Evanesterrin

Chapter Six

Naeren stumbled as something ran into her at high speed, almost knocking her to the ground.

"What was that for Virion?" Lumina complained, picking herself up from the ground where she had fallen.

"It wasn't me," Virion protested, her voice coming from the direction opposite where they thought the footsteps had been.

Naeren, Lumina, and Virion all turned as they heard laughter coming from the forest behind them.

"Got you!" A voice shouted gleefully.

"Alden!" Virion was the first to recognize the voice.

"What are you doing here?" Lumina demanded.

"We were trying to find you. You were gone ALL DAY! Besides, Virion thought my story wasn't scary enough, so I had to prove myself," Alden said.

"So I guess you're saying you missed me?" Virion said. Naeren could almost hear Virion's smirk in her voice.

"No," Alden stubbornly responded. "But I scared you. You screamed."

"No, I didn't," Virion replied.

"Neither did I," Naeren said.

"Or me. Someone did though," Lumina said.

"It wasn't any of us," Alden said, and the rest of his friends muttered their agreement.

"Shut up," Virion hissed suddenly.

"Don't tell me what to do!" Alden shouted.

"No, seriously. Shut up. I heard something."

The group fell silent and listened. Slowly, each of them heard it. Faint footsteps. The snap of dry twigs. It seemed far away. Suddenly there was a sound much closer. A rustling, a faint whir.

"What is that?" Alden said, a slight tremor in his voice. Everyone fell silent and then...

"Hehe hehe heee!" The sound was high pitched and shrill, coming from the direction of the rustling.

"Is that laughter?" Naeren said quietly.

"That is the most creepy giggle I have ever heard," Virion whispered, gripping her new bow firmly and drawing an arrow, fitting it to the bowstring. Alden's eyes were wide in the darkness as his gaze landed on Virion's weapon.

"Why do you have tha-," His question was cut off by a loud rustle, a rush of wings, the sharp twang of a bowstring, and a shill shriek, followed by an echo of high pitched screams from the surrounding forest. Now they knew for sure that the scream had not come from one of them.

"Shit! What is that!" Alden shouted as he and everyone else stared at the creature that had fallen to the ground, an arrow protruding from its wing. The rustling that surrounded them was getting closer and louder, now accompanied by angry shrieks.

"No time, run! RUN!" Virion yelled, shoving everyone else past her toward the huts as she continued to point her bow toward the sounds, a new arrow nocked securely in place. Everyone else did not need to be told twice. They all ran through the trees, stumbling occasionally on tree roots or fallen branches. Naeren and Lumina looked over their shoulders as they ran, seeing Virion turn and sprint down the trail after them, the whirring growing louder as the creatures pursued them.

Alden and his friends were running in a full out sprint. After what felt like hours, the small cluster of huts came into view.

"Get inside! Mine is closest!" Virion called. Alden arrived first, wrenching the door open. Everyone rushed inside and Alden slammed it firmly behind Virion. Not a second too soon, as there came a pounding on the door mere seconds after the door had latched.