Freedom's Horizon: Spirit of Belize (WLW)

Part One: Chapter Eleven

June 1746, On the Island of Roatan

Esme ran at top speeds toward the coastline hardly visible through the serried jungle's greenery and tripped every now and again over the odd terrain, but never ceased or slowed her trod. She couldn't find Aimee or any of her family. After waking up alone on the floor of the rainforest, she'd scoured the area for her people, yet found none. Still, there was the invisible tether that bound them all together, tied in with her blood as it was formed through Taria's hand, and she could sense where some of them were. Question was, when she met the shore, would Aimee be there as well?

She shoved past the last bit of growth on the outskirts of the jungle and came face to face with none other than Margaret in a place that was not the beach she assumed. Instead, she stood in a small clearing surrounded by more plant life and shrouded in darkness despite the fact that it was only around four, or perhaps even five in the evening. Esme hadn't noticed in her determination to find her family that the sky was filled with a rather opaque fog covering the sunlight cast through the canopy above. However, she could somehow sense it was still there, yet focused her attention toward her best friend.

"Marge!" Esme got down to her level and found her unconscious, but stirring. She lifted her gaze, surveying a boulder nearby with a familiar shape. "Lana!"

Esme ran to her and spotted a deep gash along her cheek, but what was more damning was the deep crimson stain along her abdomen. Her hands were bound behind her back and she slightly raised her head, her eyes gazing into Esme's pleading as she moved around to her back. She touched the ropes secured around her wrists and they burned her, forcing her to recoil with a wince.

"Get her...out of here." Esme heard from Margaret's direction and found her overturned and facing them, though she appeared unable to even lift her head. She watched her eyes, following them to Lana's stomach and took the shirt off of her back. Esme pressed it to Lana's abdomen and gulped as she looked over her face, but was pulled from her inner worries as Margaret sat up. "Take her to the water, Essie. We can't wait for her to make the decision and we can't lose her. Leave me here and--"

There was the resounding cracking of twigs underfoot from the outskirts of the clearing and Esme reached to her side, grabbing the loaded pistol resting in her sash. However, she was pleasantly surprised when Trevor and Dawn stepped out of the bushes, bickering over something inaudibly. Dawn startled with a furrowed brow as she made it into the area and turned her head every which way until she spotted Esme and Lana on the ground. Although, before she could go to them, Trevor was bolting for Lana and slid in the dirt as he drew nearer.

He knelt beside her with quick breaths, then glanced up at Esme. "What happened?"

"I'm not sure, but we have to get her to the ocean." Dawn arrived beside them with tears in her eyes and placed a hand on Esme's shoulder. She took off her blouse and gave it to her. Unlike her, Dawn's chest was covered by a series of cloth bindings holding her breasts in place. Esme on the other hand was entirely nude from the waist up and quickly covered herself before standing up, turning her gaze toward Trevor. "Can you carry her?"

He didn't hesitate to wrap his arms under Lana's legs and held her closely as he rose to his full height. Lana peeked up at him, touching his cheek with trembling fingers as her sharp breaths rattled the shaggy hair along his forehead. Trevor rested his against her cheek and his face grew more solemn as he turned toward the brush. Before they could leave, though, Esme jogged over to Margaret. She knelt down beside her, yet couldn't do a thing with whatever was spelled along the bindings around her wrists and torso. Then, she spotted them around Margaret's ankles with a groan.

"Forget me, Captain. There is nothing you can do for me now." She peered down into Margaret's eyes and cupped her cheek. "I cannot run, you all cannot carry me and they will return soon. Run. And don't stop."