Two Ways: Life Or Death

chapter 19

A few minuets passed and like Emily said, they arrived at the road.

"Mmmmm, this way." Said Emily looking up from the map.

"So how did you guys become friends?" Asked Lily as they began walking

"Well I joined in year 2 because I had just moved from a little hut where me and my aunt and uncle used to live." Explained Emily "I was home schooled."

"Then we met Emily and Pan when we where in Science. It was extremely boring so we started talking and ta tah we became friends."

"That's good!" Said Lily, smiling

"Will we arrive at the bridge today?" Asked Jemma "My feet are hurting."

"Already!" Exclaimed Lexi.

"Yeah!" Replied back Jemma "What's wrong with that?"

"Oh, nothing." Said Lexi cautiously "Let's get walking quicker." And she began to stride in front of them. "We want to arrive there before night or we'll be sleeping in forest again."

"Not that bad." Said Jemma

"Well there are spiders and all sorts of creepy crawly's. But I guess it doesn't matter."

"Okay, okay!" Said Jemma "Let's getting walking,  quick!" Lily nodded in agreement and began speeding up with snuffles at her heels and Emily just behind.

"You know." Said Jemma Jemma after a while of stiff silence "Its my birthday in 13 days!"

"Oh yeah! The 9th of July!" Said Emily "I remember now."

"I'm so excited!" Said Jemma "First birthday spending it with you guys!"

"You don't mind having your birthday with us?" Asked Lexi raising her eye brows

"You make it sound like a terrible thing like you guys are mad!" Said Jemma

"So then what about, your parents? Siblings?" Asked Lily

"My parents went to Setretic. Along with my little brother and older brother."

"They left you here?" Asked amazed Lexi

"Yeah, only for a few weeks I was staying at my grandma's."

"What about your birthday?"

"They would be back now but they've probably heard of the disaster that happened..." Jemma trailed off glancing quickly at Emily to see if she had hurt her feelings.

"I see." Said Lexi nodding

'You do? I thought you were my crazy friend?"

"Thats Emily!" Said Lexi pointing at Emily

"You're acussing me!" Gasped Emily obviously pretending to be surprised.

"No! I..." Began explaining Lexi

"Just joking." Laughed Emily nudging Lexi on the shoulder

"Back to your parents Jemma." Said Lexi rubbing her shoulder

"Yeah what about them?"

"How long were they staying in Setretic?" asked Lexi

"About two weeks."

"And when did they leave here to go to Setretic?" cautiously asked Lexi

"They left around three weeks ago, why are you asking all of these questions Lexi?" asked Jemma now curious.

"Do you realise that they would of came back around the same night..."

"Oh no! They would of came back the same night that the wolves attacked!" gasped Emily looking around at her friend. "Jemma!" All the colour in her face had been drained out leaving her face looking like a white sheet.

"Oh no!" cried Lily rushing over to Jemma who had stopped walking. Emily was hugging her and Lily joined in too.

"I'm fine." said Jemma, her face still deadly white. "Stop hugging me!"

Emily and Lily stepped back.
"You sure?" asked Lexi, worried.

"Yes, I'm sure. lets carry on walking." Her voice was hoarse but the colour had began to return to Jemma's face once again. No tears were shed or any other sign that she was sad was shown by Jemma.

"When will we arrive there?" asked Lily trying to break up the awkward silence.

"Dunno." Replied Emily shrugging.

Her throat had gone dry and her lips were beginning to go cracked. Her head swam as she remembered the night of the fire. How sad she had felt when realizing that her aunt and uncle had died. But Jemma hadn't even said a word about her family or even shed a tear.

Pan?

Yeah, what?

I don't think Jemma's fine, I think something is wrong.

I was thinking about that too. Do you think Jemma had known about her family, just now she seemed like she hadn't even thought about it before. She never shed a tear not even when we were in the village. Twig seemed fine too.

I know but Jemma isn't the person who would cry easily and she doesn't like anybody seeing her cry and she flushing like flowing get emotions.

I see what you mean. Maybe she did know, maybe she -like you said- didn't want any of us to notice.

But why was she so shocked now?
She probably forgot about it like we

forgot about aunt Mary and uncle Pat.

yeah. Thinking of her aunt and uncle made a lump in her throat and a tear start to swell in her eye but she quickly grabbed hold her self and thought back to Pan What do you think we should do?

I think we should get her some time alone and ask her and comfort her.

Any way I think we're getting nearer to the bridge, I can see it!

How? I can't see it Emily began to squint

That's cause my eyes are better, in a while you'll be able to see it.

I see smoke, that's it. The smoke is probably coming from a nearby village

Yeah I see the smoke too. Its a bit too much for my liking though.

Should we check it out?

It may be dangerous but I'll become a bird and try and spot something. And Emily watched Pan turn from fox to an eagle as he soared into the air.

Hey Twig,

Yeah Jemma

Do you really think. They have really died? asked Jemma through thought language, as she watched Pan change and fly up into the sky.

I... think so but I don't want to believe it

Maybe one of them survived

I don't want to hurt you but did you see our house? It was... completely burnt to ashes.

Oh no! Little Luke! He was only 8. Jemma pressed her face against Twig's little body that was siting on her shoulder.

At that moment Pan swopped down.

"Black riders! They're in the village tormenting everybody who's still alive!" He panted as he perched on Emily's shoulder

Left you in a cliff-hanger! :) Thank you so much for reading this super long chapter! Sorry its quite long! Carry on reading please and if you like it then vote and comment! Thx a lot everybody!

Snoutlandiaforever x