Adelina crept to the entrance of the cave,making her way out of the winding cave and into the open. Peering around the cave wall, she noticed the ground was glazed over. A loud crunch sounded under her feet as she took careful steps onto the hard grass.
A few seconds later Daniel made his way out of the cave too. He had wanted to talk to Adelina and beg her to reconsider her plan. He knew the two of them wouldn't get far. The hope in her eyes he saw, though, made him change his mind. He would help her, even if they failed. He would do anything to protect her.
He watched her standing outside the cave looking around. His heart sputtered in his chest at her bravery. If only he could be as hopeful and brave like her.
Daniel stepped out of the cave and prowled up to Adelina.
"We need to make sure we do this carefully and cautiously," Daniel whispered into Adelina's ear.
The sensation of his warm breath on her ear gave her tingles through her body and she looked back at him. His deep brown eyes met Adelina's and for a second she considered running back into the cave and spending the rest of their days in hiding. Adelina knew she would never be able to live with herself if she gave up now. The guilt would eat at her till there was nothing left.
"I know. We just have to make it to the shelter I stayed in. We can find cover and maybe come up with a better plan. I don't know, but let's get there first and go from there."
They began to carefully make their way through the woods. The frozen leaves and grass crunched under their feet. There was no way they could be quiet as long as the ground was frosted over like this..
Soon they came upon the remains of Adelina's house. The house was still smoldering. Adelina stands there for a moment taking it in and letting the emotions build up inside of her. She knew the anger would help pusher forward and give her the strength to be brave.
Daniel saw the glistening in Adelina's eyes. He understood her pain. He felt the same awful heartache when he watched his mother screaming his name as she was taken. He felt his breath coming out ragged with the thoughts of his mother. He wished he could be hopeful like Adelina, but after what he saw he wasn't sure there was any hope left.
"Now is when we need to be careful. When we get to the edge we will have to run pretty fast. We will be out in the open" Adelina turned to Daniel and he nods at her. She wants them to be prepared for what happens next.
The adrenaline began to course through their veins. Adelina could hear her blood pumping so fast and the sound was echoing through her ears. She was ready for this. With one final look at each other, they both take off running. The grass in the field had been tall and cut through their skin as they ran.
Adelina saw the spot where the grass was shorter and realized that was where the shelter was. As she fell to the ground she saw a flash of something red up by her house, but couldn't make out what it was. She fell to the ground and waved her hands so Daniel knew to do the same.
"I think I might have spotted something out by the house." she whispered to Daniel. Adelina began to wonder if her eyes were just playing tricks on her. Her head began to pound after she settled down into the ground.
Adelina got completely onto her stomach and began to crawl the last few paces to the door. She grabbed the handle to the rusty metal door and tried with all her strength to twist it open, but the door wouldn't budge from this angle.
"I'm going to have to stand up to be able to get this open."
Daniel watched as Adelina lifted herself up the ground. Her eyes moved quickly from one side to the other looking at every angle. She saw no movement so she began to kick at the door handle until she could feel it moving. She quickly throws her body back onto the ground with a thud. She doesn't want to chance being out in the open like that for too long. She finished opening the door and crawls down into the deep and dank hole.
Daniel follows behind her and he closed the door behind him. The room became pitch black so Daniel grabs a flashlight out of his backpack and turns it on.
"Hold on let me find the light and you can turn that off," she told Daniel. She searched the wall trying to remember where the light switch was out before finding it. The lights make a humming noise when they turn on.
She led Daniel into the room where all the supplies are. She looks at his shocked expression on his face and laughs.
"See, told you that my family had a lot of supplies. I think I saw some weapons down here too." Adelina walked over to the cabinets and began rummaging through all of them.
Daniel stood there with his mouth dropped in shock still. He couldn't believe her family had planned and packed up this place. They could stay down here for years, depending on how much fuel the generator had.
"Adelina, this is amazing. We could stay down here for a long time and be safe. Your family stored a lot down here to help you."
