27 - PURSUERS.
【 FAITH 】
"Guys! This way!" I yelled, Emma lead the kids to the place Ray said and help the other kids who are already getting tired. Some of them stopped to catch for breath and run again.
"Guys, guys! Let's all keep running! We'll be fine!" I raised my arms. I smiled to them before I continue running, we have to run away from here, Ray's doing his best to deal with that demon, so we have to do ours, too.
"We're getting close!" I said but stopped when I noticed something.
The heck, Ray's taking too much time to deal with that demon. Did something happened to him?
"Faith? Why?" Emma asked, the kids stopped running, too and turned their heads to me.
"Uhm---Ray's taking too much time...is he fine?" I blurted and held my chest, I feel nervous. I wonder what happened to Ray, I want to check his situation, what if he didn't make it?
No-no—I have to trust him.
"I'll check with him, Emma—EMMA?!" I run towards Emma and caught her to prevent from falling on the ground, dang, what happened...?
Her temperature, it's high! And her wound opened up...
"Oh my gosh, she has a terrible fever!" Gilda spoke. the kids run towards us and surrounded me and Gilda. Wha---what should I do?! Ray's not here! Emma's unconscious! W-what do I do in this time?! What would Ray do? What would Norman do in this kind of situation?! What...
I need to find Ray, but Emma's condition is bad! Who should I..
Phew, calm down, Faith, calm down.
I took a deep breath as I stare at Emma. Her wound must've opened up because of the stress, plus...we had to do some heavy things because of that underground cave.
"Faith? What should we do?" Nat asked, I creased my forehead as I think of something. I really need to check up on Ray but, maybe I'll trust him with it, Emma needs me here.
"Gilda! Hand me some anticeptic, and some bandages, too, we need to wash it as well. Anna! Help me to clean up her wound and patch it up---"
"We'll take care of Emma, Faith. You go and find Ray," Gilda spoke and give me her reassuring smile, Don patted my shoulder with his smile, saying that I can rely on them. Well...I already know how prepared they are before we leave the house. I know I can count on my siblings. But...
"It's fine, I..." I paused.
"We need to check on Ray as well, Faith. Trust us with this," Anna spoke, I stared at her as I smile.
That's right, my siblings are reliable. I can leave Emma to them.
I stood up and nodded.
"Please take care of yourselves, too. Don and Gilda, you will be left here with the kids, please lead them well...I know you all can do it—right? Isabella's kids?" I smiled to them, they exchange looks and nod with strong and fierce expression.
"I'll be back in an instant!" I said before I started running.
"Take care!"
"Be careful!"
I nodded and turned my head to them as I wave my hand.
I need to find Ray, I need to check if he's okay. I know that Ray will be upset once we meet, but I can't just stand there and run away from him and that demon! I can't take it if Ray ended up getting hurt while protecting us!
I catch for breath while keep running, I can't stop now. I already decided to look for Ray, and now...I will find him and check his situation, we are not that far from them, so I guess I can find him easily, but if he already baited the demon...then they're already far ahead.
I need to reach him as fast as I can, even though I feel nervous and having a hard time to breath, I need to find him. I'm also being cautious to my surroundings, it'll be bad if another demon saw me and chase after me. What's more if it's our pursuers.
I keep running even though my body already feel so tired. I want to keep running and chase after Ray and that demon, I'm going to help Ray.
I wipe away the sweat that keeps dropping off of my face and force myself to run, this is the first time I feel this tiredness on my legs. But, it doesn't matter, all I need to do is to find Ray—
I stopped running when I saw Ray went out from tree—I mean behind the tree, and...what the hell...the farm demons are standing in front of him! And the wild demon that was chasing us a while age has been beheaded!
I cover my mouth with my widen eyes, no...no...
So, I am right? Ray took too long because of this? The farm demons found him?!
"You're late. Everyone else are already dead...they were killed by those roots underground," He said with a smirked on his face, I gulped when he show them his identification numbers.
My heart beat fast as I feel my knees weakened. But, I can't fall here, the farm demons are just nearby! Ray is also nearby but, I can't think of a way how to help him! What would Emma and Norman do?
Our pursuers are probably desperate to catch Ray, now that they knew that he's one of the premium goods they wanted to bad. But, I am also considered as a special merchandise, I can make some of the demons to come after me. The problem is...I am already so tired, I need more energy if I want to run away from these demons! Ray's trying to make them believe that we are already dead. If I showed myself to them, they'd know right away that Ray was lying. What should I do?
"I can smell it," I flinched when I heard those words.
"The special blood of our special merchandise, she's here," What...?
I looked around the place, thinking if I can find other people here besides me and Ray, but, there's no one here aside from us! Are they talking about me?
"Ahh...02194?" My eyes widened as I hear them mention my number. So they were really talking about me, huh? I took a deep breath as I remove my hands from my mouth.
I don't know why they are calling me special blooded, but...if I really am a special merchandise, they must want to catch me so bad, yeah? If there's no other way to help Ray, I would sacrifice myself, after all...Ray's a lot more better than me when it comes to critical thinking. Our siblings needs him more than me...
Wait! Why am I planning to die, NO! I would help Ray and we'll go meet with our siblings after we lost these pursuers!
I took a deep breath once again before I show myself to them, raising both my hands as if I was ready to surrender.
"*gulp* He's right *phew*" I said with a melancholic voice, I showed them a saddened expression.
"*sniff* *sigh* Our siblings are all dead," I added. Glancing at Ray. He quickly realized what I am trying to say, and he smirked.
"Those roots killed them *exhale*" my tears fell, as I planned.
"One premium quality managed to escape with us...but, three demons came chasing us, 63194 sacrificed herself to let us escape," my tears continue to fall. This is just an act to fool them, I don't know if it will work.
