The soldiers are marching again, with the heavy sound of drums quick to follow.
Everyone in the town who knows what is coming stays silent and tries to hide, praying that they won't stop here, in Woodson.
And it's every week now that they pick a new...
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"Yes!"
Kade is the first one to react when our group finally finds the Nation base lying on the coast, a whole village made of tents embedded in the sand.
We are still hidden by the forest edge, unexpectedly having to stop because the forest lining ends with a plateau overlooking a stretch of flat land, the beach. The slope of hill we are on allows us to oversee the beautiful scenery that is in front of me.
There is the Nation base off to the right, with miles of dunes along the sand and smoke billowing from the village. Yet further than that is once again the vast ocean, sparkling and bright like a mirror of the sky itself.
It was a long night journey to get here, full of tripping over branches and no sleep, but I'm glad we finally made it.
We're finally almost finished.
I can deliver this note, and then go home...
"What now?" Andres asks, and from the tone of his voice, I know the question is directed towards me.
Do we just march into the camp and give the note to one of the Nation soldiers?
Will they even believe us?
"I guess we go for it," I say, about to walk out of the cover of the forest on the hill, but stop after taking one step in the camp's direction.
A sound, like a bird call, disrupts my intentions, and I get the chills.
There's something strange about the air.
Like a vibration.
Kade gives me a look. "What is it?"
I put a finger up to my mouth to show him to be quiet, even though we can not see an immediate threat.
The once tranquil scenery turns dead silent, as if not even the birds or the ocean is breathing, giving it an ominous feeling. Confused, the boys and I stay at the edge of the forest, overlooking the Nation camp and the plains.
A minute passes, but there still isn't anything there.
"I thought I heard..." I mumble to myself, shaking my head.
Adeline, you're just being paranoid.
Camillo says gently, "It's probably nothing. Come on, lets go."
But I refuse to do so, if only for a gut feeling.
Something is wrong.
"I -"
All of a sudden, a pounding of footsteps like drums sound from our left hand side in the distance, so we stop in our tracks and look in that direction.
