Lilac pulled me by my arm, dragging me through the trees as the branches and their leaves beat and battered us as we went. He initially headed toward the sanctuary but made a wrong turn to stay out of the creature's sights. I tug him back on track, steering us in the right.

My feet carried me through and around trees. Although the sound of steaming liquid, putrid gurgling, and violent rustling stayed on our heels, it further proved the trees weren't an obstacle for the creature.

The way parts of its body seemed to liquify when passing through the trees made my assumption a reality. It was the creature's claws, mass, and momentum that made the trees sway and part as it passed. I only looked back once, to see the enormous dark figure in contrast to the dark blue tint of the night sky.

Lilac ran ahead, fear and urgency in his voice. "Follow me. Stay close!"

Trying to focus on a variety of concerns, I ran smack into a tree, nearly knocking the air from my lungs and halting my progress. I groaned from the pain on my earlobe and shoulder when the side of my face grazed the hard leather-like bark of the tree.

I pressed my hand to my ear to stop the throbbing pain as I continued running. A thought quickly crossed my mind. What if it follows us inside the Asylum? It would ultimately trap us in a confined space where locked doors and debris blocked many of the entrances and exits.

"We must find a place to hide." Lilac urged me on, taking hold of my wrist which ached from his grip, but I didn't mind. I knew he was only trying to help. Just like that poor woman.

A sense of sadness washed over me as the guilt bubbled up from the pit of my stomach to settle in my throat. No matter what, I wouldn't be able to escape that feeling.

Out of nowhere, another creature just as large and looming, blindsided us. It moved a bit slower than the other, but the large lump atop its body hung low as the entire mass of it curved in an unnatural position. Its body snaked towards us, two large appendages for arms with broken and chipped white claws that grazed the ground like ink stained ivory tusks digging beneath the clay soil.

I screamed at the sight of it and continued on, maneuvering around the creatures before a drop of its putrid liquid had a chance to fall anywhere near me.

The entrance through the double doors in sight, highlighted by the light of the moon. My heart continued to race, beating rapidly against the cage of my ribs. Without a second thought, Lilac burst through the doors and as soon as I followed, he instinctively placed the wooden plank between the door handles to hold it closed.

It wasn't farfetched to think that boards wouldn't keep those creatures out. Still, we stood back, watching and waiting for the inevitable confrontation. My fear and sadness keeping me from thinking logically. It wasn't until the silhouette of the creatures blocked out the stream of moonlight from the windows above the doors that I remembered to return to my safe space.

But would I have time.

I pointed to Lilac. "Whatever happens, don't let them get near me. Distract them if you have to."

"Are you mad? How am I to do that?" He threw his hands up in confusion.

"Trust me." It was weird to be so sure, but that was the trick. The sureness. I had to believe. Really believe that my plan would work. And it would because it always did.

I rushed to the corner of the room, where I could allow the wall's angles to protect my sides while I sat. As the sound of gurgling and slurping grew louder outside the double doors, I closed my eyes, and took in a few deep breaths to calm my rapid heartbeat.

The small box television set came into view. Using my imagination, I visualized an old timey television set flickering on. The low hum briefly drowned out the sounds of scratching and clawing at the door.

"Whatever you're planning to do, you should hurry," Lilac urged, his voice shaky and nearly unrecognizable.

I continued taking even breaths, counting in my mind one, two, three, four, five six on the inhale and one, two on the exhale.

The TV began to sizzle with static, and I allowed my body to relax with the noise that drowned out all the commotion beyond it. I stared as the snow danced over the entire screen and felt myself drifting, easing, and floating in a nice, warm cocoon of protection.

I was ignorant to how many minutes went by before I opened my eyes to silence and Lilac's stark blue eyes staring back at me.

"How did you do it?" The look of awe and fascination curled his full lips. "You have to tell me."

"Meditation." I sighed. "That's the only way to get rid of them. The only way I know how."

He inhaled sharply, more like a soft gasp of sheer intrigue. "You control them?"

"I summon them ... somehow." When he gave me a concerned glance, I added, "Unwillingly. I just think of them, and then ...."

He cocked his head, staring at me as if I were an exotic animal. "I have never seen anything like that before, but then again, I have been living here for who knows how long, surviving off of unfamiliar vegetation and seeking shelter in an odd psychiatric hospital."

I sneered at his remark. "This psychiatric hospital is my home."

"Home?" He grunted. "Oh. You were a patient?"

