm," he said. "Reminds me of someone else I know. I wonder who......"

       "Yeah, yeah, I know. He's just like me. Sometimes a bit too much like me."

       He dropped it after that and we talked and joked with my brother the rest of the way to the campsite I had stumbled upon blindly yesterday. We decided to stop there for now and continue tomorrow.

       As Declan set up his tent, I snuck away quickly and snuck a look in the corner where Suzie and Hugh's gear had been the day before, but it was gone. That meant they had been back since then. Which meant that they could come back at any time. I didn't know what we would find in these woods, but I was no longer quite so sure that it would be good.

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A/N:

If all goes according to plan, then this is only one of three chapters and an epilogue that I hope to upload today. The deadline to the contest is tomorrow, so I will most likely be spending my whole day typing. I hope you enjoy the chapters!

Thanks for reading

-Heather