Please be safe

George clutched Selina's hand and darted around the forest as the sound of feet got closer.

His heart palpitated, and his ears rang as if he had been punched several times while looking for a haven for his wife and child.

He was a bit unlucky as they got to the riverside, where the only canoe often used to travel across was absent.

He grunted and clenched his hands; he punched a nearby rock, venting his frustration.

Despite the bruise and throbbing of his hand, he continued searching for another escape route.

"We can't keep running!" Selina shouted. She tugged her hand off his and scowled.

"We've been running around the forest for ten minutes now, yet we come to the same spot we had left." She pointed out.

Her eyes strayed to the water, which seemed relatively calm; it was usually chaotic when it sensed danger. That was the myth she grew up with.

Selina hadn't seen it personally, but she believed it since many people had witnessed it. Again, the river was connected to the moon goddess, and she helped travellers with a clean mind to cross safely.

If only they saw the canoe, Selina mulled.

She swirled as she heard some sounds, her eyes narrowed, and her head tilted whilst trying to make out where it was coming from.

She saw George doing the same, and a frustrated sigh escaped his lips. His shoulder drooped, and his back hunched.

Then he straightened again.

Selina glimpsed determination in his eyes as he gazed at her, but she could not decipher what he was thinking about.

He stepped towards her and gripped her hand.

"I think this is the end for me. You might need to hide somewhere with him." He nodded towards a giggling Trevor.

"I'll just surrender for them to take me; I love you with all my heart, and I…."

Before he could finish his statement, Selina's lips locked on his.

Briefly, she kissed him. Before he could respond to it, she ended it.

"We are in this together, and don't even think of surrendering! Nothing is going to separate us."

George shook his head and opened his mouth to speak, but Selina halted him.

"You don't have to say anything. We are in this together." She asserted, squeezing his hand. Then stared at him with the same determination that crossed his face earlier.

"How many minutes do we have until their arrival?"

"Just a few minutes," George answered.

"Good, I doubt I would need more time than that," Selina mumbled.

She set Trevor down and darted around the forests, gathering woods.

George creased his brows whilst watching her because he didn't know what she was doing. He later understood when he saw her speedily craft a raft.

"How did you do that?"

"I learned from my father. You know, aside from his title, he is great at building."

George nodded and watched as Selina loaded it.

She set it on the water, and a big smile graced her face as it floated.

The jubilation from having the raft float died down as soon as it came when a cold voice shouted.

"Don't move!"

.

.

.

George's world came crumbling at his feet as he heard the command.

He didn't bother to turn to look at who had issued it; instead, his eyes were focused on his wife, who had a funny expression on her face.

George creased his brows as he saw her open her mouth to speak, but nothing came out of it.

He noticed her face contorted in a grimace, and she hunched over.

His eyes travelled from her face down as he noticed she was gripping her side.

His eyes rounded as he saw crimson liquid dripping down from where her hand was clenching.

For a second, he stared at Selina in astonishment.

He didn't know when she was shot. Perhaps, the gun was a silencer since he didn't hear any noise, to begin with. He believed he was too focused on Selina and the raft she had created to realise they were surrounded.

George grunted as Selina's body smacked the ground. He shook himself out of the shock and darted to her side.

"Selina!" He shook her body, but he received no response from her.

He pressed his hands on the injury to stop the blood from oozing out of it.

"Please, stay with me!" He rasped.

He glimpsed some water sliding down her face, and he wondered if she was crying.

George lifted his face to see the once clear sky was now saturated with grey clouds and his eyes went back to Selina, whose eyes were still closed.

"Please, Selina, don't die on me." He pleaded over and over again. He sniffled and used the back of his free hand to rub his eyes as his vision turned hazy.

It was then he realised the water that had dropped on Selina's face was his.

The tears slid down his cheeks without stopping, and George growled as he held his wife's lifeless body in his hand.

"What do we do with him?" One of the soldiers said. "Capture him?"

George's gaze darkened, and he let out a sorrowful howl. Thunder sounded from afar, and lightning crackled in the atmosphere.

Slowly, he turned toward the people who caused him untold pain as they took the most precious thing in his life.

He darted forward without thinking, and he gripped the first soldier that was near him; he sank his teeth into his neck and decapitated his head.

More came at him, and he did the same. His eyes were bloodshot, and blood slid down his cheeks.

When the leader saw the number of them on the floor, he yelled for them to retreat as they were no match for him.

George groaned and moved towards Selina again as he saw them retreat.

Where he sat on the dried leaves, cradling Selina's head, he heard their hush voices which were louder to him due to his enhanced hearing.

"We should take his child as well? I think he might be human since his mother is."

George's hands balled into fists, and his body trembled. As if it was not enough, they took Selina from him; they wanted to do the same to Trevor.

"We should take him in case he exhibits the same characteristics. I mean, he'll be a spare for the experiment doctor Greg wants to…."

George saw red. He tilted his head and howled into the sky. His face contorted in a grimace, and his slate-grey eyes darkened.

He sprinted to where Trevor was and set him on the raft Selina had made.

He strapped him tightly with a piece of his torn cloth and set him adrift.

George didn't mind what was being shot at him; he wanted his son to be saved, even if that was what he did with his final breath.

He winced and gripped his side as another bullet was shot into him.

He fell to his feet, and his vision clouded.

"Please, be safe." He mumbled whilst gazing at the sky, which still looked like a storm was brewing.

George swirled towards the river to see if any soldiers had gone after Trevor. He let out a relieved sigh as he saw the raft far away. He didn't know how it got there, but he guessed the moon goddess did it.

A small smile played on his lips as he thought of his son being saved by a kind-hearted human.

He grunted as he felt another shot. It wasn't a bullet. It felt like an arrow mixed with a sedative.

His vision dimmed, and he attempted to keep himself awake as well as tried to crawl to Selina's body despite the blinding pain at his side.

He managed to get there, and he gripped her hand before he fell into unconsciousness.