Sing

Chapter 1: Run

Shit, shit, shit!

I stumbled through the woods, trying to avoid tripping on the roots of the trees.

The lights were all on me, and I wished I had my white clothes on. I could just blend in with them. They'd never know.

I knew I wasn't qualified to work on the inside, but dying didn't seem like a great option, either. I considered myself a "BL/ind tease."

It worked.

I ran, and they always followed.

And I always got away.

I tripped and fell. My hand hit some water, and I looked over. A river.

Perfect.

I crawled into and swam downstream, back towards where they were coming from. I swam for what felt like forever, trying not to wet my long, black hair too much. It would hold me back.

When I knew I'd lost them, I crawled out of the river and shook off with a sigh. I would have to sleep in my white clothes or my birthday suit now.

Seeing as there was a breeze, and those masked monsters were always out, the white clothes seemed like a better option.

I walked around, searching for someplace that looked abandoned so I could change and sleep. I drummed my fingers on the box strapped to my hip as I moved.

Eventually I found a barn that looked like it had been left when BL/ind started dominating.

I pulled out the bright green pistol I'd found and held it out, ready to fire.

Just in case.

I pushed the door open slowly, walking in behind my weapon. I had barely looked around very well before someone tackled me.

Shit, they really caught me.

Well, I love you mom.

You were a fucking saint.

A hand covered my mouth, and I felt a pistol against my head. Someone else stood up, pointing a bright red pistol at me. He was tall and blonde, a hairstyle that definitely said 'Killjoy.' He had on a red leather jacket, and he had a yellow bandana over his nose and mouth.

"Who are you?" he growled. "And how did you find us?"

I didn't know if he couldn't see the hand over my mouth or if he was just being contrary.

"Come on," he said. He flicked his pistol up, and the hand over my mouth moved down to my neck.

"I just meant to find somewhere to stay the night," I said. "They were chasing me."

"Is that why you're all wet?" asked a voice from behind me. Probably my captor.

The guy with the bandana rolled his eyes. "Yeah, okay," he said. "Listen, just because you haven't cut your hair for a while doesn't mean you're going to fool us."

"Look at my clothes," I said. "Would they wear this?"

"To find us?" asked a voice from behind me. "Hell yeah they would."

I felt myself being pushed forward, and Bandana came over and grabbed me. A guy with bright red hair appeared. I guessed he had been the one holding me before.

He reached down, patting my sides. He unhooked my supply box from my hip and looked at it. "BL/ind," he said. "And you aren't with them?"

"You give that back!" I cried, and Bandana's hand came down over my mouth. "Keep quiet," he growled.

The redhead took my pistol away from me next. That was it. They couldn't take that away.

I struggled, but I got free of Bandana's grasp. I dove for the weapon, but the redhead was stronger than he looked. He fell on top of me, pinning me.

"Try something like that again and you're dead," he said.

He dragged me up to my knees, then pushed my palms up against the back of my head. The tips of both his gun and mine pressed against my temples.

"Why didn't you just kill me then and there?" I asked. "Because we can't take out someone without knowing for sure if they work for BL/ind," the redhead said.

"You seem pretty partial to that option," I pointed out. The guns squeezed my head. "Are you really sure you want to go saying stuff like that?" Bandana asked. I hadn't noticed that he'd been perched on a haystack, twirling his own gun around his finger.

I was silent. It was always the best option.

"Now tell us how you found us," said the the redhead.

"Look, the story I told you the first time was true," I said. "I'm a tease. They always follow me. I was running away, and I fell in a river, and I swam until I'd lost them. Then I got out and came here. And that's the whole story."

There was silence in the barn.

"Can we trust him?" asked Bandana. Redhead didn't have a chance to answer, because there was a noise outside.

Redhead tugged me to my feet and tossed me my pistol. He shoved me behind a hay bale as Bandana scrambled up to the top of the barn.

"Shoot if you see me shoot," he hissed. He ran over behind another bale on the other side of the barn.

Through the silence I could hear two voices. "Shh, Grace," said a quiet voice. "We have to be quiet or they're gonna get you. We're just gonna stay here for the night, okay?"

Grace? Wasn't that the name of the only child left unaffected by BL/ind?

She was a prime target. BL/ind prided themselves on having all of certain groups of people.

But they didn't have her.

And they didn't like that.

If we had her?

We were screwed.