C.R.A.N.E (Strange Editing WiP)

Chapter Three: Evacuation

Roukan stirred around on the spot he fell on, irritated by a mix of the wind knocking on the window and a foreign noise coming from outside. It was too cold to leave the bed, if you're even able to call a poorly filled mattress and a very matted and weary blanket a 'bed'. He remained in it and tried to go back to sleep, but the noise did not subside.

Jake, who rested near Roukan's head, also woke up from the noise and lifted his head up, later giving a small exhale. He took more interest in it than him and hopped off the bed to look outside the front window near the door. His paws rested on the window sill, with his claws deep in the wood as he scanned what was happening outside. When he knew that something seemed off, he began to whine, which became a series of yips, then eventually a bark. He continued to bark at whatever was outside, getting louder and faster each time.

As soon as Jake began to bark at Roukan's direction, he winced, and turned away from him to face the wall side of his bed.

"For hell's sake, get away from the window," he ordered.

Failing to get his needed attention, Jake began to panic and rushed over to him, grabbing the end of the coat he didn't take off, and began to pull it. He tried pulling Roukan off the bed, playing a game of 'tug of war'. Roukan turned back around, and fought back to make him let go, and when he succeeded, Jake ran in circles all over the room. Jake never behaved this way, unless he sensed some kind of danger, and wanted to warn others.

Roukan gave in to his outlandish behaviour and forced himself to get out of bed. He stood up too quickly, getting a head rush in the process, before slowly heading towards the window. The more he woke up gradually, the clearer the muffled noises outside became. The noises turned into shouting, and the shouting turned into screaming. He looked out the window to unfortunately discover why Jake was barking uncontrollably.

Outside, crowds were all quickly headed for the exit, carrying along filled bags of their belongings. Their faces demonstrated true terror, and their actions demonstrated true determination to leave the town. Roukan tried to make sense of it all, but it became clear when the sea of soldiers in their uniforms with a crimson logo attached to their sleeves, were breaking down doors and creating havoc around the crowd. Most tried to stop the crowd from getting away, while others invaded all the buildings, aiming their guns at the doors, waiting to shoot anyone who walked through them.

They somehow found them. Roukan didn't know how, but everyone was trapped in their ambush. No one was ready for this, and Roukan was in danger. Everyone was in danger.

"Accalia!" He remembered. She was still at the hospital, and not even that was safe. He knew he had to get her, and quickly, before it was too late.

"Jake, we have to get out of here, now!"

He snatched his backpack off the floor and blindly grabbed everything that could fit in; leftover food, clothes, medication and whatever would aid him out there. He shoved everything inside until the bag could barely close. As he reached for the door, a burst of cold wind came through and swung the door wide open. The wind created a struggle to close the door, so he forgot about it quickly ran down the steps of the balcony. Jake ran ahead of him and leaped down the stairs, nearly falling as he landed and slid on the icy steps.

Running through the crowd was running through a battle, mid-way through defeat. The smell of smoke, swear and blood fumed the air, accompanied by shouting and begging for mercy. Roukan tossed back and forth by the shoulders of the ones trying to escape. The ocean of men, women and children dragged him back, but he tried to fight through the current to get to that hospital.