The Last Pureblood Erde

18. Fatal consequences (✔)

Something fell again. Okay, that was getting too much. I jerked my phone's light up to see what it was and regretted it instantly.

I screamed when my eyes followed my phone's flashlight. On the head of the canopy, instead of plants and leaves, there were bones. I could not quite decipher which animal exactly it was. I moved the flashlight further and saw the different kinds of bones. The covering was not of plants, it was of bones which were covered with the leaves. This wasn't a canopy. This was something else. If that wasn't scary, the thought that these bones might just belong to a human further crept me.

I was about to fall again but caught myself. I looked below to see the huge stone which I had hit. Instead, I saw a human skull. I shrieked out of fear and surprise. Those people – whoever they were – were murderers. They had had visitors before, unwanted visitors who had been killed. We were one of them. I was afraid to meet the same fate but I was more concerned more those three.

I continued walking into their territory with nothing but my phone and oeskas.

After five minutes of walking, I was finally seeing an exit. I didn't dare look up. How many bones were there in a canopy so long? I fastened my steps, almost running. As my hand flew to take the support of the trees, something stuck to my hand. There was something on the bark of the trees. I brought up my phone to see and got another heart attack. It was blood, real red blood. It was still wet, signaling that it was fresh. Fear set right into me. No. No. No. I couldn't lose anybody of them. I told myself to calm down. Maybe it wasn't theirs. Whoever's it was, the person was close.

I slowly looked ahead in every direction to catch any sign of life. I had a feeling that they were somewhere near. I called Brody again and then I heard it. His phone was ringing and it was very close. I followed the course of the voice. Brody's phone was lying among the stones near a huge tree, bigger than any I had seen till now. I picked up his phone. The screen guard was broken. It had cracks, but luckily the phone was working.

"Brody?" I loudly called out his name.

"Brody, where are you guys? Seriously, this is no joke. The place is getting scarier. We need to leave. Brody!" My worry increased as the silence stretched.

I bit my lip, stopping myself from crying. "Where are you?" I whispered.

A shadow caught my attention near the tree. I brought my phone up to see and yelped. Brody lay there, his back with the tree. His face was covered with blood.

"Brody," I went to him, wiping the blood with my bare hands. I shook him lightly, hoping he would say something. I could feel his heartbeat. That gave me some relief. His lips moved. I leaned in to hear him properly.

"Eric," he said quietly.

"Where's Eric? Do you know? Where is he?"

He didn't reply. I felt his hand move. He pointed at the tree. I frowned and followed the direction. From a branch, a lifeless body was hanging. I gulped and put the flashlight there, fearing what I might see.

"No," I whispered. "No." Eric's lifeless body hung there. I couldn't control it then. Tears rolled down my face. It was too high for me to reach. My body was trembling with shock and fear.

"Where's Erin?" I asked Brody.

He didn't reply, just breathed heavily.

I looked around like crazies. I had to do something. I called Mom. She had to know now. After a few rings, she picked up.

"Hello Roe," she said. "Darling, the connection got lost earlier. Sorry about that."

My throat felt dry, "Mom, I'm...I'm –"

I was trying to speak but nothing came out.

"Roe, is everything okay? It sounds like you're crying.""

I was about to reply when I heard the rustling again. They had found me. Those men who had done this to Eric and Brody had found me.

Brody's hand touched my hand. I looked at him.

"Go," he mumbled.

I shook my head. "No," I managed to say between my tears. "Not without you."

I tried to pick him up before those men caught us. He fell back. "Go," he said again. I tried to pull him along with me but he resisted.

"Roe?" Mom said.

"I'm...I'm here," I replied, sobbing while my gaze was fixated at Brody who gestured me to go. The footsteps grew closer. I looked at the canopy and back at Brody.

"I'm sorry," I said and ran.

"What are you sorry for, sweetie?" Mom asked. I cut the call.

I ran towards the canopy, and turned to look at Brody. He laid there in silence, his eyes shut and his hands were by his side, motionless. I cried harder but didn't stop. Once out of the canopy, I hid behind a tree. I sat there with my knees next to my chest, trying to shrink. I could hear the footsteps approaching me. My sobbing grew louder as Eric's sight never faded away. I placed my hand on my mouth to control my voice. I could not run. I could not let them find me. I was stuck.

I saw their figures moving past me and anger filled me. I wanted to get up and threw the can of oeskas at them but I didn't let my anger control me. I was not sure if they were the same people I fought with in the morning. They could be someone else, something much more dangerous. Just as I thought they had lost me, my phone rang. The men turned and the silver eyes stared into mine. I saw one of them smirk. I was going to die. I got up and ran wherever my senses were taking me. I looked at my phone screen and groaned. Why did Mom choose to call back? Did she think I was crazy who cut the line?

I took out oeskas and opened the can. I stopped and positioned myself behind a tree.

"You can't hide, girl. Your friends are all dead. You'd suffer the same," I heard one of them said. He sounded familiar. I turned and my breath was caught in my throat when I was one of them standing right next to me. The other one joined him. His hand flew to my throat.

I kicked him in the groin and threw the contents of the can at them. They jerked back before getting straight again. What? Did it not work?

The memory after that was all a blur. I felt my body falling down on the hard ground. Maybe, I was dead. My phone kept on ringing as I started to lose consciousness. I tried to reach for the phone but it was too late.

I hoped that Erin was safe.