OC: Echo
Fandom: N/A
Species: Bat Hybrid

This was created with the help of two of my cousins, one of which owns Erie. (michaelafton1970)

TW: implied gun use, implied torture

The forest is bright as sun filters through the branches. Our footsteps crunch on the dry leaves. Wildflowers bloom all around in an explosion of color. It's warm, but not unbearably so. It'd be a perfect day if I wasn't running for my life.

Erie is right at my heels. I'd be flying, but he's stuck in his human form - it's a long story involving humans and a strange taser-like device.

I can hear them, too. They're following us. To another hybrid, they might seem quiet, but to Erie and me, it's as obvious as the moon in the night sky. They're gaining, fast. Too fast. Faster than we can run.

If I was flying, though...

No, I can't think about that. I can't leave Erie behind.

"We're just here for emotional support"
"And emotional damage" -my cousins watching me write this

Erie trips. I don't have time to be gentle, I yank his arm and pull him back to his feet. We keep running. I can hear a gunshot behind us. Erie flinches as a dart zips past his head and lodges itself in a tree in front of us.

Before I can process the fact that a tree is, in fact, a solid object, I slam headfirst into it.

Erie has no time to be gentle either. Without missing a beat, I am flung around the tree. Dazed, I stumble along. Now he's pulling me instead of the other way around. That's probably not safe. He's blind. But he has his echolocation, which on the other hand might be safer than sight alone.

Still, this is not going well.

I feel like we've both kind of lost faith at this point. Another dart flies past us. Thank goodness our pursuers have the aim of Storm Troopers.

I can see the edge of the forest ahead. I'm not sure whether that's a good or a bad thing.

The trees thin abruptly, and we sprint into the open field. To our left is a large mountain. I can see caves and canyons - ideal places to hide, especially for bats like us.

I tug Erie in that direction. He seems confused at first but follows without protest. He probably shouldn't trust me, I'm quite unreliable.

The gunshots return. I cover one ear with my hand and continue to lead Erie with the other.

The foothills of the mountain weren't far. We make it and dive into a crevice in the ground. The hunters pass us.

I breathe a sigh of relief too soon.

We hear them turn towards us again. Suddenly, Erie is dragged from the crevice. I yank on his hand and let out a yelp. "Echo!" Erie shouts, but his hand has already slipped from mine as he's carried away.

I see a hand reach for me as well and dodge it with another yelp. I dive deeper into the cave, running into a wall on accident. On the spot where I hit the wall, a small spot glows blue - a triangular symbol that looks familiar but I can't place where I've seen it before.

And then the floor opens up below me and I fall.