"Beth, I'm taking someone's shift at the hospital today," Mum announced from the living room. "I trust you can lock up."

   From my seat on one of the chairs in our kitchen, I mumbled through a mouthful of my breakfast, "Of course."

"Don't talk with your mouth full, you'll get food on your uniform. It's almost seven thirty by the way, shouldn't you be getting ready?"

"Yeah, I'll be done soon," I replied.

   A week had passed since what happened on Liberation Week. After showing no symptoms on the third day of being on bed rest, I decided it was best if I just made her think that Zavlon Academia had resumed to normalcy after that the made up flu scare had been confirmed to be normal flu and those few students who had 'caught' it were feeling better already.

   Even though I hadn't been wearing the school's uniform on that day, it was still triggering to have it on now. I couldn't wait to hide it back in my closet when she left.

"You know what?" I tried not to squirm under her scrutiny as she spoke to me. "I can drive you to Zavlon today if you'd li—"

"NO!" Off the top of my head, I blurted out an excuse, "I mean... I think I should just go by myself. The school is going to organise this roll call thing at the gates and that could take a while. I wouldn't want to keep you waiting."

   My rambling had activated her side gaze into full force, but sixteen years was enough time to master the art of not getting my lying ass caught.

"Okay, fine." She sighed. "Don't forget the mask I left on your desk. That never-ending email your school sent about sanitation measures was not enough to convince me."

   But I worked really hard on it!

"Don't worry about that. I have everything I need." I said, patting the bag in which she had shoved all the sanitation supplies, including two more masks, two bottles and even a pair of rubber gloves.

"Okay, love you," She told me, walking out the door in her nurse's uniform.

  It took me a while to take my eyes off the closed door after whispering, "Bye."

***

   Turn back. You could always come tomorrow, the silent voice in my head said over and over. Who addressed problems on a Tuesday anyway? it continued, Next week Monday was always available. Or... the comic books in the garage were enough to bask in till the inevitable worst arrived.

   Where was the part of me that overpowered my initial unwillingness to even think about Zavlon and coerced me into taking the bus to school right after Mum left when I needed it? Was its task to just lead me to the opposite side of the road closest to the school and leave me hanging?

   The not so far distance between me and Zavlon's familiar environment was enough to contain the fresh memories flooding through my mind. It was still difficult trying to comprehend how this previously safe haven could ignite repellent chills and still maintain its treacherous normal state from the bus stop where I was crossing the road to get to right now.

   I stared at the lonely footpath that led one to Zavlon's gates. The very path I had run through from predators for my life hadn't lost its welcoming state. Not that that mattered though. I'd be an idiot to believe it was as empty as it seemed.

   I looked toward the woods that stood tall at the left and right side of where the pathway began. The wild, green trees, grasses and flowers that made up the woods continued and ended right where the outside walls of Zavlon, housing the large gate I had run through, were.

   If I wanted to properly scout the school, using the path wasn't going to be the smartest way in. I took a glimpse at the woods again. The seemingly empty, quiet woods.

   Guess I was going to have to take a detour.

***

   Why didn't I tell my mother I loved her? Why did I agree to do this? When did I stop kissing my first store-bought 'Seekers' comic goodnight?

   When did I start going insane?

   Probably when I made the stupid decision to pass through the very woods every other Zavolonian had made it a point to steer clear of. Or when I realised in less than five minutes that I was already lost. It could also be the fact that the majority of my shirt had been ripped in a sad battle with the most violating tree branches. Or that there were inexplicable throbs on parts of my body I wouldn't even touch.

   That last one was definitely what attributed to the feeling of paranoia that just wouldn't go away. I just didn't get why I was feeling this way though, what were the chances of anyone else being he—

   Crack.

   I clutched the tree next to me, struggling between holding back a scream and relearning how to breathe as my eyes stayed traumatised by what was in front of me.

   The black and white coloured hairy back of one of the creatures I'd been dreading was unmistakable. Neither was the other one that suddenly appeared next to it. Daring to glance around where I was further, my breath hitched at the two that were stationed not too far from the immediate monsters.

   I reached over to random parts of my body, wiping off the burning sweat that seemed to have broken out everywhere, particularly the drops that kept crawling from my left shoulder even after I had cleaned it multiple times.

