Codename: SSP-57

Chapter 5 (Revised)

It was the next day that I took Shadow back to Ariel's. I walked him there, neither Ariel nor I having a working trailer. Ariel had said that he was trained, so, using his bridle and tying the lead to both sides of the halter making a makeshift bridle, I swung up onto his bare back, and nudged him forward. We wound through the dusty side streets to Ariel's.

She must have seen us approaching, and met us at the gate. She opened it for us as I slid off Shadow's wide back. He began to dance around nervously, trying to pull the lead out of my hands, or pull me away.

"Good morning, Emily," Ariel said, her chocolate eyes shining, one of her wide smiles on her face. She stood tall, wearing a pair of jeans and a black t-shirt, her hair pulled into one of her messy buns. She had her hands clasped behind her back, like she was holding something she didn't want me to see.

"Morning," I say, returning her smile. Shadow pulled on the lead again, almost rearing, his eyes wild, whites showing. I tried to calm him, speaking soothing words and stroking his face. I heard a voice shouting down the road, and turned to look.

Sam, from my classes,  was running towards us full speed, faster than I thought possible. I could see the panic on his face.

"Run, Emily! Run!" He screamed, still running.

I stood in confusion for a second, then I felt a stab of pain in the side of my neck, and the burning of thick liquid entering my body. I ripped the syringe out of my neck, feeling the slightest bit dizzy. Turning around, Ariel's face took on a creepy, wild eyed expression. She laughed, almost hysterically. Shadow, ripped the lead from my hands, causing me to stumble. She launched herself at me, tackling me into the dirt, her hands winding around my throat.

"You should have ran!" She laughed again, her hands tightening, cutting off my air, leaving me gasping for a breath. "Too late. He was too late. I've got another!"

Black spots danced in my vision, and I gave up trying to rip her fingers from my throat, and pulled back my fist. Putting as much force into it as I could, given my position, I smashed it into her cheek. She tumbled off of me. I staggered to my feet, either being choked or whatever it was she injected me with leaving my head foggy and my limbs heavy. I ran a few yards and stumbled again, falling to my knees. I heard Ariel's crazed voice fading as she ran to her house.

"I need another! Need more! I got another coming, oh, I need a tranquilizer!"

Sam came into view, his breath coming fast from running, his emerald eyes held urgency. He hauled me to my feet, his arm circling around my waist.

"Come on! We have to go, now. She'll be back with sedatives. We need to get out of here!" He began pulling me towards the forest, half dragging me. My head swam with black spots. We neared the tree line, and I heard Ariel's voice emerge from the house, as well as the very distinct sound of a gun being loaded. A shot was fired, and the ground next to our moving feet exploded in a cloud of dust.

"Whoops! I missed!" Another crazy giggle and loading of a bullet.

We made it the tree line, Sam completely dragging me now, as another bullet whizzed past our heads and buried itself into a trunk of a tree, sending splinters into the air. Her voice faded into the distance as we entered the trees, and I lost consciousness.