Silence

Behind me, I could hear the shouts of the men, their footsteps pounding through the forest like thunder. I knew they were gaining ground, their numbers overwhelming us.

"Arghh!" I heard a cry from the darkness, the voice of the purple-haired girl. I turned to see her stumble and fall, her face twisted in pain.

I stopped right in my tracks, I ran back to her and helped her up.

“I need to stick by your side, please” she begged. I looked at her and the wounded girl by her side.

“Stay close. What is your name?” I asked the purple haired girl.

“Devina” she responded.

We continued running.

“You can’t run away from me.” His eerie voice said into the voice amplifier. “Just come back”.

At this point, I could see none of the other girls in sight, I could only pray that wherever they ran to, they were safe.

Gun shots again as we continued to run.

As we ran, our breaths heavy and hearts pounding, the sounds of gunfire echoing in the distance, Devina's grip tightened on my hand. Her purple hair streamed behind her like a flag of defiance.

"I can't keep up much longer," she panted, her voice strained with exhaustion.

"We have to keep going," I urged, scanning the area for any sign of safety. "We'll find somewhere to hide, somewhere safe."

But safety seemed elusive as the sounds of chaos only grew louder. Suddenly, we reached a fork in the road, and without a word, we both knew what had to happen.

"I'll take this path," Devina said, her voice barely above a whisper. "You take the other. We'll meet up later, I promise."

“Meet up where? Look!” I said as I  sighted the top of the tallest tree in the forest. “This tree, let’s meet up beneath it” I pointed up above to the tree very far away from us “We meet there when we are safe, no one leaves until the other party arrives, okay?” I asked.

She nodded.

I hesitated, reluctant to leave her side, but I knew she was right. With a nod, we exchanged one last glance before parting ways, each step heavy with the weight of uncertainty.

As I ran down my chosen path, my mind raced with worry for Devina and the wounded girl she had been protecting. Were they safe? Would we ever see each other again in this chaos?

But there was no time for doubt. The only thing I could do was keep moving forward, hoping and praying that somewhere along the way, we would find our way back to each other.

I kept running, I ran using the left side of the forest. The tension building up, my speed began to slow down. I was exhausted.

I ran until I saw no one in sight then I stopped to catch my breath. The weight on my back had began to increase. I could hear her breathe slowly, she was also exhausted. How could these men be so devilish to keep people locked up for months, what was the reason?

I was just about to begin running again.

Clap, clap clap!

“Good job, little tick, good job”

I heard his voice, my worst fear.

The calm tone before the worst torture is unleashed upon you.

“So, little tick, you thought you could spoil my plans. Not to lie, you actually but guess what? I forgive all the girls, really I do.” 

Was he serious? He forgives us?

“Expect you of course. I’ll let them go, tell my men to stop chasing them and take you instead. You are an exotic one afterall, you’ll make me more money. I like that. You just made my job easier. Thank you, little tick.”

His words were like a punch to the gut, each syllable landing with crushing force. The possibility of salvation for the others was a bitter consolation, as I found myself facing the full wrath of his twisted mind.

"You don't have to do this," I pleaded, my voice quivering with exhaustion. "Let me go and I promise I won't cause you any more trouble."

He laughed, a sickening sound that twisted my insides. "Oh, but I do have to do this. You see, I can't have anyone thinking they can just escape my grasp, little tick.”

I began taking little steps backwards.

He began taking little steps forward. His tall frame casting a really huge shadow.

I still couldn’t see his face properly, I never have.

I began to run

One

Two

Three

“Bang! Bang! Bang!”

He shot at my back.

Everything seemed to stop, it was like time never existed and we were stuck in a dimension void of motion. It was a complete pause.

I didn’t feel the pain in my back, I felt the pain in my heart.

“You see little tick, your stubbornness made me shoot your little friend.”

He had shot at the dry voice girl I had carried on my back for hours now.

She winced, I low wince that only I heard.

One

Two

Three

Her breath began to shake.

I fell to my knees, I gently put her to the floor. My vision was blurry, I felt a drop of water on my lips, it was salty. It was my tears.

“I… told… you to leave me… in …the… ship” she struggled to mutter.

“Please don’t die, please don’t die, please don’t, please don’t die!!!” I let out a piercing scream. I knew I screamed loudly because I felt my head vibrate.

“Thank you.” That was the last thing and only coherent thing I ever heard her say before her lifeless wide eyed body rested on my lap as proof that she once lived.

I closed her eyes, the piercing gaze she gave me, I locked it shut.

In the aftermath of her last breath, I felt an agonizing numbness wash over me. Her life had ended, snuffed out like a candle flame in the wind, and it was my fault. I had failed to protect her, failed to save her from the cruelty of the world.

"No," I whispered, my voice a hushed cry in the stillness of the forest. "No, no, no."

But the harsh reality was undeniable, and I knew I had to keep moving. For her sake, for my own. For all the others who still needed my help.

Leaving her body where it laid, I began another round of running, I ran, I kept running.

I didn’t care if he shot at me anymore, I just ran, I didn’t know where I was running to but I just ran. I ran.

He didn’t say a word. He just kept shooting towards my direction.

I ran, I ran until I heard the gunshots no more.

As the dense forest stretched out before me, every step became more difficult than the last. My feet felt like lead weights, my body wracked with exhaustion. I stumbled, my vision blurring as the world around me began to spin.

But I saw something, I swear I did. They were two beings, I didn’t know what they were but they shined and one shone much more than the other, it shone white, it was like the sun hit my eyes as it stepped forward to me.

Suddenly, everything turned black. I felt my legs give out beneath me, my body collapsing onto the hard ground. Pain lanced through my limbs, but it was nothing compared to the emptiness consuming me.

And then, there was silence.