Running With the Wave

Chapter 20

Era:

I pound through the forest even after there aren't any more bullets. You can never be too safe, right? Especially in this world, away from the small safe haven I was at. I'd been there so long that I'd almost forgotten how cruel this world, and how no one gets more than a few small pockets of happiness in their life time.

Almost, but not quite.

How could I forget what I used to live in? Cell fifteen and all the people in it. Keara, Moa, Amiya and Tamio... All of them imprisoned while I had my fun. So much for taking care of them. I was stupid, telling Sebastion. I left my life in jeapordy, cracked any safety I had. I stop and stumble a bit, collapsing on a tree. Panting, tears start to flow their way down my cheeks.

"Hunter, oh Hunter." I moan softly.

How is this happening to me? How could I have trusted a man after everything I've been taught? My entire life I've been oppressed by men, how could I believe tha Hunter would be any different from those monsters? Too many questions, too little answers. My hand finds its way up to my stomach and traces the many scars there. Keara... She's pregnant. Actually, she'll be giving birth pretty soon. The Scar speeds up the growing process of the baby. It only takes a couple of weeks before the baby arrives.

Just another thing that makes the Scar sick and unnatural.

I hope Keara is taking good care of Moa... They never got along, but Moa is only eight. She needs someone to care for her and Keara is capable of that. I became Keara's mother when I was nine, only a year older then Moa. It was horrible, I can't let that happen to them. Not that young at least.

I slide down the trunk and sit on the ground, still leaning against it. My eyes close and I try to calm my breathing in order to ease a painful cramp in my side.

"Forget Hunter, Era." I whisper to myself, "You have to save the ones that will never betray you."

I open my eyes, startled by my own words. I have to save the women, I'm the only one that can since I'm the only one who has ever suceeded in escaping the prision where the women are kept. I have to save my friends. I smile slightly, calmed by the fact that I now know what I have to do. I'm not wandering around aimlessly. Sighing, I lift myself up and stare straight into the trees, hit by yet another problem. I don't have food, I don't have water, and I don't have a gun.

This is going to be harder than I thought.

Hunter:

It doesn't take long for me to figure out that I'm not going to find Era easily; this forest is huge and she's not stupid. Era will be hiding, and I know that if i pose a threat to her after betraying her she won't hesitate to attack me. No one would. Anyways, i shouldn't be talking; I just almost shot my little brother in trying to find this girl. The very thought sends a shudder through my body.

"Shut up, Hunter." I mutter to myself, only realizing how stupid it sounds until after I said it.

I trudge through the forest, not bothering to be quiet. It's impossible with all the twigs and leaves crunching under foot. I bite my lip, nervous. What if Era refuses to let me travel with her? If she doesn't, I'm dead. I can't hunt and nothing about me is brave. I'm not used to being hunted, I'm usually the hunter. What was I thinking when i left the house? There has to be another way because this one is bound not to work,

"Hunter?" A soft voice.

I spin around.

"Who's there?"

No answer. I take a big breath, panic settling in. I thought I would last longer than this, I've barely been in the forest an hour. All of a sudden a dead weight drops down on me from above and I slam into the ground, black splotches dance around my vision and the world spins around me, making me want to vomit. My head pounds where it smacked into the ground and my barely healed bruises and cuts scream in protest. I groan, spitting blood out of my mouth and raise my finger to the cut on my lip. I swing my hand back and hit something. Someone groans and I take that moment to try and lift myself back up, only to be shoved against a tree. Lips press against my ear.

"Is that you, Hunter?" The person breathes.

I struggle as the person holds me against the tree from behind.

"WHO ARE YOU?" I shout angrily.

"Someone hurt. Someone who thought they knew you well."

"Era?" I whisper.

A soft laugh tinkles in my ear like bells. The laugh is cruel, the bells ringing a song other than happiness.

"Why the question? We both know the answer."

Era slithers into view from around the tree, looking lethal. Her eyes burn in anger.

"Are you going to kill me?" I ask her straight out.

No point in stalling. A man in a fight is dangerous, but a woman is truly bloodthirsty. I'd stand no chance against Era, since I can't bring myself to shoot her. She's fast and angry. A fighter.

"You know I won't kill you." She tells me, "But I won't let you stop me."

"So what do you plan to do with me?"

She falters.

"You don't have what you need too survive, Era. I do."

"I can't trust you, Hunter." She sighs, no longer being sneaky and sly.

"I lied to my father so you could get away." I plead, "I honestly do love you."

She stares me in the eye.

"Maybe you actually do love me." She murmers apologetically, "I'm just not sure that I love you."

Era:

The shock on his face was apparent, but I don't regret those words. For once since I escaped cell fifteen I'm telling the truth.

"Era-" He begins.

"I can't let my priorities get mixed up again." I cut him off, "Saving my friends, my family... Saving the women and ending this madness. That's what matters, not love."

"No! Father will kill you, they'll figure a way out!"

"STOP THINKING ABOUT YOUR FATHER!" I roar, "You have to take a risk, Hunter."

"I did to find you. I'm a fugitive now as well." He snaps.

"Then it doesn't matter what you do. He'll kill you anyways." I point out.

"At this point I can still lie."

"Stand up to your father."

"I can't!"

"Oh, grow up!" I growl, "Open your eyes, look around you! I thought you understood, thought your life was almost as terrible as mine. But it isn't! You just act like it is because you let it that way. We have to do something, I know that I'm not content standing around and watching people suffer."

He's stung by my words. Screw him, he doesn't know what it's like in the cells. He doesn't understand, living a sheltered life.

"Era we can run away together, forget all this. You can live the life you want to, with no pain in misery. Just forget this. It's too much of a risk, and father would be so mad."

"You don't abandon family." I tell him coldly.

"At least wait a bit." he begs, biting his lip, "Then you can go. Just stay in the forest a bit with me and think about it more."

I hesitate. I want to get them out of there as soon as possible, they've waited long enough. But having Hunter with me when I go in would be a major advantage.

"Alright." I give in finally, "For three days, then I'm moving on. The wave isn't going to wait forever."

Hunter opens his mouth like he's about to protest but closes it again, deciding against it.

"Fine."

Hunter:

I'm going to convince her to stay, I have to. Father... He'll kill her. It's not her job to do this. I'll tie her down if I have to, but I'm not going to let her risk her life. She's suffered enough already.