"I'm not staying down here Daniel. I was down here for weeks maybe longer and it was awful. You just can't understand how awful it was for me." She doesn't look him in the eye when she said this. She knew he would be disappointed but he had to understand! This place felt like a prison to her and she couldn't go back to living down here.
Adelina did understand why Daniel wanted to stay down her. She had seen the terror in his eyes the first time they had been reunited. She could only imagine some of the awful things he had seen but she couldn't give up now. She couldn't live with herself if she left her family out there with an unknown fate.
"We must look for our families. I can't just sit here while they are god knows where! I'm sure you worry about your mom too. I can't sit back this time. I may not be a fighter but this time I have to fight. I won't give up Daniel. I won't give up until I have my family and they are safe. I would do the same if it was you that was captured too.I'll be honest with you, if you want to stay down here I won't be upset." Adelina moved closer and wrapped her hands around Daniels waist while looking up itno his eyes.
"We might fail. There is only two of us and who knows how many of them.If you want to stay down here and be safe this place is yours now. I'm not going to force you to do anything. You know I would never do anything like that. If I don't find them I will come back before setting out to look else, but I won't give up. I can't."
Daniel doesn't respond to Adelina. He looks down at her for a moment longer before running a hand through his hair and backing away. Daniel could see her body shaking in fear. He knew she was terrified just as she was, but she was determined. He wouldn't leave her alone to do this.
Adelina began to open the rest of the remaining counters.
"Found the guns. And Look at all this ammo too."
Adelina grabbed her back pack and began to load all the guns she could fit and ammo along with it. She hadn't used a gun before and was hoping Daniel would show her even if he didn't come along. Her legs shook as she realized the grave situation they were in. She hadn't let it actually sink in until she began grabbing weapons.
"I'm terrified, Daniel. I really am, but I'm going to do this. I have got to be strong." Adelina turned around and noticed Daniel gathering ammo and a single gun into his sack.
"We only need one gun a piece. Let's take the rest out of yours okay? Just make sure you grab as much ammo as you can carry and we will have to make sure our guns are fully loaded before we go out there."
Adelina's heart leaped for joy when she realized he wasn't going to abandon her. He was being brave for her.
They both take a moment and peered into each other's eyes. The love in both of their eyes shone through and tears of happiness began to leak out of Adelina eyes.
"Let's rest here for just a bit. There is a shower over there. We can clean ourselves up and eat a bit before we go."
"Adelina, I want you to know I'll always be here for you. I will protect you." He closed the last bit of distance between them and wrapped his arms protectively around her waist.
"I love you. You are my entire world Adelina."
Adelina looked up at him and at the moment she wanted nothing more but to kiss him. She wanted to feel his lips meet with hers in a magical moment. Daniel saw this in her eyes but decided to rest his chin on the top of her head. As much as he wanted to kiss her he didn't feel like this was the right time or place.
"Someday..." he whispered into her hair as he kissed the side of her head.
She feels so warm and safe in his arms. She rest her head on his chest and listened to his heart beat in his chest.
"I could stay like this forever with you, Daniel. I love you so much."
The break apart and Adelina grabs food out of the cabinet and puts it onto a few plates. Adelina grabs the food greedily and stuffs into her mouth. She was hungrier than she realized. Daniel sat down shortly after he and eats the food even faster than she did.
"I haven't eaten anything in a few days. After they burned all the buildings food became scarce and most of the animals have either been killed or have ran away too."
"We can carry some food with us too, just in case."
"I'm going to grab a shower real quick. Is there hot water down here?"
"Yes there is. It doesn't last too long but should be long enough for you to shower."
He heads into the shower and Adelina finished up the rest of her food and cleans up the mess she made.
A few minutes later, Daniel comes out in just his pants. Adelina cheeks start to burn with embarrassment. She shouldn't be blushing but she hadn't seen him like this before. Sure they had been swimming before but this felt different. This felt much more intimate. They were completely alone down here and that thought dade her cheeks burn even hotter
Daniel looked up and noticed Adelina starrign at him with her cheeks tinging a bright shade of red. He smirked at her and puts his shirt on shortly after.
