After hours upon hours of walking, we managed to find a small lake centered between a few trees. The setting that we have stumbled ourselves upon is a very wooded area, with trees, and grass, and a few lakes or ponds here and there. The man then sat me down next to him and began to clean out my wound. I had to grasp onto his shoulders to stop myself from falling. The stinging of the water was painful, but in a satisfying way. It was almost as if i could feel my cells healing my skin. It was extremely painful, but in a way that seemed worth it. Once he was done he took his shirt off and ripped off both sleeves. With one sleeve he wrapped my leg, and with the other he drenched it in water and fastened it around the wound on his head. A part of me felt guilt for having to be the weakest one. We take the rest of the lake water to our advantage, and wash our faces and hands with it. After moments of bathing, i begin to hear a faint noise. I dismiss it at first, not really trusting my senses anymore. But then after a while, the noises get louder and less faint as the seconds pass. I look at the man in wonder, he approves my thoughts as he turns his head in the direction of the noise. As the sounds grow louder and stronger, it becomes easier to make out as to what it might me. After a few moments, The sounds begin to sound more like screams, but not screams of terror or agony. Screams of war, something of battle cry's. It takes the man a second to realize this.
"We should go?" He says frantically, fumbling to get my body in his arms.
"where? why? what is happening?" I fumble with my words.
Before he could answer, a mob of people emerge from the dept of the forest, screaming in union, marching towards us.
The man does not waste a second throwing me on his back and running.
"What is happening" i yell trough the sounds of the wind passing by us as he runs. Though he ignores me, and continues running.
No matter how fast and long we run, the noises and screams are as loud as they were. Loud enough to be behind us. I look back and see that the pack of people aren't running or chasing us, but simply walking behind us. But their light steps must be faster than the speed of sound because we have been running fast and far, running for our lives. The pack are carrying torches and weapons, all pointing towards us.
I could feel the man getting weak and tired of running with me on his back. And after a few seconds he trips over himself and falls to the floor.
I could feel the vibrations of the footsteps on the ground where I lay. But they are no longer screaming in union, now they are speaking, almost chanting in union.
Terrified, I begin to crawl over the the man and desperately try to get him up. He stands and wraps my arm around his shoulder, and begins slowly running as I limp along him. After minute of running and limping, we are forced to stop. We look around and hope to someplace we may run to or hide in, but there is nothing. We are in the open, vulnerable, and prey.
"Hey! Hey!" I hear in the distance.
"Did you hear that?" I ask the man. But he just looks at me. "Hear what?" how did he not hear that.
"Girl! Hey girl!" the voice comes again.
The Man does not seem to hear the voice. That is until the figure behind the voice begins to jump up and down waving his hands in the air.
"Over here!" he yells. At first The Man is hesitant to follow the voice. But as i begin towards the figure, he quickly follows behind me, steadying me.
"Come on!" the figure persists, and we proceed to him quicker.
"Who are you?" The Man inquires as we reach the figure. "Your savior" he remarks, and quickly gestures with his hand for us to follow him. The Man is first eerie to follow, but as the chanting of the mob persists, he does as well.
We try and stay behind and catch up to the figure, but he is too quick. "Wait!" I yell. He ignores me.
We keep running, struggling to keep up with him. Until finally he comes to a stop, behind rock, a boulder even. The rock is large. large enough to cover all three of us. And if the rock wont do, then the massive number of trees surrounding us would help. We stay hidden, panting out of exhaustion. Moments pass and I peek out into the distance, and The Man does the same. We spot the same mob that was chasing after us. They keep approaching, only not to us but to the distance. They walk in coalition, and chant in coalition. They appear brainwashed, or possessed in some way. And the fact terrifies me.
"Who are they?" I ask the figure, who I see now has long, curly, dirty blonde hair that pass his ears. He looks at me reluctantly. "Well!?" I persist.
He takes another second and looks past us to the mob. "They go by The Hadens."
"The Hadens?" The man questions. "Why? What does that mean?"
"Who are they?" I add
"They're sorcerers." He says simply. "What?" Me and The Man both say.
"Sorcerers.... Occultists?.....Witches? Take your pick" In this moment. I begin to panic, and have never wished so much to be back in my home.
"Who are you?!" The Man yells, grabbing the curly haired boy by the collar, threateningly.
"Dan!, my name is Dan!" He says quickly "And I'm just like you. A survivor. Only I didn't survive from a bus crash."
"What are you talking about?" I intrude.
" I have been surviving from the Hadens for years now. Me and the others.'
"The others?"
"The other survivors. There are others. Not a lot but some."
"What exactly are you surviving from?" The Man questions Dan aggressively.
"Have you not been listening? The Hadens. They want us dead. All of us.
"What For?" "Why us?" The Man grows annoyed
"I don't know! I don't have all of the answers!" Dan responds, equally as annoyed.
"Well who does!" The man spits.
"I don't know! Why don't you ask 'em!" He fires back.
"Please! be quiet! They might hear us." I turn back around to find that the "Hadens" are no longer on our path. I turn back around and let out a breath of relieve i didn't know i was holding in. Moments of silence pass before someone speaks.
"So." Dan breathes out "Whats your name?" He smiles at The Man.
He looks at Dan and then at me, and then back at Dan. He takes a second to think to himself. "Roman." He speaks once he makes up his mind.
"You sure?" Dan remarks, noticing his uncertainty.
"Of course." says Roman, defensively.
"Alright." Dan waves his hands in the air in defense. How is he so calm and humorous, considering his situation. He said he's been 'surviving' for years. Could it be that he is no longer troubled by his faith. No longer vexed by the idea of always running. Never tired, never lost, never angry, never relinquished. Because you could no longer afford it. Could no longer afford the luxury of life.
"And you?" His words yank me from my wonders. "What's your name?"
"My name?" I point to myself, even though i knew he was referring to me.
"Yes. Your name." He and Roman both look at me, awaiting for my name.
I take a second and a breath before answering.
"Imogen."
