Fire's Shadow

Twin Hatchets

Diego

Dad, Schyler, and I had stumbled upon Mary, Cassie, and Jacob a little while after setting off towards the edge of the woods.

"Uncle Tim, what's going on?" Cassie asked. Her normally calm demeanor had vanished completely, "Where is Dad?"

"I don't know where he is at the moment, Cassie." Dad glanced behind him nervously, "We were going to the edge of the forest to see what was happening."

"This crazy hermit guy and a slick haired psycho that's what is happening!" Jacob's shoulders were tensed and his eyes wide, "And then the next thing I know Dad is in our faces telling us to get out of here and then all of a sudden this guy with a frickin DRILL shows up-"

"Wait. Stop there." I put my hands on his shoulders, "What guy with a drill?"

"On our way here a guy with a drill and a skull mask came out of one of the ditches and chased us." Cassie shuddered, "We've managed to lose him for now but...I'm not sure for how much longer."

"Man with a drill....skull mask...." I pursed my lips together, trying to place where I've seen that guy. Because I just KNOW that I've seen him before, "Sounds familiar....sounds like...." It suddenly dawned on me, "Zachary."

"Who's that?" Schyler asked.

"Doesn't really matter right now." I shrugged, "Let's just get to the edge of the woods and find out what is going on here." Without waiting I took off in the direction I hoped was right. Dad and Schyler closed in fast with the other three puffing along behind us. We ran for about ten minutes before bursting out into the sunlight at the edge of the woods.

But there was no one there. In fact, this wasn't even the same part of the woods that we'd come in from.

"How did we get here?" Jacob frowned at the sky with squinted eyes, "This isn't even the same side of the forest."

"What do you mean?" I glanced around the area.

"We're on the complete opposite side." He stated this as if it should've been obvious.

"We don't have time for this!" Cassie sighed in exasperation, sitting on a fallen log and holding her head in her hands, "I just want this to be over!"

"You and me both." Schyler replied.

"Uh, guys?" Mary piped up, "Where is Uncle Tim?"

"What do you mean where is Uncle Tim he's right-" Jacob turned to where we thought he'd been but found...nothing. No one.

"Dad?" I called out, "Dad where are you?" No reply. Just the rustling of leaves and the occasional chirp of a bird.

"How did we get separated from him he was just with us!" Jacob cried.

"I don't like this." Schyler shuddered and hugged herself tightly. 

"You and me both." I nodded. I could feel my hands beginning to sweat. What were we going to do? We had no idea where we were and no idea how to get back to where the fight was. Well to be more exact I had no idea how to get back. Mary, however, did. 

"Hey Diego....you teleport right?" She asked, popping up right in my face. I nearly shrieked and stumbled back. She wasn't fazed by that at all. She just stared into my eyes with determination. 

"I-I do." I looked off to the right, bringing my shoulders up to my ears, "What about it?" 

"Can you teleport with...people?" She took a step closer. I stepped back.

"I've never tried it before." 

"Well then what are you waiting for let's try it!" Mary exclaimed, throwing her arms up in the air. 

"What makes you so sure I can even do it?"  I glanced at Cassie with a 'hey back me up here' look. Unfortunately...it was misread. 

"I think you could if you concentrated." She held her chin and assumed a 'thinking' pose. 

"OR." Schyler produced a stone out of her pocket, holding it up to the light, "We could use this. And Diego could save his energy." 

"What is that?"Jacob plucked it from her hand, staring intensely into it. 

"It's a teleporting stone from my father." Schyler explained, "All you have to do is picture where you're trying to go. You have to really focus. It can take as many people as is necessary but...it comes with a catch." 

"Everything does." Cassie groaned. 

"If you use it twice in one day it has to recharge." She hesitated for a moment. 

"That's not so bad." Jacob raised an eyebrow at the stone. 

"For an entire month." 

We were speechless. You could've heard a pin drop. In the grass. Across the clearing. 

"WHAT!?"