World Of Silhouettes

Thirty-Three

"This isn't exactly a five star hotel. . ." Bruce complains. We decided to sleep out by the side of the road. Okay. Could be worse, right? 

"Instead of five stars, we can sleep under thousands!" Abbey says cheerfully. My eyelids close for a second and I rub them. Sleep is welcome right now. Ive decided to use the backpacks as pillows. Bruce begs to start a fire, but we all disagree, not wanting to cause unwanted attention. 

"What if we turn into ice overnight?" He says in an only half joking manner. I roll my eyes. Bruce may be brave, but he sure isn't the smartest one in the group. 

"Not on a night like this. . ." Katie says. She rolls her eyes and helps Ben take out a blanket. "Such an idiot." 

"I advise you all to sleep," Ben says. "We only get about. . .  six hours if we go to bed now." I hastily settle down next to Abbey. I close my eyes and try to get comfortable. Fail. Thirty minutes later and y neck is cramping, if thats even possible, and my shoulder hurts.

Ow, my neck and this stupid thing! 

I punch the pack softly in a fit of rage. Everyone is asleep now. We are a good distance from the highway, with a hill blocking us from sight. My eyes drift closed, but I don't sleep. Its kind of like a deep mediating state. That is, until I hear cars pull up one hour later. 

My head jerks up nothing immediately that the cars aren't passing by, as the recent few have. I can make out the headlights of them slightly. Ah, if I could only use magic now. Is it really so bad here? Magic, I mean? 

Not the time to think of that!

". . . evidence a group was. . . ago."  I hear a voice say. Other voices begin talking in lower voices. I can't make out what they say. My heart thuds. The one obvious thing is that they are looking for us. I crawl over to Grey. He sleeps on his side, his lips parted. I grab his shoulder and shake it urgently. Before I know it, he reacts with lightning fast speeds, grabs my wrist, and flings me onto the grass. He crouches on top of me, a small knife to my throat. 

"Grey!" I whisper, surprise and terror on my face. He immediately pulls back the knife and offers me his hand. When I don't take it immediately, he helps himself to my hand anyway. I sit up. 

"Soldiers!" I point. He tenses and looks down the road. Sure enough, they have big lights and are heading down this way. . . with a dog.

"Well," I whisper, "So long as it isn't a snake." 

"Idiot!" Grey says, he shakes me gently, "those things smell you out. We have to leave.now."He slips on his pack, as I do. The voices come closer and my heart throbs harder. 

"Quietly. . ." He says. He taps Ben and whispers something to him. Ben had a pale sleepy face before, but now it is white as a ghost. He begins to crawl into some small woods near the highway. I begin to wake up Katie, and then Abbey. . . Bruce now. I tap his arm, maybe just a little too roughly. Im nervous.  It is at this moment, the world ends for me. Bruce sits up and yelps, loud enough for people miles away to hear. If that wasn't bad enough, he grabs a huge flashlight and shines it into my face. . . into the direction of the soldiers. 

"Shoot!" I say. He soon sees what he did, though he doesn't understand. 

"After them!" The soldier yells. "You are arrested under the king powerful name!"  

"Scarlet!" Grey says loudly. No need to worry about being quiet now. "We split up! Go left and ill go right. Ill find you soon enough. Take care of them. Go!" Surprise and pride flows through me. He trusted me with something. Maybe I'm not just a weak coward who is scared of snakes and heights. Maybe I'm something more. Maybe I'm a mage. I motion for Bruce and Katie to follow me. They get up and start running. Bruce slings his pack over his chest and sprints side-by-side with me. I break through bushes and thorns, not paying attention to the stinging in my legs. I hear shouts following us. Not good. Why did they follow us? Thats when I realize it. They path we made for them. Grey is quiet, deft, and fast. We are loud,bold and obnoxious.  I stop and wind up having Bruce and Katie slam into me.