   Wiping the bare skin of my shoulder this time, I frowned at the odd feeling that surrounded my hand from doing so and was even more confused when I glanced at how slimy it was. That was weird... My brows furrowed.

  I noticed that more of the substance on my shoulder was a slimy, colourless liquid dripping from a tree branch. I looked up to be sure, tracing it to the tree I was hanging onto and apparently sharing with another one of them.

   One of the monsters, beasts, aliens, whatever the hell it was!

"AH—"My imminent scream and breaths of terror were hindered by a firm clasp of an unknown hand over my mouth from behind.

"You'll only wake him," A muffled voice was in my ear, staring up at the snoring monster passed out on one of the tree's thick branches. "Stay calm."

   I only complied after realising the hand wasn't hairy.

"Don't move," The masculine voice from the body my back was pressed into in a stronghold continued to command. "Anything could wake him up."

   I nodded through my fear as he led my steps backwards—still in our position—with light ones of his own.

"Make sure you don't thread on anything," he warned.

   I followed the guiding steps and tried to focus more on being observant and less on the warmth radiating from the stranger behind me. I could really use a full, non-ripped shirt right no–

   Crack. Shit.

   I stepped on a twig.

  Without giving me a chance to apologise to my helper, the figure turned to me revealing a tall, well-built frame that yelled, "Follow me!"

   He began running.

  Clad in dark clothes and a thick mask, I could only identify the jet black hair swayed by the wind as we eluded the roars and presence of cranky alien beasts.

   I glanced over my shoulder as the sounds got louder and was met with only trees when I looked ahead once more. The boy who had been running in front of me just a few seconds ago had disappeared into thin air.

"Hey," I called out, slowing my pace and searching desperately for any signs of him. "Where did you–"

   I paused to choke on air when a sharp grip pulled at my leg. Looking downwards in surprise and fear, I found the masked boy was staring up at me.

"Get in here," he said in a gruff tone, gesturing to the hole surrounding him.

   I took in the environment of the woods above to find two creatures glaring toward a different direction, one without us in it. They had determined stances, ever ready to capture whatever trespasser they thought was lurking. I stared down at the boy's outstretched hand yet again before taking it. For the first time, I decided not to overthink this.

   The heat from beneath the hole engulfed me as I followed him down a ladder I'd discovered was plastered to the underground wall. It became a bit unnerving when it took more than a few climbs to reach the cold ground. I felt the ache and burn I'd been expecting finally surge through my legs.

   The only source of light disappeared when he closed the opening we came through. I waited for the sound of the thump of his feet behind me to turn to him and do some interrogation.

   I started with the simplest and safest (at least I hoped) question that came to mind. "Where am—"

"Sshh!" His gloved finger pressed against my lips.

   At that moment, we froze as heavy footsteps trampled past the ground above us. After the sounds stopped, he took off his hand. My eyes struggled to adjust to the sudden burst of light from a hand torch he'd pulled out from his back pocket.

   Without saying another word, he turned and walked through the only available path ahead. I didn't need to be told to follow suit. I just hoped the unidentifiable places my feet kept plunging into weren't foreshadows to an early grave.

   "Where are you taking me?" I asked through tired breaths after a while. My feet had experienced enough torture and were ready to call it a day.

   When I didn't receive an answer from him, I concluded that interrupting and ignoring appeared to be repetitive characteristics of this stranger.

   His abrupt halt caused me to run right into him. He didn't mind though, appearing to be more focused on the colourful curtain facing us. I frowned as he sailed through to the other side of the curtain that had an already opened door behind it.I presumed it meant I do the same.

   Upon stepping through the curtain, I was suddenly in a whole different world.

   There were bright lights at the various corners of the small, quad shaped room. Not much was around but it was as neat as a deserted bunker could be at least. Facing my right were walls shielded with a thick cloth I would have definitely looked into if I hadn't noticed the clothes that had been spread out into seats not too far from those walls.

   Three empty seats.

   Where had the stranger gone–

   I barely had the chance to get the full question out when a sharp pain shot through the back of my head and everything went dark.

A/N: Why don't you give that star at the bottom of your screens a little click to make my day ☺️❤️?

Free Minds is currently #19 in science and I just want to thank you all for helping to make this happen!

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Published: 27th September, 2021.