"That's right." I nodded, without shame.

"So, you are aware of the experiments then?" He moved closer with intrigue. "Were you part of them? Is this how those monsters came to be?"

"There were no experiments." I huffed, exhausted.

"Are you sure?" He shook his head in disbelief. "That is the assumption. I heard people talk about experiments when they try to explain this blackened place. The Scalded."

"The Scalded wasn't a result of an experiment." I bowed my head between my bent knees. "There's a much simpler explanation." I stared, waiting for him to catch on.

"Ah." He slowly nodded. "I see."

Finally, he took a seat beside me. We allowed silence to fill the space. I could tell he had a lot on his mind mostly questions, but he only stared at the front door and allowed the silence to remain supreme.

As night began to creep over us, he finally broke the somber stillness. "This place is peaceful. Comfortable."

"You think so?" I lifted an inquisitive eyebrow.

"I come from the darkness, so this place seems right at home." He absentmindedly picked at the cracks of the tiles with his fingernails. "Odd, dark, mysterious. That's probably why I'm so drawn to it."

"I feel the same." I nodded in agreement. "I come from emptiness, alone since childhood. The darkness wasn't far behind."

"Maybe that's why I'm so drawn to you." His smile shown bright even though blackness surrounded us.

"My earliest memories were of this place." I watched him tinker with the pieces of crumbled grout he loosened from between the floor tiles. "I've come to know the staff as family first and the other girls as an extension of that. There were so many times I had wanted out of here, wanted to refuse taking my meds, wanting to break out, run and never look back."

"What stopped you?"

"Realizing everyone out there is just as lost, searching for comfort among the chaos." I stared out the broken windows at nothing. "Besides, it always felt so foreign beyond these walls."

"Pity. I have always felt like a stranger among them." He gestured to the city folk. "Lost, abandoned, forsaken." He went on, "Maybe it was my appearance, my skin, my hair, the way I talked or sounded, maybe it was things I said or didn't say. I always felt ... out of place."

I grunted in agreement. "They have a way of making you feel special like that."

"Before I left my home, my mom asked, 'what kind of name is Lilac?'" His voice mimicked her high-pitched tone and distinctive dialect so well it seemed like another person was sitting with us. "'I mean, it is a lovely name but one that does not belong to you.' She didn't understand. Sometimes, I grow tiresome of living the life someone else has written. I want to create my own narrative."

I nodded even though I wasn't sure he could see me. "Do you ever think about going back?"

"No."

I shifted to face him directly. "You never feel like leaving this place and going back to your parents? Aren't they worried?"

"No one is looking for me and I'm not looking for anyone." He scratched his hair, making part of his bang fall over his face. It was the only detail I could make out of his in the darkness as his hair seemed to catch the little bit of moonlight and nearly glow brighter than his porcelain smooth skin. "Like I said, I like it here. I feel safer than I would out there."

"Even with the hunters?" My eyes widened at the memories of what the poor woman had said. "Even knowing how bad they want to burn this place down?"

"Those men are just scared, fueled by fear but running on fumes." He huffed. "Imagine the panic they must tolerate at having a mysterious place pop up nearly over night, thriving with unfamiliar beings. Unsure of what to expect, they believe we are a menace. And when they come in and threaten to get rid of us and this place, they are surprised that the inhabitants fight."

"Fight back," I corrected.

"Yes." He nodded, standing to peer out the window. "Defense is a strong drive."

"And the Scalded is expanding too," I added, standing too.

"Is that right?" He lengthened his spine. "You sure?"

I was more than sure. "It's grown over the barriers they placed at the parameters. You haven't noticed?"

"Now that you mention it..." He scratched a spot near his temple.

"There's nowhere to go." I went to his side and stared out the window too. "They try to kill us in here and out there they will try to do the same. Or lock us away for good."

"And if they found out your secret, with the creatures?" He turned to me, and we locked eyes.

"Talk about human experimenting ... I wouldn't put it past them." Memories entered my mind of various groups of researchers, experts, and the news vans, along with the cameras and crowds that accompanied them in the beginning. I had no doubt they'd take away what little freedom I had and use me as a lab rat. "What do we do?"

"What we do best," Lilac said confidently. "Continue surviving."

Surviving in the Scalded would only last so long if we continued the way we were. We needed to think outside the box, but I was out of options.

~~~

What's on your mind? Please feel free to share your thoughts, feedback or questions in the comments section.