Adora Cassidy

•Chapter 3•

        I stir to the soft and gentle sound of Tristan's voice. It's strange how everything is so different, but all of the little things are the same. His voice may  be deeper, but it isn't harsh. almost soothing is a awful array of events. Meeting an old friend in a even where at least one of you is likely to die. Yet, in these times the only thing that I can focus on is Tristan's voice. I tell myself to focus on the arena and make a plan of survival, but all of it is washed away by his voice. I am not even focusing on what he is saying, just listening to nothing. I am in a almost trance-like state, on the verge of consciousness and slumber. As his voice gets louder, almost as if shouting, i fully awaken. Then I hear the real words. I hear him shout for me to get to safety, but i don't know if there is such a thing in such a place. Though i still listen and flee into the forest.                                                                                                                                                                                                                

              My sprinting comes to a halt when i conclude that I am safe. At least for the moment I am. I managed to grab a sword from our pile of supplies. I know how to use one, but am not very familiar with it. I am a sharpshooter, but bullets have been extremely rare for years. So, I am also very talented with a bow. Hunting is something that has become forbidden in our day an age. Few animals are plentiful in the wild, and most are on the verge of extinction. So naturally I am amazing at hunting and use it as a part of my daily life, apart from stealing of course. I have yet to see a bow only some knifes, swords, and a mace. Guns are banned from the arena for reasons that have been let unspoken for years. I sit down on the leave clad ground, the grass ticking my exposed skin. I need to catch my breath before I can return to running. 

             I hear the rustling of leaves coming from behind me. as the sound grows closer I hear a duo of some other prisoners whispering to each other.

"Didn't ya say ya saw 'er run dis way?" the first prisoner asked in a rough voice and an unusual accent. 

Another prisoner responded slightly raising his voice, "Yes, now speed up. We need to kill her before that guard returns to her!"

           The first prisoner half-heartedly agreed and started moving faster. I clamped a hand over my mouth to silence the sound of my heavy breathing, but it will not be enough to keep me hidden from the the prisoners. They are coming closer and will soon find out that I am only a few feet infront of them. I can't fight them because I am outnumbered and outsized. I can't climb an of the trees without getting the attention of the prisoners. I slowly get up, being careful not to make a sound, and I run. I hear the first prisoner shout from behind me, but I don't focus on what he said. 

         The prisoners are starting to gain speed in their chase and the lead i had infront of them is decreasing at an alarming rate. I need to find Tristan so we can fight these goons off together, but last time I saw him he was fighting these prisoners. There was about five prisoners that attacked us and I fled leaving Tristan to fight them alone. Two of the three must have followed me, but either way the odds of him winning that fight are slim. Maybe he took his horse and fled them, but he would have chased after me so we could reunite. So it seems that is didn't escape, meaning he fought. Just that idea brings an awful thought to y mind. Maybe he is dead. Maybe I lost him for the second time. Maybe.

         The horrid thoughts cause my running to visibly get faster to the point were I lost the prisoners ages ago. Their stamina just wasn't equal to mine when I am scared, Because that thought brought fear to me. To the same person who could survive on their own at a young age. The same person who was forced to grow up to fast. The same person who has experienced so much pain that they are no longer phased by it. The broken little girl with no emotions and a mask of bravery was terrified, truly and genuinely terrified. But that pain, that sliver of emotion was nothing compared to what she would witness in only a few moments. 

         I shifted unknowingly from running to walking in my disarray of thoughts. I came to a clearing, where the forest turns into a meadow. There is no trees to keep me hidden. There is nothing to protect me. I am out in the open with nothing but a sword as protection. I need food and am a little dehydrated. I do not know where anything is. I need to see everything from higher ground. I turn around and walk back into the forest. Then, I  climb the highest tree in the area. I am tired, but I power through until I reach the top. I look out and see a pond across the meadow. No one seems to be there and it isn't too far. I will go there to set up camp for tonight. I only need to push through for a little while longer.

         Carefully, I come down from the tree and exit the forest. The meadow is only around 50 yards. The pond is not to far away. I need to do this. I can't do this, but I need. I sit and pray for a miracle. That something will help me continue. I have never been a very religious person and will never be, but right now I need all of the help I can get. So, I close my eyes and concentrate. I feel my back nudged. What the actual hell. I quickly grab my stone and open my eyes, prepared to attack. But it wasn't an enemy that nudged me, it was Tristan's horse.  That has to be a sign. It means one of two things; Tristan is alive and safe or Tristan isn't. 

         I hop onto the horse and get to the pond right as the sun begins to set. I jump off of the horse and onto the muddy ground. Unusual that there is mud, it hasn't rained at all while we are here. We are also several feet away from the pond so I do not think that the pond is the reason. Although it feels like the ground is wet. I look down and see Tristan by my feet. Though it isn't really him, just his body.  Tristan is dead.

A/N- I am starting a goal for when I will publish the next chapter.

Goal: 1 vote, 1 comment