Forest of Hearts

Chapter 8

Bianca's POV

As as the sun began to to get low in the sky our spirits sank.  No one wanted to be outside at sunset so from noon we all found ourselves in the hotel building. Mr. Hammond was still unconscious. Mrs Evans had placed his most likely broken arm in a makeshift sling. As the last rays of sunlight faded, we were all assembled in a circle, no call for curfew with our weapons at the ready. Elle had lay Mr Hammond in the center of the formation for his protection. I looked over to Bruno he was sweating bullets already taking deep focused breaths, eyes never leaving the open window ahead of him. 

As if on cue, the plants exploded through the already shattered windows in several places at once. One immediately going for Tyler constricting his waist immobilizing him quicker than I could blink. Elle threw around her axe with reckless abandon and stunning accuracy. He was free for only a second before they turned against her one throwing itself at her feet. She jumped with almost superhuman speed, swinging her axe down nailing the powerful vine to the wooden floorboards. She stood catching her breath for a moment before Tyler Tackled her, knocking them both to the floor to avoid a new legion of vines. It had only been seconds since sunset and the plants had already taken people. Seeing we had already lost, Mr Benjamin climbed onto a table and shouted:

"Run, run to the kitchen hide the cupboards!"

I followed his instructions and running towards the kitchen. I was with Juan and some girl I sat next to in Math class, I think her name was Vanessa or Veronica. Something like that. After Veronica entered I went to slam the door shut, but a vine had wedged itself in the opening and was trying to force it wider.

Mae's POV

After Elle's axe got stuck in the floor, she used her hands; punching, chopping and wrapping them around themselves. I cut my way through the vines that stood between us. I knew she could only keep that up for a short time. When I was close enough, I threw one knife I had it slide across the floor to her foot. She took it with an appreciative nod. I saw Mr Benjamin covered in vines disappearing through a window. I fought the plants harder where they were concentrated around Elle and Tyler, Bruno following behind me. If this would be the end, I wanted to go out with my friends. As we drew closer the vines became so thick it was like wading through a jungle. Several vines were constricting Tyler. Elle was doing her best to stop them but they were thickening around her too. We were all soon struggling to move in a thorny web. Our bodies covered in scratches.

"Elle stop! Save your strength." Tyler begged, he had stopped struggling, and the vines were sweeping  him towards the window in wavelike motions. 

"No! Tyler, don't give up! They're on the way, we have to make it through the night!" Elle exclaimed.