City of the Damned

Chapter 8 | The Hunter

IT almost became customary for Verena to haunt the hallways at night. A bag was slung across her shoulder, and she held her boots in her hands. She wore her darkest clothes but wished her father had packed her a hoodie. Luckily for her, the Euronea soldiers seemed busy with the recent events.

Not only did a small riot break out during the trials, where citizens called for Verena's release — and some for her death — rebels had wounded and killed Euronea soldiers. Traps lurked in the darkness of the tunnels.

Atlas had every reason to be pissed. So did the people. But considering what happened, Verena now had to announce her position on the council to show she wasn't a prisoner.

The task haunted her mind. To be honest, she was unsure if she was being held captive or not. Could she walk away when she wanted? And who demanded her execution? Sure, her father got threats, sometimes aimed at his family, but never targeted her specifically.

A cool breeze of night air greeted her as she stepped into the garden. Verena slipped into her boots, covering the hole in her sock. She ran out of excuses to delay her part in everything. It was time for her to step up. After all these years of begging for change, this was her chance to make it happen.

As she crawled under the tree to the other side, Strawberry made his way to her. He rubbed his head against her leg, and her hand found his fur. "Hello, sweet little Strawberry. Sorry for invading your home with the children today."

Strawberry followed her to the north wall. His tail swept from one side to the other and curled around her leg when she stopped at the spot her mom helped her leap into the garden. This time, Verena was climbing out.

From the shed that had seen better days, Verena planned to jump onto the tree next to the wall. It was the way her mom used to do it, but the drainpipe didn't look like it could take her weight anymore. So the question remained, how is she getting on top of the shed?

Thick trunks and branches of a bush grew up the shed's wall. It even penetrated into the bricks. With one foot, she tested the sturdiness. If Verena was quick enough, she would be able to get up before the bush dropped her. It wasn't a perfect plan — far from it. She was still unsure if the tree's branch could bear her weight. The option to walk out the front door like everything was normal seemed tempting now.

"Adventures aren't things to shy away from, Verena, embrace them," she repeated the words her mom said when Verena had doubts.

Fine.

She rested her feet high up to take a bigger leap. Bending her knee, she pushed herself off the ground. The bush made sounds in protest, and she swiftly stepped higher. She clamped to the roof, trying to pull herself up the slope. Her fingertips bend around the roof tiles. A sharp pain shot through her leg, her knee scraping against the rough stone. Her nails snapped as Verena raised herself up. A tile fell and broke on the ground. Steadying her on the uneven surface, Verena cursed under her breath, praying no one heard anything. One thing was sure, she wasn't waiting to find out.

She pushed up to the point, balancing herself up. Come on, Verena, you can do it. It's not that far... "Come on."

With a great leap, her chest collided with the solid branch, pushing the air out of her lungs. Her arms grasped around the wood. Crap, she should've worked out more. A lot more. By a miracle, she pulled herself up on the branch. Strawberry looked at her, tilting his little head. Effortlessly, Strawberry follows her steps and jumps beside her.

"Show off." Verena scratched his head as she built up the courage for the next jump, hoping there would be something on the other end of the wall to get down without breaking her ankles.