Limitless

Prologue

10 years ago

Logan's getting adopted.

We never saw it coming.

The biggest bully we know and the grumpiest kid in the orphanage. I know I should be happy for him but it's hard. I've had so many couples turn me down when he was, but all, visited by one and they accepted immediately.

What am I missing that Logan has?

The whole group is sad that Logan is leaving, but if we had the chance to be adopted, we all know we wouldn't hesitate to leave this hell hole behind.

"I'm really gonna miss you guys, you know." Logan starts, "I may have been a douche most of the time but that didn't mean I didn't love - "

A bloodcurdling scream interrupts the heartfelt moment, arousing terror from us. The hairs on the back of neck stand as I stand rooted on the spot. The only movement I make is turning my head in direction of where the sound came from. I take one step in the direction before I'm yanked roughly by my right arm.

Yara, my friend, is unreadable. She knows how fast I run towards danger instead of away from it. She shakes her head at me, "I know what you're thinking, don't you dare run to - "

A cry for help sounds, desperate, and closer than the previous. The sound lights a fire in me as I yank my arm out of Yara's hand. As I run towards the sound, warning shouts fall on deaf ears, and my friends immediately follow me. 

For as long as I could remember, I've always been a fast runner. 

Mrs Lydia - our caretaker - has always recommended that I think about becoming an athlete. That way I'll get a scholarship and escape the foster care system all at once. It's no surprise that I all outrun them.

My small body flies through the air, dodging branches, jumping over logs until I finally come across a clearing I've never seen before. I know my way around the area and I've been in this forest before, but I guess I never really ventured that far. 

The first thing I see shocks my body to the core, surrendering me motionless once again.

There are vines moving along the ground in a snake-like pattern, seemingly alive as they slither towards one person. She stands in the clearing with her hands outstretched beside her as if to control the abnormalities. At first glance it looks like there are people behind her, but the longer I stare the more I realize how wrong my assumption is. 

A dozen tree-like men snarl at someone who's on the opposite side of the clearing. I'm amazed that I'm able to see that they're snarling because they're faceless. The creatures are made up entirely of tree bark. My eyes shift to the opponent, a man who stands casually with his hands in his pocket.

The things remind me of Groot, but they look like they just walked out of some twisted horror movie.

I'm broken out of my trance when I hear a pained shout on my far left. A woman collapses on the ground. Blood oozes out of her body in amounts I knew were frighteningly alarming at my young age. I sprint toward the bleeding woman, logic evaporating from every nerve in my brain.

I should've run for the hills, but I ran towards the danger, like the fool everyone knew I was.

As the woman who controls the tree men turns her head towards me, all the tree men's heads turn toward me in synchronization. I falter as the terrifying moment etches itself into my brain at that very moment. I didn't know it then, but the first traumatic incident of my life.

I push the fear away and conquer toward my mission: getting the woman who wants to run away from these crazy people out of here.

I get to her and wrap my arm around her waist, using my tiny frame to keep her upright. She stares at me in shock before she collapses to the ground after us taking  one step. "What are you doing here kid. It's too dangerous -"