"I guess it's my time to sacrifice now?" I asked as I looked at Ray, he nod his head a bit.
He mouthed something.
"Three seconds..."
He mouthed secretly, since the demons are looking at us.
"Let's run," he added, I didn't nod and just waited for him to count. I look intently into his lips to read it...
"One..."
I turned my eyes into his hand when I noticed him count using it, he raised his next finger. My heart's still beating fast and when he reached the last count...he run and stole the two demons attention from me, right after they turned their heads to Ray, I starts running as well.
"Capture them!" The demon ordered, and a lot of demons went out from the trees, what the hell, so there's a lot of them?! Not just those two?! This is bad! We don't have both the powers and numbers!
So these demons aren't underestimating us, huh?
I smirked and keep running.
Ray lined up with me and glanced, I did the same and looked at the terrain up ahead. We need to outwit those demons behind us, now it's not just one...but many.
"What are you doing here?!" He asked when he finally get close to me, I catch for breath and held my thighs. I massage it for a while and continue running as fast as I can.
I can't give up right now.
Don't give up, legs!
"You're taking too much time, so I went to check!" I answered, he held my wrist. Our pace are just the same, so there's no need for him to slow down his speed.
"See that two way? You go left and I'll go right, then let's meet up again at the end," he said calmly, his voice was minimized, too. I nodded to him and that's when he let go of my wrist.
When we reached the two paths, we parted ways. I run to the left and he ran to the right, my forehead creased when more of them followed me. Only three demons chase after Ray! But there are five demons chasing me! This is most likely because they believe that I am a special merchandise. Plus, they probably noticed that I am already tired from all the running around.
And just as I thought, they are so desperate to catch me.
This is bad though, my legs are already not in their best state. I'm already feeling the tiredness and the pain on my legs with all this running,
"I can smell it in her blood,"
My blood, they keep mentioning my blood and how special I am. But, I have no idea how I became special. What's in my blood that makes them call me special? I don't get it. I have no any idea about my real parents and where I came from, only Mama knew about it, and these demons, probably. Maybe I can ask them about it? But, talking while running would spend more on my energy. I can't talk to them as I run.
If they are basing how special am I based on my blood, then...is my brain not needed?
"Faith!"
I don't really know why they keep calling me special or something---come to think of it, Sister Krone in my dreams also said that, and Mama, too! Just what the heck does that mean? I'm not a special child, okay!
"Faith! Look here!"
Is my blood type AB negative? Is that the reason why they called me special? Wait, but, I thought they needed the brain more?!
"Faith! What are you doing?!"
But...that's not it. The one they wanted to eat is our brain, not our blood...so why...? Why...
"FAITH!" I was startled when Ray yelled my name, I saw him ahead of me. Shucks, I spaced out! What the heck, you're so stupid, Faith!
I starts speeding up and Ray waited for me even though the demons are getting closer. He stretch his hands, I held it as we continue running.
"I'm sorry, I slowed you down," I mumbled.
"Don't think of anything, just keep running," he answered. I nodded and he finally let go of my hands once again.
Special merchandize...huh...
I remove my scarf at the same time Ray remove his, too. Looks like we're thinking the same thing.
"Ray, I'll use myself as decoy. Lure the others away and let's meet up again," I spoke, he glanced to me and focus on the way again. I saw the large tree on our way—that one we saw earlier when we're escaping from the wild demons.
"How can you say that they'll come after you?" He asked, huh? Why is he asking me in the first place? I know he noticed it, too. When we parted ways, most of them went on the left path to catch me. When we reach the tree, I use my right hand to lift my body and jump to the other side as I continue running, Ray did the same and quickly catch up to me.
"Ray you heard it, right? They called me special, and when we parted ways...three came after you, while five of them followed me," I explained.
"No, we'll lure them all. That scarf, when they follow you—"
"I know, then...let's meet again later," I cut him off and turned on the right side. Just as I thought, the same five demons follow me again, while there are three demons chasing Ray.
I smirked and held my scarf tightly.
I run towards the thick and large tree. This is the only time I can use to fool them, with this scarf...I'm gonna make them eat dust.
When I reached the tree, I throw my scarf to the right side and continue running while hiding myself using the tree, I used the tree to block me from their sight and I guess it worked.
They stopped running and stare to the scarf I threw and when they saw that it's not me, all of them roamed their eyes.
"There!"
Good, I managed to create much distance between us. All I have to do is to keep running, Ray is waiting for me on the other side so I have to do my best to meet up with him again.
My eyes searched for the raven haired guy, and I saw him running while glancing to my place, I smiled and continue running until I reached him.
I gritted my teeth when a lot of the demons suddenly popped up in front of us. We stopped and Ray held my hand as he squeeze it, gosh...this is bad, there's a lot of them, what should we do now?! We are surrounded! What's our next move?! And how come there are more demons except the ones chasing us?! Where did they came from?!
"It's over," the walking demon with black clothes said when he reached us. No, nothing's over! We're not gonna let you get us! We won't die here! Not after we already made it outside!
Ray suddenly run but my legs can't run any more, I feel so tired already—and it caused us to fall on the ground, Ray...
And I...
"Rest now, kids. You've already done too much, it's time for you to give up," he said.
No! We're not giving up!
NEVER!
"Huh?"
I blurted when someone suddenly grab my bag and we move...wait—what...who...?
"Come up now!" I glanced to the man who grabbed us, Ray's on his other hand. He put Ray in front of him and put me beside Ray.
Who is he...?
He's wearing a hood so I can't see his face...
He...
Saved us.
Thank God, we're saved.
☓☓☓
[ cyth_a ]