If something happens to him...
I suddenly broke this idea. I can't go there, I can't even start to go there. I can't let myself face this reality. Before all this is over, I will probably lose more relatives. It is possible that we will not all survive, neither of us will survive.
"Find a good place to hide for a day and take a break. We can't get to the gas station unless we cross the highway. We'd better do this at night. If we don't rest, we can't move on," Cade answered at last.
We sneaked into the woods and quickly passed through the undergrowth. "I'm so relieved," Abby said as he put his arm into my arm.
"Me too," I agreed, although it was strange to be happy in this terrible situation. People have just died, many have lost their lives, but we still have Aiden and Brad. The woods began to spread upwards, and we began to climb upwards. It is morning now, and sweat has started to drip down my forehead and my back. I longed to sit for a while, even closing my eyes. Recently, my main mode of transportation is my feet, the same as many others, but I am not prepared for so much walking and running. My blisters are getting bigger and bigger.
When we passed an ancient rock face, Cade stopped. "If we keep going, we will pass through the paintball field," I said.
Cade nodded and looked at the walls and woods. Then, slowly, his head tilted back. My heart seemed to stop beating; when my heart beat my throat, I became stiff. Before I could look up to see what caught his attention, he grabbed me and pushed me onto the rough bark of a locust tree. My breath was temporarily knocked away.
"Stay," he ordered.
In any case, I was stunned and could not move. He ran so fast, so fast, and I watched in surprise as he grabbed Abby and Jenna. He pulled them back and hid them in the dense shade of a large oak tree. When the boat somehow caught Cade's attention and moved in the sky a hundred yards away, the three of them lay on the trunk.
I could feel the demon breathing on my neck, and my thoughts turned to other people. Aiden, Brett, and Molly were all lucky before, and I can only hope that our luck will continue. If they cannot find some kind of shelter, they become living targets. Even if it is just a tree.
"Bethany!" I heard Cade's harsh whispers and turned around. He walked out of the shadow of the tree and stretched out his hand to me. My attention returned to the boat that was parked on the bridge; I waited with bated breath, trying to see what it was going to do. "Bethany, we have to go!"
A door at the bottom of the ship slid open. When something fell from the boat, my heart began to beat the drum. It is small and round. At first, I had a crazy idea that it was a cannonball, but just before it dropped to the tree line, the legs spread out. When the first person disappeared, the other person fell off the boat. They are the size of an adult dog, maybe a shepherd dog, but it is impossible to tell from such a distance.
what are they
When Cade grabbed my arm, I was almost taken aback. "We have to go!"
"What are they?" I gasped. He stared at me mercilessly. When my toes curled up in the shoes, knowledge slowly permeated my body. "These things are exhausting, but they are too small."
"This means they may be faster."
"They have different sizes?" I screamed.
"They haven't eaten yet."
I wanted to deny what he said, but he was right. As soon as he said it, I knew he was telling the truth. They are small because they are not filled with people's blood. When they eat, they become bigger.
We may be their food.
"We must manage Bethany. Now."
When he pulled me up the mountain, his hand slipped into mine. We climbed frantically, only to slip. I grabbed the thin vegetation and pulled myself up with scattered bayberries, rhododendrons and saplings. As Abby struggled to climb the steep hill, Cade let go of my hand to support her. Although I know this is not true, I think I can hear them sprinting in the woods behind us, approaching us.
But maybe I am right.
I accidentally glanced at my shoulder. The twisting action made my foot land awkwardly; my ankle rolled out from under me, and I lost my balance. I leaned forward and slid down the hill again, when I heard a scream. Before I fell too hard, Cade grabbed my wrist. When I opened my mouth, his eyes blinked at me.
"You are clumsy," he muttered.
"You are so fast," I retorted when he helped me stand up.
Abby and Jenna stopped to wait for us, but when we set off again up the mountain, they turned around and fled again. When my sister disappeared to the top of the mountain, I panicked, but then Cade pulled me to the top of the mountain and pulled me to the edge of the cliff. It was a short downhill before the ground leveled and we became a closed paintball stadium.