"Do you feel better now?"
"Thank you Adelina and yes I do feel a lot better."
"I bet you enjoyed that bath after being out in the woods for so long huh?" She laughed and smiled at him.
"I hate to break up this little bit of happiness, but I must ask what is the plan." He asked and Adelina's smile turns into a deep frown.
She has no idea what the plan is. She knows she is over her head in this situation.
"I am not going to pretend or lie, but I have no idea. I think the trees are ging to be our best bet. The only issue is the ground is frozen so we can't do things silently."
"We will just have to be careful with our movements and check our surroundings."
"I don't know how to use a gun, but you know right?" Adelina said and looked up to see Daniel nodding at her.
"Let me show you, but since you are a beginner you need to be very careful. This is an extreme situation, otherwise I'd never just hand you a gun without more lessons. First let's make sure this one isn't loaded." He pulled the gun from the pouch and opened the chamber to make sure there are no bullets inside.
"Okay, there is no bullets in this one. Here take it."
Adelina held out her shaking hands. Her entire body began to shake with fear.
"Shh don't be scared okay? You can't show any fear in front of these demons. Just grab it and you pull this back" The gun made a click noise as she pulls the safety back.
"Aim at whatever you want to hit and just pull the trigger. It is important you are careful always, though. Make sure the safety, which is this little thing we pulled back, is always on if you aren't needing to shoot. I'm going to load a few of these for us before we go back up."
Adelina's hands shook with fear still. She takes a deep breath and pulled herself together.
"Remember, safety on until you need to use the gun, but you have to make sure you pull it before you shoot."
"Are you ready, Daniel"
Adelina realized the stupidity in the question. They would never be ready. How could think they are going to be victorious when neither of them any experience with fighting had. There is only two of them and who knows how many of the others there are. Could they do this?
Adelina pushed those thoughts down. She couldn't let fear get the best of her. Daniel was scared as well, but he showed no fear on the outside.
"As ready as I can be."
Adelina grabbed her coat and headed to the main door. She ascended up the stairs and pushed the last door open. It creaks and the sound echos in the field. Both of them silently prayed it wasn't heard.
The sun is setting and they realize this work to their advantage. They both are familiar with the woods.
"We need to head towards the trees again."
"I don't see anyone. Let's just make sure we hurry." Daniel said and grabbed her hand before he began to run.
Finally they enter the cover of the thick trees. Daniel picked up his sack and grabbed the gun. He holds it carefully to the side of him and Adelina mimicks him. Her hands no longer shake because the adrenaline has taken over her body. They began to move carefully through the woods. They both are deathly silent and the only noise to be heard is the ground under their feet. They make their way into town.
When they get closer Adelina began to hear voices talking in the background. As they get even closer, quiet sobs and screaming could be heard in the background. Adelina's body goes numb with the sounds. She is terrified of what she will see. She picked up her pace hoping that this will be over soon.
As they got closer smoke began to billow out of the dark sky. Daniel saw lights in the distance as well. Soon they could both see the clearing and a cage came into view. A cage that held at least thirty people, huddled together for warmth. Adelina tried to pick out faces in the cage, but she was too far.
They both creep up and hide behind a tree. Daniel peeked around it and only noticed two men guarding the cages. They don't look like anything special, but looks could be deceiving.
They could easily do this with their two guns. Daniel believed they have the upper hand and smiled to himself. He looked at Adelina and holds up his gun. He nodded at her and made his way to where the two men are standing.
Adelina kept a straight face. Her gun wa sturdy in her hand and she kept it pointed directly at one of the men. The two men noticed them and stopped dead in their tracks.
"Don't make any sudden movements or we will shoot. We've both been hunting out entire lives, so I guarantee you we won't miss." The two of them walk closer. The two men hold up their hands and the fear could be seen in their eyes. Adelina bit her cheek to hold back a smile.
