Lost in the End

2

word count: 2,451

─── · 。ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

Griffin shifted in discomfort, neck tense as he turned it. He could feel sunlight on his eyes. Sighing, he squeezed his eyes harder in an attempt to block it out before realization hit him.

He'd fallen asleep.

"Fae?" he called out in a panicked voice, eyes springing open. He reached one hand out to search frantically beside him before realizing she wasn't next to him anymore.

Jumping up, he twisted around and called out several times. No, no, no- this can't be happening. Anxiety riddled his thoughts as he shielded his eyes from the sun in a desperate attempt to get a better look around him.

Their bag was opened, and a bag of chips was missing. Had she gotten up and eaten already? Then where could she be? Calm down, he tried to reassure himself, I'm sure she's here somewhere.

Still, he couldn't sit and wait for her to show up. Adrenaline was pumping through his veins. It felt as if his heart had leapt into his throat. The woods were thick, and he worried she wouldn't be able to find her way back. No matter how much he loved her, they both knew she could get lost in her own closet.

"Fae!" He called out desperately for several minutes, keeping a mental note of anything around him that he could use to lead them back to their makeshift campsite.

Wind blew gently around him, knocking branches and leaves into each other. His footsteps made noise as he walked, the crunching louder and louder as he picked up his pace.

A voice suddenly sounded from somewhere in front of him, making him tense. It was soft but getting louder as the seconds passed. Frozen in his spot, Griffin stared with wide eyes as his hands gripped the gun in his hands.

"The signal is stronger than before," the voice said, growing closer.

Griffin was trembling but forced himself forward, tiptoeing through the brush and crouching down to get a better look at the person. He could see a male figure several yards away, standing beside another man, who was a few inches shorter.

"I would appreciate it if we could speed up this process- who knows what Bulkhead is doing while I'm gone."

The first man smiled, chuckling softly as he turned to look at him- "I'm sure he is perfectly capable of keeping watch over the base while we are away."

"He's a walking wrecking ball," the second man, seemingly grumpier, huffed out.

Griffin's eyebrows scrunched together as he stared in confusion. Who were these two? They looked nothing like the men from before, dressed in more casual clothing instead of military uniforms and all-black. But why were they here, strolling casually through the woods?

Sure, there were a few homes spread out along the area, similar to his home, but the people were often those who moved from the city for a more peaceful place to live. They didn't tend to wander miles into the woods. That, and there were no public trails nearby.

"Oh!" The grumpier man glanced down at a phone-shaped device as it beeped, eyes widening. "The signal is moving."

"Moving?"

"Yes. It appears the relic has been discovered by someone else."

Griffin's grip on the gun tightened, teeth clenching in fear. They were with the other men. His fear grew ten-fold as he realized that these men were nearby with his sister nowhere to be found.

He needed answers.

"I suggest we- woah-" The man cut himself off as he spotted Griffin slowly emerging from the brush. The first man paused, looking confused until he too spotted the boy, body trembling, gun aimed at them.