We rushed across the wall covered with various colors. Cade dodges the tires, sandbags, and swaying buildings, and walks easily ahead. My legs started to get hot, Jenna started to get hot, and Abby struggled to keep up. The three of us were out of breath, but Cade seemed to be able to walk many miles even though he was carrying a gun. I don't think he is an athlete, but I was totally wrong.
He disappeared around the corner and reappeared soon after. I stopped in front of him, bent down and put my hands on my knees, panting hard. "We must keep going."
I took a deep breath and forced myself to move. Abby's hair was entangled with sweat and dirt on her face; when she was panting, the edges of her innocent eyes were red and swollen. I thought Jenna would complain, but she still didn't speak, just wiped the tangled hair on her face, and went on.
Cade took a pistol from his waistband. When he handed it to me, his dark eyes were strong. When I took the previously used gun from his hand, my hand trembled from fatigue. "Don't fire unless absolutely necessary." I frowned when my attention turned from the lethal weapon to him. "This will only bring more people like this."
"Anything else?" I gasped for a breath when Abby approached me. His attention turned to the woods. A chill climbed up my back, and when I turned to survey the silent forest, the hair on my neck stood up. They are there. When I took a step back involuntarily, my skin got up because I realized it. Cade grabbed my hand and held the gun tightly in order to inject his unwavering strength into me.
"Here," he whispered.
We followed him, and he walked relatively easily in class. A sign drawn in different colors reads it with an arrow pointing to the path. This wood has become a forest, not from the northeast. The moss hangs down from the tree and I push it away because it covers the path with a mysterious layer of color. Vines hung on the branches and climbed over the trees on both sides of the path. Some are as thick as my calf, some are thin and small. Ivy covered the path, covered the dirt, and then disappeared into the woods.
Fake birds and fake monkeys supported the trees; I found a few jaguars, a few wild boars and other snakes hidden in the landscape. I have never been here before, but I am attracted by the atmosphere they create. If I play, I may be hit immediately because I will be more focused on finding things hidden in the paths and in the woods.
Cade suddenly stepped down the path and plunged into the woods. As he moved, he pushed away the vines and moss. We followed behind, kept as quiet as possible, and passed through the dense forest as quickly as possible. Cade stopped next to a large acacia tree, squinting his eyes as he patrolled the woods. I don't know what he was doing, but when he turned to the right and started walking again, he seemed confident about something.
A small branch snapped off behind me. I jumped down, raised the gun instinctively, turned and walked towards the source of the sound. I can't see anything between the vegetation and the trees, but I know there must be something there. I can feel it in my bones, because every one of my primitive instincts is screaming for me to run. Cade stood beside me, his hand gently resting on my arm, pressing it gently. He put a finger against his lips and motioned for me to remain silent.
He led me forward, searching in the forest as he walked. He stopped me under three intersecting pine trees, which almost grew together in the dense woods. He bent down, grabbed something, and lifted it up. I was surprised to watch him drag the forest floor into the air. After a while, I realized that he was holding a large piece of plywood, covered with dirt, leaves, pine needles, and branches.
"Go in," he gestured to Abby in a low voice.
She stared at him in disbelief, then bent down and crawled into the small hole covered by the splint. Jenna followed, but I hesitated and didn't want to climb under the woods. When I took a step forward, Cade shook his head at me.
"Stay here until I come to you." He quietly put the wood in their hiding place. He turned to me, his jaw clenched when he pointed at the tree behind me. I glanced at the huge maple tree and understood what he wanted me to do.
What about you, I said.
He shook his head, and took out a sharpened, evil-looking knife from the holster beside him. I didn't move, hesitated. He pointed at the tree again, and I shook my head. I can't leave him here, unprotected, from the things that chase us in the shadow of the forest. He suddenly appeared next to me, with his hand on my waist, pushing me towards the tree. (To be continued) (End of this chapter)