The Book of Arenden

❀ Seventeen ❀

❀ Seventeen ❀

They ran and ran. They ran as the sound of evil laughter following them behind.

"Okay, this is really not funny, Raylene!" shouted Frana. "You should go laugh all you want but we won't be laughing with you this time!" She's busy shouting that she almost crashed onto one of the trees branches if she didn't dodge at the right time.

Ella was taking the lead and all of them just followed wherever she ran and Frana was the last one on the line and closest one to Raylene. She can see the three—Ella, Nea and Caith—of them from her view and that's why she can see that one of the trees were brought to life. Like... literally.

Its huge trunk was acting like its whole body and it shook for a few seconds before its branches moved and it act like its arms. The arm-like branches suddenly grew longer and shot through the other tree besides it. So fast that it was as fast as a bullet flew. The arm-like branch grew and shot through another tree that stood beside it, and another shot through and another and another.

"Ella! Watch out!" Shouted Frana. Ella, despite being far away from Frana, heard her. She stopped right on her tracks as soon as the fifth arm-like branch shot through the other tree beside it and was blocking the way. They all stopped for a few seconds, catching their breaths.

They were going to turn to take another route but the other trees' branches also shooting through the trees besides it. They turned around in circle, trying to find a way to get out as the arm-like branches continue to shot through other trees, blocking their way like a huge spiderweb. They were trapped in a circle of trees.

Nea rushed to step forward and pulled her elbow back before bringing her fist forward to give a hard punch towards the branches. She instantly pulled her hand back down for her left hand to rub away the pain. She bit her lip to block away the pain. The branch she just punched cracked but it didn't completely break the branch.

"The branch were too thick," said Nea. "I can't punch it through."

"Are you gonna be alright?" asked Frana slowly, pointing towards Nea's fist which she was rubbing with her left hand.

Nea looked at it and nodded. "Y-yeah. I'll be alright."

"Lets see what I can do," said Caith, stepping forward. The evil laughter was getting louder and it tells them that she was close. She held both of her hands towards the branches. "I use my powers before but that was because I was too scared and I didn't know if it works or—"

Her words were being cut off by her own fire exploding through both of her hands. The fire were the colour of bright orange. The edge of the branches were turning the colour of ashes.

Behind them, the evil laughter was gone. Replaced with a more horrific sound. The evil laughter were replaced by screams and cries. The screams were filled with agony and anger.

Caith quickly closed both of her hands into a fist and the fire was gone. The wall that made out of the branches that was blocking their way before had a huge hole in the middle. It was enough for the size of a person to fit in.

The screams were still ongoing and Frana was trying so hard to block the horrible sound from entering her ears. Caith was the first to step into the hole and then Ella and the Nea and Frana went in the last.

"Why is she now screaming?" shouted Frana as she enter the hole. Nea jogged forward and they followed.

"Have you forgotten what Nathan said?" asked Nea as they jogged. Their breathing was still not steady. "Nature were very sensitive when it comes to... well, nature. It was like the nature and them were one. And if the nature were dying or hurt or whatever, they can feel it too. You know, the dying."