DREAMS OF FAITH

Thirteen

There was a couple of running footsteps around, as if they are in a hurry.

I couldn't see them clearly because they were in a poorly lit place. I can only make out the silhouette of this people. They quite short, maybe kids playing hide and seek.

They all hide in the dark space between the wall and something that looks like a big wooden cabinet. They stoop down on the floor so they wouldn't be noticeable.

They started looking for something in the corners of the wall. Their tiny hands brushed against the rough surface of the wall. Sensing something unusual or uneven on the walls.

Their quiet voices felt the air.

' There's nothing here ', a girl said sadly.

' It could be somewhere near here ', another girl said hopefully but determined.

' Faith is right, just keep looking'. A boy said.

A quiet sob filled the air giving a sinister atmosphere.

' Why are we leaving them? Let's go back!', another voice said hysterically and followed by hissing sound.

' We can't do anything now! They're already died and we are just kids. We don't have any match against them!'

' Can't we just argue later? We can't waste anymore time than we already have. Who knows? They could be hiding in a corner readying their selves to strike when we least expected it. And don't worry Amber, we will give them a proper burial and those lunatics will be in jail. We just need to find someone who we can trust and who will willingly help us'.

I recognise the voice. It was Faith. The girl who are still a mystery to me. The girl who was always in my dreams. And I admittedly drown to her for no particular reason, as if I can feel her pain, her frustration, her fear, her anger and her desperation.

I can't stop the feeling of being protective towards her, as if I want to fight with her but I know I can't. But the only help I can give her is to know whose the one they been running for and finally give them justice.

I doesn't know why I have a feeling in my guts that I had known her.

' It opened! Let's go!' they crawled into the little tunnel.

It had lead them in  a barn, judging by the livestock I can see.

' Where do we go now?'

' Let's go to the forest. They can't easily track us and there would be a lot of hiding places. Let just hope that we find the road as soon as possible.'

They briskly walked to the entrance of the forest. Eager to hide their silhouettes in the shadows of the trees but careful not to step on some twigs.

They make it half way to the entrance of the forest when Amber run for it.

Her friends quickly followed her but immediately halted with they heard her startled cry.

That is their cue to run for their lives as well.

Faith run to the left side of the forest quickly blending herself with the shadows.

The boy who who could be mistaken as a girl because of his long wavy hair run to the left.

The other girl who has big glasses and pig tail hair run to the direction where the boy had run to.

Faith bumped into Amber and together they run to no particular direction. 

' I'm sorry, it's my fault that we couldn't find the rest', Amber said shamefully.

' It's okay, you were just driven by your instinct'. She said almost like a whisper.

' I- Amber words hanged on thin air when they heard a rustle of the leaves.

They breathe in relief when a small animal come out, maybe looking for a food.

But their triumph didn't last long when there were hands gripped on their shoulders stopping them from escaping.

Two goons looking men held them captive. No matter how they struggle, they couldn't escape from their tight grip.

' Where's the other two?' his baritone voice gives me goosebumps.

' And what makes you think that we will tell you?' Amber said sharply. Obviously trying to protect her friends.

' Your quite feisty huh?' The other guy slapped her.

Amber twisted herself in a very uncomfortable angle and swung her left leg to the air and brought it up to his groin. Faith bit his capture's arm hard.

Both of them had escaped. They come up to a small stream to drink to regain their energy and strength. And they continued their journey.

They walked in a treeless part of the forest. Vast of wild flowers and grass. Even in the dark, they still manage to make out the beauty of the place.

A terrifying sound filled the air. It was a sound of gunshot. Both Amber and Faith stumbled forward. Faith giving pressure to her bullet wound in her shoulder blades. Amber fell on the forest floor grasping her upper thigh, crying softly in pain.

Two figures loomed out of the shadows. Even with a good distance, I still manage to see their handgun.

I looked at Faith and Amber horrified. I even shouted at them to run for their lives, but it seems that they couldn't see nor hear me.

Faith looked impassive as if she had expected it to happen.

Amber had a look of determination. Her eyebrows draw a straight line in concentration probably for a escape plan. She glanced at Faith discussing silently her plan. Faith impassive face was replaced with a horrified expression.

I looked back at the bulky men which is still quite far from the two girls. So, I had shouted again at them.

Faith helped her stand, putting her hands on her waist and guided her forward. Amber was almost leaning at her mumbling a quite sorry.

They only had to walked a few more steps and they will be out of their sight. Thick trees is just a few more steps so they walked faster in their sloppy steps. Another gunshot shook the forest but they had manage to dodge it. But there was another and another until I had lost count of it.

Amber couldn't make it anymore and let herself fall on the forest floor and usher Faith to just run because she will only slow her down, but Faith refuses shaking her head while crying. She tried pulling her up again, but she's stubborn and convinced her again to leave her and even though she's a crying mess, she did.

Only a few more minutes another gunshot rang slicing the thick silence.

The man looked at me menacingly and he's shouting my name, spitting some saliva in the process. I couldn't move, I couldn't run so I settled myself in shouting on the top of my lungs. They couldn't see nor hear me earlier, so why they could now? I tried moving my body and when I manage to do it, I swung my fist on his face and the scar faced was replaced by a glaring Sonny.