The Monster Hero

Chapter 24 - Over the River

"Fire! Fire! Everyone evacuate!"

"Quick girls! Hurry! Everyone outside!"

Mom comes into the room. Blue looks at me with wide eyes. We run out of the room after Mom. As we run to the woods. I hear someone call my name.

"Red! Help me!"

I turn around and I see Blue. She is stuck behind a fallen log. I start to run back for her, but dad pulls me back. Mom and dad start arguing. Mom wants to save Blue, but dad says it will be too late. While they argue, I watch Blue with wide eyes. She's trying to get over the log. As I watch, the fire gets closer. The burning building next to Blue topples over, and she disappears in the fire.

"No!"

I bolt up from my bed. I look around. I'm in the tree fort. Elliott's already moving around in the main room.

"You alright?" Elliott asks from the main room.

"Yeah, yeah. I'm fine," I answer.

When I come into the main room, Elliott is doing something on his new watch. He looks up when I enter the room.

"You sure you're okay?" he asks. "I could hear you thrashing around."

"I'm fine. Just had a bad dream."

I sit down and stare at the floor.

"That must have been a really bad dream. What were you dreaming about?"

Elliott watches me carefully.

"I was dreaming about when Blue died. The fire and the burning building and...."

I lean my head back against the wall.

Elliott says, "I went on a run this morning. I saw a camp of wolfums a few miles from the other side of the river."

My eyes widen.

"What were they doing?" I ask.

Elliott shrugs.

"I wasn't close enough. But they said that they were going to cross the river today."

I leap up.

"What!"

"I think we should be prepared to leave at any moment. I'm already packed," Elliott says, gesturing to his bag on the floor.

I run into my room and start shoving things into my bag.

"I'm going to go see where they are!" Elliott says, as he climbs down the ladder.

I'm still searching for my things in the main room, when Elliott bursts into the room.

"Hurry up! They're on their way!" Elliott gasps.

I finish finding my things and shove them into my backpack. I put my hair in a ponytail and rush out of my room. I have to double back for my bag. Once I make it to the ladder, I start climbing down. Elliott is waiting outside with the compartment open.

"Go faster! I can hear them crossing the river!" Elliott says to me as I jump the last few ladder rungs.

I run over and shove my bag in the compartment. Elliott slams it shut and gets on. I get on behind him and he tries to start the engine.

"Hurry!" I say.

I can hear the wolfums approaching.

"It won't start!" Elliott says.

I look down.

"You have the brakes on!" I say to Elliott.

He looks down too. He turns off the brakes and tries to start the engine again. This time it works, but not in time. The wolfums spot us. Elliott looks at them.

"Slash?" He mutters.

I look back. Slash is leading them toward us.

"Elliott, give me my backpack!"

He opens the compartment and pulls out my bag. I sling it on my back and reach past Elliott to push the split button. I jump on to the scooter Elliott isn't on. I shove my bag into its compartment and start the engine.

"Elliott, we need to split up for now. It'll make it harder to track us. We'll use the contact watches to set a meeting spot. Okay?" I say as the wolfums get closer.

Elliott nods and we take off in different directions. I go east and Elliott goes west. I dodge some spears thrown at me. I look back to see if Elliott has made it to the thicker part of the forest. I don't see him, so I hope for the best. Another spear is thrown right in front of me. I swerved to dodge it. As I dodge spears and other things, I begin to wonder if it was the best idea for us to split up.