Kennedy Hoss of Musket

Chapter 16: Pulse

Song: Pulse by Bear McCreary

I'm sorry, Windy. I throw myself out of the armoire and open Windy's window. From behind me, I can hear Mrs. Lachovair scream, and Windy gasp. Before I realize what I'm doing I throw myself onto the tree by Windy's window, my pack throwing me off only a little.

I half-jump-half-climb down the tree, and dash over to the truck. I can see Hannibal from where I am, her eyes begging me. I run faster and faster. Then when I get to the truck, I throw open the door... and she's gone.

"Hannibal?" I look behind the seats, and check the bed. She was just here, she was right here! "HANNIBAL!" I scream.

From somewhere across the yard there's gruff voices. They approach me, stopping only a few feet away. I recognize Cecil right away.

"Back away from the truck!" They scream. I do as I am told, taking steady steps towards them. Cecil pokes his gun at me, and I grab it hard and push it forward, slamming into his gut. His finger slips, and he struggles to get it back.

"Kennedy, let go of the gun," I hear a calm voice say. Dr. Rosary?

As I am turn to look at him, the gun turns with me. Cecil gets his grip, and tries to jerk the rifle upwards, but he can't, and he pulls the trigger. There's a deafening sound and the next thing I now, Dr. Rosary falls to the ground.

From Windy's room, I can hear a very distinct voice calling to me.

"KENNEDY, RUN!"

I don't hesitate. I drop the gun, and I take off, my feet thundering across the ground, heading to the West of Musket.

"Back up! Back up! David, call for back up! I am in pursuit!"

I am terrified. I run faster. My throat itches to scream, run into Crow's and bury myself in the hay. But I can't. Taking a peak behind me, I catch Cecil gaining speed. A shrill cry escapes my throat, electrifying the night air. Behind me I can hear sirens. Then Cecil's walkie-talkie goes off.

"Evacuate, I repeat, evacuate, pursue subject. A1 through 20, evacuate residents immediately. 21 through 31 pursue subject."

I run faster. We run past Crow's, and I take a sharp turn around the edge of the building. The fence gets closer, and closer...

I don't stop, I jump clean over the fence. A charge flickers through my body, a feeling of fear. I keep running, fast, across the deserted ground to the edge of the forest. The forest.

I crash through the tree line, where everything is silent. I don't hear Cecil come through yet. My heart beats fast. I can hear the sound of running water, which is the only thing that breaks the silence. Above me, trees stretch their arms and fingers out to each other. Climbing a tree meant I'd be trapped, and wouldn't be able to move silently and safely if the guards approached.

My steps seemed way too loud as I tread dead sticks and leaves. I couldn't focus enough to listen for other footsteps, so I trained my mind on seeing through the darkness. I came to a little stream with an old bridge just as a flashlight flicked on somewhere on my left. Stepping silently off the bridge, I dove underneath the bridge and pushed myself into the large black tube feeding the stream. My pulse slowed. The water ran under me, seeping through my clothes. But I forced myself to wait.

More footsteps crash through the brush. I listen to the near silent static of walkie talkies, and the hushed voices of the guards. I dare to reach out into the stream and throw a stone as far as I can to the left. I wait in silence, hearing footsteps crash above me. They fade and it is only then that I dare to move.

I pop out from the tube and sneak up over the bridge. My head is pounding, the footsteps of my pursuers like small hammers at my temples, working in the rhythmic fashion of running steps. The footsteps come closer, so I dive into a thick tangle of logs and bushes. Every sound becomes as loud as a crack of thunder. The footsteps stop several feet away, and beams of light flash across my face. I lie limp, like a forgotten rag doll caught in the weeds. The guards are so close, maybe only a few feet away. I dare to slither out of the brush and to a cluster of huge boulders. I wedge myself between two and then into the crack of one. More footsteps approach. They're so close... I can hear their walkie-talkies.

"Cecil? Come in Cecil, over."

"I read you captain, what's happened? Over."

"We tried to take the family in the barn, I believe they go by the Finns, and one of them escaped. Ran towards the Western boundary, over."

I clasp a hand to my mouth, daring to hug my knees to my chest. Tears sting my eyes. Please Crow, no...

"Do you want me to send some of my guys? Who escaped? Over."

Seconds pass by, that feel like minutes. A few of the men begin to march around. They pass me several times, and their steps fade away.

"The boy. We have 10 more to send, over."

"Confirmed, sir. We seem to be unable to find the girl, the forest is very dense and it's getting darker, over."

I bite my hand, and tears roll down my cheeks. No, no, no! Crow, why did you do that? I wait in silence, but I don't catch the rest of the conversation. Minutes pass by before someone is nearby with their walkie-talkie.

"...injured, swam across the river. We can't apprehend him now, and we can't call for more back up or things could get out of hand. Keep the walls up and we'll return. Everyone back to the center so we can leave, over."

The footsteps fade away. A daddy long legs creeps down my shoulder. I do not move. I do not breathe. It's a full twenty minutes before I dare shimmy out of my hiding place, and take a bottle of water from my bag. I imagined Crow running hard across the shore and plunging into the brutal river. It made me shiver. But first I needed some way to get across the river with my pack. I needed to make some sort of boat that would carry us both, depending on how injured Crow actually was.

I began walking North, for hours, trying to find an end to the forest. Night time guests scurried past me, and some would suddenly call out to each other. As I walked on an indescribable hum seemed to become louder and louder. Then something strange happened.

When the hum was as loud as truck motor all the pine needles and dead leaves seemed to stop in a perfect line that was shaped like a small slope, like a right triangle. Beyond that looked normal, just like the normal forest. I kicked a rock above the line. I gets caught half way through the invisible wall wall and shears right in half. When it drops. There's a buzz and the other half instantly grows into a whole.

I back away from the humming death trap and rush back through the forest. Getting to Crow was a high priority, and I knew just how to accomplish it.