Hollow's Grove (The Preliminary Version)

Chapter Fifteen: The Meeting

I didn't know where I was headed. It was dark, and I was confused. I seemingly wandered aimlessly through the night. I could hear the noise of branches snapping every once and a while, luckily for me they sounded far off and I was able to quicken my pace. Soon enough I could just make out the soft rays of the morning sun coming up. I had made it through another night in the forest. Unfortunately, I discovered that as I hadn't been able to see anything until now I had somehow walked all the way back into the pine forest.

I felt my spirits drop. I was close to the 'school'. That was the last place that I wanted to be near. Yet, here I was, possibly being spied on as I stood there thinking on what to do. 'Should I go back?' I asked myself as I stood there. Suddenly there came a snigger from behind me. I swiveled around, to my terror I found myself face to face with Marcus himself. "Well, well, well, look who's decided to come back?" He said sarcastically. Inside my mind my wolf barred its fangs at him.

I found that I had maneuvered my body into a hunting position. He snickered when he saw what I was doing. "What is that supposed to do? Scare me? Oh please," He sauntered over to me and chuckled, "You know, if I didn't know better, I would say that you were in the stance of a scared wolf, am I right?" He smiled a teasing smile, showing his canines. Man they were extremely sharp. I shook my head and began to back away, "I know what you are." I said slowly.

His eyes widened with false astonishment "Really? So you met the lynx girl already?" As he said this he pulled out a small pistol, and spun it around in his right hand. "The mistress will not be pleased." He said quietly. I couldn't help what I did next. I jumped at him, my hands out for his neck. "You were the one who shot her!" I screamed. He dodged my attack, and chuckled darkly as he watched me tumble to the dirt. "Man," he laughed, "You are truly pathetic!"

I pushed myself off the ground and glared at Marcus. Just as I was about to try and take him on once more he suddenly went ridged. Then just as he had appeared he bolted for the branches. Disappearing off into the trees. I stood there, completely lost on what had just happened. Suddenly there came a voice, "Got him!" Before I could react I was tied down and another young man was standing upon me like I was some sort of prize. "Hey, look I found another one!" He cried excitedly.

I watched in amazement as four other teens walked out of the woods. Each one wearing ragged clothes that kind of reminded me of the outfits that the teens at Hollow's Grove wore. "Nice work Fox! You've caught another one of those godforsaken devils their creating!" A tall brunette said as she came close to the boy and I. She smirked down at me, as though I was her prey. "Who are you?" She asked as she bent down to take a good look at me. "I'm...I'm Tobias O'Brian, I'm seventeen years old and I am trying to get away from Hollow's Grove."

Immediately the boy jumped off me, "Wait did he say he was trying to get away from Hollow's Grove?" He asked the girl, as if it was a surprise. She nodded, her light blue eyes amazed. "I thought for sure that you would be another hunter, I swear I heard a voice..." She broke off, I frowned, "Well, um, he went that way if you to know." As I said this I pointed to where Marcus had run off. She gave a gasp, "Oh thank you so much!" Turning to her group she cried, "No longer will they prevail, we shall win! Down with Hollow's Grove!"

With that the group ran off to where I was pointing, I was left alone in the woods. All I could hear where the faint cries of the group heading off to find Marcus...