Alexa Frostbite

8 - On the Run

Early morning had been swallowed by the sun when Jake and Alexa reached the main road. He bent over, sweat running off his brow. His breath caught in his throat and he coughed.

"That was absolutely insane". Legs shakings, he stumbled, righting himself before he fell. Alexa meanwhile, didn't seem at all fazed by the heat. She did however, seem shaken by Wolfie. Or whatever Wolfie had been.

"So that happened. Any thoughts?" he asked.

"Quiet," Alexa ordered.

"No, I won't be 'quiet'," he said. "What the heck was that Alexa? Who was she? What was she?" He risked a glance back at the road they'd just ran down. Nothing. He heaved a sigh of relief.

"I have not the answer, human. Stop pestering me". She turned away, tapping her fingers impatiently against her side.

"Fine. If you won't tell me, this partnership is having an early termination".

"You are bluffing," Alexa scoffed. Jake threw his arms up in the air.

"I don't fancy being hunted, Alexa. I just want to find my mother"—

"Then enjoy being hunted Jake!" She stared him straight in the face, her eye socket bulging from behind her fringe. "Because it isn't just me that the Imposter is after. She wants you too".

"You mean your brother does. But why would he want me?"

"I do not know," she admitted. Jake sucked in another breath, stretching his arms behind his head.

"Well, we can't just sit around waiting to be caught," he told her. "We have to find somewhere to hide. Figure out what we're going to do".

"Agreed. Being a sitting duck certainly isn't very sporting in a hunt," she said, giving him a wan smile. He quickly looked away. There was something about her smile that unnerved him, and he wasn't sure why. She hadn't exactly smiled at him very much.

"As you are a human, you know this world better than I," Alexa began, but he cut her off.

"You can say that again".

"Alright. As you are a human"—

"No! Alexa". He nearly laughed. "That's not what I meant".

"But it is what you said".

"Yeah, well people sometimes say things that they don't really mean. Like sarcasm," he offered. Maybe she'd heard of that.

"Sarcasm? I do not understand," she said and glared at him. "Stop distracting me".

"I wasn't— Oh, forget it," he sighed. He'd win her over. One day.

"So human, where do you suggest we go?" Jake thought for a moment. He didn't know much about Alexa's brother and he didn't think she did either. But Wolfie... Wolfie was the one they were running from right now.

"I've got an idea. I don't know if it'll work, but it's better than nothing".

"Out with it," she demanded. He swallowed his retort and carried on.

"Manchester". When she didn't respond, he assumed she'd never heard of it.

"It's a huge city, nearly as big as London". At that her face lit up.

"Carry on," she cried.

"Well, it's where I used to live. There're loads of people there. My thinking is that if we get there and try to blend in, Wolfie won't be able to find us. She won't try and take us when we're amongst so many people. At least I don't think so".