Falling Skies

Nineteen

"December!" A voice calls before it rounds the top of the hill, Abrahm cradling a gun in his arms as he meets the two at the very base of the woods. "Look, we have to bring him back to base, you two can bicker there but-"

He stops mid speech, eyes wide and locked into the depths of the woods before his hands fall to his neck like the guards. Ryder forcibly shakes his head, struggling to break free from December as he turns to the depths of the woods.

"No, no don't do it, Wren stop!"

Abrahm begins to scream, his hands clawing at his neck before he drops to the floor, rolling in the grass as his nails dig lines into his flesh.

"Wren, stop!" Ryder begs, eyes shut tight to spare himself from the gruesome scene once again.

The small fae emerges from the woods, one hand outstretched towards Abrahm writhing on the floor as the other reaches towards December. His grip on Ryder immediately drops as he follows suit, screaming at the top of his lungs as his hands claw at his throat for relief.

Ryder runs into the woods, grabbing at Wren's hands and pushing them down though the screams don't cease.

"Wren, stop! Wren, that's my family, stop!" He screams, nails digging into the fae's pale skin. "I swear," he threatens, pulling the vial of blood from his pocket with a newfound fervor. "I'll smash it if you don't stop."

Wren's eyes scan the vial. "Are you forgetting the part where they tried to kill you and they tortured me?" He quizzes. "They aren't innocent and they deserve to die for what they did."

"They're my family." It's a defeated plea but it's a plea nonetheless as Ryder drops the vial to the floor, the glass shattering and staining the grass a deep red.

Wren sighs, his arms dropping as the two boys gasp for breath on their knees before falling unconscious. "You're lucky I like you." He rolls his eyes before facing Ryder's smug face struggling to hide its smile.

He eyes the darkness of the forest behind him, a breeze coming from somewhere deep within carrying the scent of dirt and air along with it. "As much as I would like to," Wren starts, his thick lips turning downward. "We can't just leave them here. They'd turn back and tell the others." He explains, taking note of Ryder's confused expression.

"So you're just going to kill them anyways-"

"No," Wren huffs, walking into the light of the wood line and hooking his arm under December's elbow. "We are taking them with us where we can keep an eye on them. Now grab the other one." He gestures to a collapsed Abrahm with a nod of the head.

Ryder scrambles to drag the muscular boy into the dark of the woods with Wren and December following close behind them. He can hear the way the trees rustle behind them, how each branch and leaf moves in unison to cover their tracks. He's too scared to turn around, afraid of what he may see in this newfound world as he trudges forward with Abrahm in tow.

It's so familiar and yet so exotic, a scene taken straight from a dream so many years ago. The light that shines through the tops of the trees and onto the forest floor scattered with flowers and leaves. The slightly worn trail that's been walked before, each footstep carrying its own story, its own tale of a pilgrimage that mirrors their own.

The trees themselves give off a scent, one that tickles the back of Ryder's throat and threatens him with its sickening familiarity. I've been here before... It's the only thought that can make itself through his muddled mind. Each step robotic, mechanic like the world he's always known. The world that's burning to its death somewhere in the distance.

Yet there's no smoke, just the shining sun visible from the tops of the trees. Clear skies painted in blue-white with swirls of yellows and pinks as the sun begins to set somewhere far off. There isn't a hint of grey or black, no stench of burning metal, just that vague scent of greenery-

"Think of it like a tunnel," Wren pipes up from the back of the line. "You can't see anything from the lab because it's not around anymore. The lab was the start of the tunnel and we're in the middle. My home is the end."

Ryder pauses, turning back to face the boy before shaking his head, pulling back at his hair in the process. "Mind reading. Forgot about that."

Wren merely smiles, jogging sideways for a moment to catch up with Ryder. "I never realized how heavy Humans are, this is actually starting to hurt my back." He whines, tugging at December's arm a bit harder for emphasis.

"We wouldn't have to drag them if your magic didn't knock them out." He murmurs, now aware of his own heaving breaths. They are getting pretty heavy... "how far did you say it was exactly?"

"My home?" Wren pauses, turning his head upward to squint at the sky. "Probably a full days travel? I'm not really sure though, I was drugged the whole way here. We can always rest if you're tired." He grins, a mocking expression falling over him. "I know humans get tired pretty easily, unlike fae."

Ryder rolls his eyes though he can't help the smile that creeps over his lips. "Stop here?" He chuckles to himself, plopping onto the hardened dirt next to an unconscious Abrahm.

"At least," Wren starts, his hand sweeping over the area. "sleep in the tent with me."

In place of the woods lies a small clearing of trees, a stone circle sat in the middle housing a glowing fire while a tent sits off in the distance.

Ryder merely smiles, pulling Wren to the forest floor with him as he struggles under his tight grasp.

"My pleasure." Ryder softly laughs, holding Wren just a bit tighter under the freedom of the night sky.