Shadow's Within

36 : Our enemies is one tough

I ran as fast as I could, sprinting with Chase beside me. We dodge every branch of trees we stumble, and sidestep every tree roots we stomp on. I didn't think. This is an entirely instinct based on action. The reapers here. They must have tortured the people back at the military base to find out where we were headed. This is not good. We elude past a huge tree, ducking the enormous tree trunk that Chase almost slam into.

I could hear footsteps behind us, skirting fast in the atmosphere.

"Faster!" I yell.

It's hopeless. We couldn't react the car in time. I need to advocate a plan to escape the reaper. Think!

Just as we're running, Chase caught his feet on the tree root and drop down hard into the ground. I held him up, forcing him to move faster. "COME ON!"

We came across a colossal tree, higher than any of the trees in this proximate area. Then I got an idea. "There!" I roar. "Climb on to that tree!"

I kick my feet at the trunk, pressing hard and clutch my hand on the tree branch. I pull my weight up and manages to reach the middle section of tree. I gaze down, noticing Chase has a trouble time climbing up the trees. I lay down my arms, hoping he could reach me. "Take my hand!" My voice stretches.

Our hands couldn't reach. I glance up, forward from our direction and could hear the throwing sound of perturbing rush. They gaining on us. I try reaching down lower but the distant is too great.

"I can't!"

Damn! I tried again for the third time, lunging down lower. I could feel my whole body unbalancing. I could fall down any minute now. "JUMP!" I roar.

With one mighty jump, Chase grab a hold of my arm and I pull him higher. He catches his hand on the nearby branch and drag his body, ascending above.

The hazy rain still shimmering down on us. We both catch our breath as we lay down on tree trunk seven feet above the ground.

"Quiet!" I rumble my feet, holding Chase beside me, hiding from the view below. The constant rattling sound arrives under us. The pacing of a footstep echoes on the gnashing sound of squash grass. The sound draws closer in the same direction, pacing from right to left.

He's searching for us, waiting for us to make a sound so he could track us. I notice a small length twig broken from the trees; slowly I pick it up and swings it hard across the right. It creates a brisk of sound on the bushes that causes the reaper to run into that direction.

Soon as the sound of the scuttling feet disappears from sight. We climb down, and took off in the opposite direction. Our path leads us back to the two fallen soldiers. Poor souls; ending up dead protecting us.

We move forward, following the trail originally the soldiers are taking us. The route points us to behind the bush where the reaper had squander behind to make his move. My eyes did not anticipate the sight ahead the bush.

"What's wrong?" Chase coming up behind me, before coming to the same realization as I had.

Piles of bodies scatters around. Every single one of them had been wearing military uniform. Each one suffers a disaster fate from the next; throats cut open, bullets lodge into their flesh. Every single one of them has been murdered. Because of us!

This is wrong. Why do they have to suffer the cause because of protecting us. This is unfair and unjust. They were following their duties and from that single order, they lose their life. I bet when they woke up this morning, they wouldn't imagine their day ending up with their throats slice up like a piece of ham. Their death is on us.

Chase steps aside to gush out his vomit down the soil. The sin is too unbearable for Chase to carry. He's innocent. A pawn being brought up into the battlefield from which he doesn't belong.

I round up beside him to pat him on the back. "You ok?"

"Not.... really" He continues vomiting.

After Chase has finally relish his body of the green puke. We set on to flee this area. It's not safe here. The reaper might have finally realized the trick and is heading back as we speak now.

"Time to go" I forward, cruising past the sea of bodies.

"May god have mercy on them" Chase utters.

The further we went; we stumble upon a river. Indigo streams washing up the watercourse. This is it. Just past this flow of river, I could see the lane; the skyscraping boulevard of Queens. I jump into the river, Chase follows through. The water is just waist high and we press ourselves in the water to get through to the other side.

"Almost there Chase.." I said.

Chase gasp. "When.... is.... this.... going.... to .... be ....over?

Ididn't provide him with an answer. I ride the stream, cruising the water withease. Chase came close behind. We catch our breath when we arrive safely on theother side. Chase's question haunts me. When will this be over. Tomorrow or theday after tomorrow, or weeks maybe month or years from now. Who knows. The liveof a fugitive is a life of constant running. In order to survive, we have tokeep running into the light and away from the abyss.