Page 76 of Rising

We moved into a circular formation, fire singeing in my fingers and drawing my throwing knife. No guns for now, too loud. Seth called out a series of instructions, helping Reina and Moe fill in the gaps between Seth, Alexiares, and me. A broken formation was a weakness.

I quipped, “Does it really matter, Reina?”

“I’d like to know what I’m preparing for!”

“Shh! Quiet.” Seth demanded, “I hear something.”

He could hear better than we could. His eyes landed on mine, wide with fear as if he’d seen a ghost.

“Run,” he said.

“Which way?” I asked through my teeth, wanting clarity.

Reina whimpered, “I’d still like to know what we’re running from.”

“That,” Alexiares said, pointing to the woods in front of him, a series of clicks and groans filling the air at the same time.

A herd of Pansies dashed towards us with preternatural speed. Focused directly on us, moving between the trees. Wraiths, gliding towards us with intention.

“Got it, so that way I assume,” Reina said as I threw up a wall of fire. She grabbed me by the waist, pulling me forward and taking off in the opposite direction.

“The horses are the other way,” Moe panted between strides.

Alexiares leveled with her, “We don’t stand a chance going through that. Did you see them fucking running?”

“We could try, use y’alls magic,” Seth turned around briefly, taking in the scene behind us, “Never mind. Good point.” He could outrun us, leave us behind, but he didn’t.

Branches scratched against our skin as we shed the extra weight of our packs.

“Over here,” I said, pulling their attention towards another small building. There were no doors. We couldn’t stay here, but it could buy us some time.

The herd moved past us, lingering a few feet ahead, trying to figure out how we had disappeared as quickly as we did. We watched as they huddled in small groups, moaning and groaning as their limbs flailed around. They went still, listening to something, someone that was not present before spreading out their search in coordinated efforts.

I let a few minutes pass, studying their habits and the way they systematically crossed paths, trying to cover as much ground as they could, but headed in the wrong direction back towards the horses.

My lips were painful, dehydrated, and burned from the sun. I brought my finger to them, making sure each of my friends faced me as I mouthed, “Be quiet, this way.”

We made it a few hundred yards away before the natural quiet of the forest took over, the noises of The Pansies fading away into the distance. Our movements were slow, purposeful, but the sound of our boots crunching against the fall leaves betrayed us.

Reina whispered, more of a soft yell than anything, “Hey guys, are we actually being quiet or are we just making noise more slowly?”

I glared at her, daring her to say another word.

“We can probably cut through here and loop back around, grab the horses and try somewhere sheltered, abandoned. If we guess right, we won’t have to clear it,” Seth’s voice was low, offering her an example on where to level hers at.

It was my turn to speak. “Find shelter where? It’s a gamble. We’re in the middle of a national park.”

“There’s bound to be a cabin around here somewhere,” Reina responded, offering words of optimism.

“No harm in trying,” Alexiares shrugged, sweat dripping down the sides of his face. His hair had grown out on the sides, covering the tattoos that decorated the nape of his neck.

“Whatever,” I said, sure to bump his shoulder as I walked in the direction he’d pointed to.

We didn’t make it far before howls rang out from behind us. They were distant enough to give us time to react, but close enough to understand they’d caught on our trail long before we’d realized they were present.

“You mean to tell me you saw none of the little details?” Alexiares directed at Tomoe.

“Nope,” she answered, offering him little more than a haphazard smile.

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