Starling Cambridge and the Mind-Users

Chapter Eight

A/N- Sorry about the long wait, I've been really busy these past weeks. I've been at a National Softball Tournament, but now I'm back home and ready to pump out more chapters and maybe (maybe not :/) do some much needed editing! Hope you enjoy the chapter! I would love to hear you guys' reviews and comments. 

I walked behind Frazer, following him into the dark woods. The sun had set completely and I could barely see two feet in front of me. I kept tripping over random sticks and rocks laying on the ground, but Frazer seemed to be doing just fine. I hadn't seen him trip once. I had to stop for a minute. My leg was hurting worse than it had been earlier. My whole body was throbbing with pain like I could finally feel all of the hits that Nightingale and her band of boulders had dealt me. I wondered if she was okay. Even though I had no doubt that her legs were probably shattered, the thought made me want to vomit all over my tattered clothes. Even though I hated her, I never wanted this to happen to her. It really was all my fault.

"Are you okay?," Frazer asked, his loud words ringing through the quiet woods.

"Yeah, I'm fine," I replied, stepping to the left a couple of steps. Frazer had gotten awfully close to me. I watched as he shrugged and looked forward to continue walking through the dark trees. I followed him after a couple of seconds. I still didn't know if I should trust him or not. I mean he hadn't done anything sketchy so far, but you never know with some people. He could just be waiting for the right time. That's why I hadn't told him about my abilities yet. If I kept them a secret, at least for now, I could have a weapon to use against him.

I tripped over a rock and landed clumsily on my butt on the cold wet ground. I looked up, expecting to see Frazer continuing to walk in front of me, but he was nowhere to be seen. Frantically I whipped my head around, searching for him. All I found were dark trees and creepy looking shadows. I paused, willing myself to think. He had to be around here somewhere, he couldn't have just disappeared into thin air.

I stood up, brushing my filthy jeans off. I walked in the direction, or at least what I thought was the direction, in which Frazer and I had just been walking. I walked into the dark trees, my shoes crunching the leaves laying in the underbrush. A cold gust of wind blew through the trees, creating the sound of a thousand whispers.

"Frazer!," I shouted, my voice ringing throughout the expanse of trees. There was no answer to my call.

"Frazer!," I shouted again, this time cupping my hands over my mouth to try and project my voice. Once again there was no answer. I was starting to panic now. My chest was getting tight and I felt like I was drowning. What if he tricked me? What if he had brought me closer to the lab and now he was just going to leave me here for the scientists? Or, slightly worse, what if he was playing some sort of twisted game with me? He might be a serial killer or something, a real crazy one. Frazer didn't seem like a serial killer type, though. He might be strange, but I didn't think he'd kill someone. What if Frazer was in trouble? He did say he was a Mind-User, too. The scientists could've gotten to him.

"Frazer!," I screamed, desperation dripping from my words. I had barely known the guy, but I needed him to get me to that group of Mind-Users. And I couldn't let him suffer the same fate that so many others had suffered if I could help it. I had to help him.

I heard rustling in the distance. It sounded like footsteps. I spun around looking for the source of the noise, but there were only trees blowing in the wind. I loud yell shot from somewhere near me. The yell had sounded like it came from behind the huge clump of trees looming in front of me. I timidly stepped closer to the clump of trees, fearing what I would see behind them.

"Frazer?" I whispered as I pushed my way through the thick evergreens. I heard muffled voices and shuffling feet through the trees. Just as I was about to push my way through the thick branches of the clump of trees, another yell rang out through the quiet woods. Startled, I jumped back. I stood, frozen, staring in the direction the yell had come from. What was I doing? I needed to stop being a sissy and push my way through the rest of the trees. Someone needed help. I was probably the only one for miles to help them. With the thought of being a hero, I marched through the trees, pushing big leafy branches out of my way.

"Frazer!" I shouted, just before pushing myself out out of the trees. Standing in a clearing surrounded by trees was Frazer Barns struggling in the grip of two policemen. The policemen had him down on the ground, his cheek pressed against the grass. They were trying to handcuff him, but his hands kept moving. His hands were moving at an unnatural speed, my eyes couldn't even follow them. He looked as if he had been grinning before I stepped into the clearing, but as soon as he saw me, his smile dropped and his face took up an expression of fear.

"Starling, run!," he yelled. His words were so stern and so certain, that I turned around without a moment's hesitation and bolted into the dark trees. I heard heavy footsteps pounding the earth behind me as I ran deeper and deeper into the woods. Surprisingly, I didn't trip. I actually didn't stumble, until I saw a flash of light bolt in front of me. I stopped so suddenly that I almost fell flat on my face. The flash of light came zooming back at me and suddenly I was staring at Frazer Barns, my mouth hanging wide open. He grabbed my hand and turned back around to run again. As soon as he started to move, the whole world seemed to twist around me. Trees became black lines, stars became blurs in the sky above like they did in those old Star Wars movies, and I began to hover above the ground like a drone or some futuristic robot. The only thing I could see clearly was Frazer, pulling me along behind him. This must be him doing this to the world, to me. I held on tight to his warm hand as we sped away from the policemen.

Suddenly, I was sitting in the tall grass again. Surrounded by dark trees. The world was no longer tilted and strange and Frazer's hand was no longer in mine. I looked around for him, scared I had lost him again. He was crouched down a couple of feet away from me, breathing heavily. I stood up and slowly crept up to him.

"Frazer?," I whispered, laying my hand on his shoulder. He didn't seem to hear me so I tried again, "Frazer, are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm just...tired," he huffed, falling down to his knees and sitting in the damp grass. I couldn't see his face, but I could tell that he was upset. His voice was shaky and he was breathing heavily.

I sat next to him in the grass, getting my filthy jeans even dirtier. He was trembling slightly. He was probably scared. Not that I had any right to judge him. I was completely spooked after what happened tonight.

"Is it okay if we just rest tonight?," Frazer asked, "The group isn't far and I used almost all of my energy on trying to get us away from those policemen."

"Sure," I replied, the events of the day flashing through my head again. Now I knew what it felt like to be a Hypopath. I layed down on the cold, hard ground and quickly fell asleep to the sound of Frazer Barn's even breathing.