"Get on the ground and get on your belly. I want you to keep your hands on your head and tell me where the key to this cage is."
Adelina glanced down at the cage and her heart beats with excitement when she noticed her parents. They were here! She tried not to focus on them for too long but kept glancing back at them and smiling.
"The k e-e-ey it is here" One of them said his voice shaking. He pointed down to his belt and it is clearly seen. Daniel moved in on him with his gun held directly at his head and grabbed the key. He tossed the key gently to Adelina and she caught it while holding her gun on the other man.
Adelina deosn't hold her smile back now. She smiled wildly while looking at her parents in the cage.
"I can handle the men. You just get everyone out of the cage, Okay?" Daniel said while looking Adelina straight in the eyes.
Adelina turned and began to fumble with the locks. She heard it click. When she looked up with victory in her eyes but when she looked into the cage she saw her parents eyes focused on something behind her.
Her heart picked up in speed. Her hairs on her arm stood up from fear.
"Looks like our trapped worked. Just like I said it would."
Adelina turned around and saw Daniel still had his gun raised but he was pointing it directly at the trees.
Just then, three men step out from the cover of the trees. They were all three tall and dressed in black suits. They all looked completely different but carried themselves the same. One had light blonde hair and crystal blue eyes that shone in the moonlight. There other two had dark brown hair one messier than the other. The other two were covered by the shade of the night and their eyes looked like bottomless pits void of emotion.
Adelina grabbed onto her gun tighter wincing in pain.
"Stay where you are." Adelina tried to say with a steady voice.
The tallest of the three began to laugh at her demands. She saw a menacing gleam in his bright blue eyes and she felt her hands quiver in fear.
"Are you afraid, my dear? Go ahead. Pull the trigger. Show us you aren't afraid hmm?" He said and smirks wildly at Adelina.
Adelina felt herself panic. Her heart races in her chest and pain follows. Her hands became sweaty and shook violently. She raised the gun directly at the one who had mocked her and pulled the trigger.
Nothing happens.
"I'm losing my patience for this" And in one swift move he had Daniel by the throat. He doesn't look at Daniel. He stared directly into Adelina's eyes.
"How did you move that fast?" Adelina voice shook even more in fear. She blinked trying to make sense of what she saw.
"First, I think it would be fair to warn you that you forgot the safety on your gun my dear."
In the next moment the other two men are directly in front of Adelina. She began to sway on her feet from the dizziness that ensued. Her eyes tried to focus but her brain couldn't register what had happened.
Adelina holds up the gun and repeatedly pulled the trigger. Nothing happened again.
One of the men in front of her stares directly into her eyes and she noticed that he has blue eyes too. His hair is a mess on top of his head. As she looked at him he smirked at her.
"Like what you see huh?"
She looked closer and realized how muscular he is. Her heart dropped in fear.
I'm not sure I can fight these men, she thought to herself.
She looked over at where Daniel was and noticed he struggled against the other man who now held him by his arms.
Adelina lunged herself at the two men in front of her hoping she could help Daniel. The man who smirked at her yanked the gun out of her hand gently. She screamed and began to kick at punch wildly in the direction of the men. The other man grabbed her arms gently and pins them behind her back.
"Calm down" He whispered in her ear and a shiver escaped her body.
Her eyes dart around wildly. The blonde man holding Daniel reached into pocket and handed something to the man that had been quietly observing this entire time. He walked back over to Adelina. She kicks at him and thrashes her body about. He leaned in closely while the other man held her and she felt a pinch in her arm. As she looked down she noticed a syringe pulling out of her skin.
Her legs began to feel heavy and her body goes numb. The world around her started to spin as splotches of black appeared in her vision.
"What have you done?" She barely gets the statement out before her voice left her completely. She tried to talk more but her mouth won't move.
"I'm sorry. It is the only way. Rest now and you'll be safe" The man holding her whispered in her ear.
She fought the drug's effects as long as she could. She demanded her eyelids to stay open, but eventually her body betrayed her. Adelina felt herself falling into a deep, dark void.