The Runaway

Chapter 14

They trekked in the general direction of the houses, not really a hundred percent sure if they were going the right way. Lucky for them  Valerie had her ever-present guide to lead them to salvation.

Whatever. Just go in a north west direction. Just walk.

The voice seemed almost lethargic.

"Where's that?" Valerie whispered, pretending to cough.

Sigh. Just straight, woman. Walk until you hit timber.

She grudgingly listened. She needed help not attitude at the moment.

Since departing from the city it had been at bit off- maybe it had been affected by coming into such close contact with another inner demon in the form of Axel's mind. She tried to make contact with it a few more times but it had subdued and refused to answer anything she asked it.

Night was starting to fall, sending the landscape around them into a serene hush except for the cool night wind every now and then that made the trees around them shiver with anticipation for their adventure. Mabel pulled out the slim, high beam torches she had brought, handing one to each person. On the whole they didn't talk much, except for when asking a general question such as how much longer they'd have to walk. Each was lost in their own thoughts, some much darker than others. Valerie was still trying to communicate with her little helper while Robyn was grimly remembering the soldier she had killed- the image of her knife protruding from his chest stuck at the forefront of her mind. She has never actually killed someone before - it was a lot worse than she had expected. She had blood on he hands and a life to carry on her back when judgement day came. If Valerie has known what her friend was going through then maybe she could have alleviated the guilt but Robyn was such a secretive person, hiding any emotional wounds under her bravado and if push came to shove Robyn would still be careful in telling others what she really thought.

“Look! Look over there!” Mabel jumped up and down suddenly, a wide beam on her face. “They’re over there, guys! Come on!”

Without waiting for the others she took off, her backpack bouncing against her back as she ran. Valerie sped up, running after her just in case that something unknown awaited them there.

“We’re here, guys! Look! We’ve effing made it!” Mabel screamed again.

 Up ahead was a assortment of medium sized wooden houses some in better conditions than others but each with its own veranda. She threw her pack to the ground and leapt around cheering with tear pouring down her face. Valerie became breathless upon seeing the sigh of the houses- albeit they were a little worn down by liveable by their standards by far. She started crying too, getting down on her knees and pressing herself down against the grass in an attempt to get closer to the beauty all around her that was coming to life before their eyes. This was it. This was their safe heaven, their safe house, their new home.

They’d actually made. It for all this time Valerie had thought that maybe they were just living a strange sort of fantasy and that they’d be caught in no time but here it was. Real in front of them, the smell of rotting wood in the air. It was real. They were safe.

Robyn arrived, winded and cried with joy, whooping and spinning around in circles, tearing up. The most unfazed one out of all of them was Theodore who was just staring at them like they were crazy (which was probably true).

“Is this it?” They’re piles of crap. These could fall over at any minute and crush us in our sleep if we slept in there. What if there’s wild dogs or strange insects or the whole structure is poisoned and planted here just so we could find it?? What if-“ He was cut off and Valerie reached up and grabbed him by the arm, yanking him to the ground. She shushed him, crying and made him lay down on his back like her, looking up through the sparse leaves and up at the full moon.