X-Marks: Hiding Shadows

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"Ocean, get out of the way!" Nate shouted, his hands extended out into a break in the pair of trees.

And like the hand of God, a steel claw ripped through the tops of the trees, pulling them out and exposing their thick roots.

Its square metal body was as large as a house and trotted in jagged half steps on four legs like a steel dog. Its rectangular eyes were dark and soulless like like bottomless mirrors, and its sharp claws chewed at the forest, or anything in it's changing path.

I picked up my feet, pulled the suede bag up my shoulders and heard the familiar mechanical cry again as it rumbled through the soft earth and up through my shoes. It had been coming for us all along. I realized this only then after my hot blood turned to cold enough to feel. Now it was here, and we had no way out but to hide.

I shuffled my feet to run faster, but many trees were falling blocking our paths. It was impossible to know which way to turn or which one could be my last.

A gust of wind came from behind , as a dark shadow swooped at my sides. I screamed as the sharp tree bark swiped the back of my arm and ripped the skin off my arm on the way. I had no time to yell as I wanted to.

A forceful hand pushed me at my back.

"Are you okay?" Mat said from my side with panic filling his usually calm stare.

I wheezed on the humid air and quicked my steps, "Where's Ocean?"

"She's back there," Mat said, and slowed his pace to point behind us but only for a moment.

Ocean was running the furthest behind us. Evee and Nate ran between Mat and I. I would have thought more of it had I not been so focused on my balance ason the forest floor continued to rearrange beneath me.

I threw down my backpack and continued to run as the metal claws clamped close behind us. Evee and Nate did the same, dropping whatever they had to run faster. We had no other chance.

When I could look back to see what was making the mechanical cry, it was exactly how I remembered. Its gleaming steel was chiseled in a fearsome almost wolf-like way.

I continued on, my legs burning and my eyes tight from the yellow fog that now consumed the forest. I began to gasps, unable to take in a clean breath and began to heave.

Mat tapped me on my shoulder and pointed to his white t-shirt pulled over his mouth and just under his eyes. I took the collar of my collar and pulled it up in the same way.

"Ocean, don't!" I heard from behind.

It was Evee, her voice steady and clear above the many noises.

I looked behind again, nearly missing a bush of thorns, and shouted with her.

"Ocean, don't!" I shouted.

Ocean had stopped running. Her arms were listless as she hobbled towards the metal beast as it continued to tear through the forest in the distance, the tops of the trees fell and outlined its path.