The Lady Darkness

Chapter 14

It's been two weeks since we left Crowport. The terrain has become increasingly wild, and rough. Trees grow with abandon, roots twisting up out of the ground, jagged rocks scattered along the path. Well, it seems like it was once a path, anyways. Currently there are more splintered branches, moss, and tripping hazards than an actual path. The air has a still, ancient quality about it that seems to imply we're intruding on what nature has reclaimed.

Charlie leads us in what I can only hope is the correct direction. He carries the map with him and every once and awhile pulls it out. He was also given the documents from Franklin and a radio from Benjamin before we left. Leah holds the radio and doesn't let it go. We haven't had to use it. Benjamin said that it is for emergencies only as there is only one set of batteries in there.

Everyday is spent walking with only a few rest breaks. At the end of the day we find a clearing big enough to hold all of us. We are running low on food and Damien has begun to scout ahead, hunting for game. The only thing that we are lucky about is that the areas have all been full of water. Streams, rivers flowing through the area have allowed us to keep our water bottles filled and the odd time we are able to catch a fish or two.

We have just sat down for the night. This is the 15th night we are laying under the twinkling stars after leaving Crowport. We are spread out in a clearing that Damien led us to. We don't bother with a fire tonight as Damien says we are too close to a city and someone may take notice. With a group this large we don't want to take any chance of being spotted. I am just thankful that the night is warm and the fire is not needed. The past few nights have had a bit of a nip to them and required a small fire to fight off the chill that creeped in.

Charlie is over by one the trees with Leah and Mark nearby. I haven't had much interaction with either Leah or Mark since we left Crowport. Instead, they have kept their distance and almost seem to be avoiding me. The only person who seems to interact with me at all is Damien. The rest almost seem intimidated by my presence. They are polite, but don't go out of their way to talk to me.

Eventually the night fades darker, the moon rises high in the sky and beds are made. No one is sure what tomorrow brings and we all settle down quickly and just like every other night sleep doesn't come without a struggle for me. My thoughts run wild for hours on end and every sound coming from within the trees surrounding us makes me jump, but this is the first time when I struggle to fall asleep because of someone within the camp. Leah gets up after an hour and everyone else is asleep. She heads deep into the woods without a backwards glance, not knowing that she was spotted leaving the camp by not just me, but Mark who sits up and looks in the direction she left. This action is not uncommon, everyone has to use the bathroom at some point and unlike me they are private folks who can't use the bathroom in front of each other. I turn from my back to my side, obviously disturbing Mark's train of thought as he glances my way and takes notice that I am awake. He simply nods in my direction before laying back down facing away from the fire and me.

It doesn't take long for Leah to come back and with everyone here my mind shuts down and I am slowly able to fall asleep. The sleep proves to be fruitless and I wake up more tired than I was when I went to bed. Everyone is still asleep when I pull the sleeping bag down to my feet allowing me to stand. I make my way into the dense woods, avoiding the thorny bushes and branches lean out towards my face. It doesn't take me long before I find a spot to do my business well away from the group to make it so they are not uncomfortable, yet still within yelling distance.

I duck down between two bushes and do my business. I am just about to stand up before I hear something heading in this direction from the opposite way that is the camp. I don't remember seeing anyone missing when I rose from my sleeping bag. Instead of coming up from my crouching position I duck further down, hoping the bushes and the fact that I am covered in filth will hide my position. In the distance, I can hear the group rising and moving about in the camp. I should go warn them, but the noise is closer now. It sounds almost on top of me. The noise is too big to be an animal, unless it is a bear. I soon come to realize it isn't a bear as a muzzle of a gun pokes through the bushes soon followed by an officer. I stay where I am, not making a noise, not even breathing.

The officer pulls out a walkie talking and speaks into it. "I am in position. Intel is correct, they are here." I can barely make out what he whispers into the walkie. He doesn't get a response instead two clicks come across the speaker. The guy stays in the crouching position for a few more minutes and I didn't move either, holding my breath. Somehow they have received information as to where we are.

In a quick, no thought idea I jump up from my crouching position. I dive at the officer, and we both go crashing into the ground. I obviously caught him off guard, which gives me time to secure my hands around his neck and legs to his side so that I am sitting on his chest. Fast as lighting I try to think back to how I used my powers before once again. I can feel him struggle beneath me, reaching for whatever he can grasp to potentially throw me off. I don't let him do that instead I weave down inside myself looking for that power and once I find it I send out a blast through my hands and into his neck. He goes tense, muscles twitching in a manner that they can't control themselves. Within seconds I pull back my power and crawl off of him just in time for Damien and Mark to come tumbling out of the bushes.

I'm sure it is quite a shock for them. A smoldering officer laying on the ground and me sitting by the body looking shell shocked.

"What the hell happened?" Damien sputters out, looking at the body and then back to me.

"I think I electrocuted him." If I did actually electrocute him, then at least I may have actually found out how to use my abilities. When I looked for my powers just now there were four directions I was being pulled within myself and I went for the one that felt the most familiar.

"I'm more asking as to how he is here. I can tell he has been electrocuted." I can hear sarcasm in his voice, but I can also hear the worry as well.

That immediately jolts me into action. Whoever this guy works for is on their way. I have to get everyone out of here.

"We have to go! He had a radio and sent the location of where we are out to someone." Damien staggers back a bit before turning and running in the direction of camp and I'm right behind him with Mark not too far behind me.

When we do get back to the camp it doesn't take us long to let everyone know what happened in the woods and for us to pack up camp. We are moving out within fifteen minutes. Everyone is still worried though and I don't blame them. We aren't sure as to which way the army is coming from, if they are even sending the army. There was a little debate as to whether we should all travel in one big group or separate into smaller groups, but that idea was quickly shot down, we do better as a group and it would be harder for them to pick us off if we stay together. It takes us a longer period of time to make any distance from the camp as we are moving with extreme caution. Watching every step, staying silent, listening to every noise that comes from within the woods that are out of view. After about an hour people become less tense and begin to talk among themselves once again. They may be still afraid, they may not know where we are going exactly, but they trust Charlie. They trust each other. The exterminators may not think that we are ready for them, but we are and we aren't going to stand down and let them take us down.