Hunted

Chapter Four - Fractured Family

Chapter Four

Fractured Family

I ran over to Jordy, feeling like each step I took towards her just got me further away. When I finally reached her, her blood was flowing out of her heavily, turning the creek water red. I knew in that moment that there was nothing I could do for her.

A sob escaped my mouth as I kneeled beside her, placing her pale head in my lap and stroking a strand of hair from her face. Each breath she took appeared to drain more life from her and my tears fell freely onto her body.

"Esther...it hurts," she wheezed.

Koby walked over to us, resting his hand on my shoulder and squeezing slightly. I made no recognition of his gesture, keeping my eyes on Jordy as her life left her. How could a god exist when life was leaving someone as innocent and pure as Jordy?

"Jordy, I d-don't think there's anything I c-can do," I cried. "There's too much blood."

"Shhh," she whispered, managing a smile. "Don't save me...I want to be with K-Kael."

I listened as she took her final breath. It was awful, her chest made this ugly rattling sound and then it was still. She was gone. Her blue eyes were staring peacefully at the sky and I slowly raised my hand up to her face to close them. Then I laid myself down on her body and began crying full on body shaking cries.

"Esther, she's gone," Koby said. His soft tone concealed any emotion, but I knew that he was feeling just as much pain as I was. Jordy was family. "We're not safe here. We need to get back to the house."

He wrapped his arms around me and pulled me from Jordy while I screamed and fought against him. Eventually I succumbed, wrapped my arms around him and hugged him, crying my eyes out as I did. All he did was hold me, slowly dragging me away from Jordy's body and telling me that everything was going to be okay.

We had no choice but to leave her body there. I felt terrible about it, but we needed to get back to the others and let them know what had happened. The creek wasn't far from where we were staying and once the soldiers saw what had happened at the creek, they'd be searching for us in no time.

With my lack of interest in the world, Koby half dragged me back to the house we'd been staying in. The moment we'd appeared at the end of the bushy driveway, Nigel dropped down from the sentry tree and rushed towards us. I was covered in blood and he would have assumed the worst.

"We need to move," Koby told him. "We were attacked by a soldier down at the creek. I managed to take him out, but once they find him they'll start searching and we're not safe here."

The others were already gathering at the front door when we reached it, realising immediately that something was very wrong. Candice was the first one who was brave enough to speak up, though I'm sure she knew the answer before she spoke.

"Where's Jordy?" she whispered.

"Jordy's dead," I muttered.

Sobs echoed around me as the news sunk in. I think a few people asked what we'd done with her body, but everything else from that day was completely blurry. By the time I'd come back to reality, we were in a completely new house and I was alone in a dark and musty living room.

"You already blew up a harbour and the bridge," I heard Bailey say.

"I don't think there's anything else we can pull off with our skills and equipment," Jen responded. "After what happened to Jordy today, I'm not sure that we should be putting our lives at risk any longer."