Mark was acting really weird after that. Staring off into space, and muttering to himself. It was weird.....but we ignored him. We continued in the forest, keeping eyes and ears out for danger as we went along.

Suddenly we stopped in our tracks as we heard a howl and unearthly scream. "Freaks!" Kyle shouted. "Everyone, hide!" Chase ordered. I immediately dashed for the trees, not looking to where everyone else went.

I got to a decent height, and looked down. Freaks ran/stumbled zombilly around the place where we were just standing. Sniffing, and gurgling. I just wanted to vomit. Those things were repulsing. Even if they once were human.

I shifted on the branch to be situated comfortably. Unexpectedly, the branch, under me gave way. Reacting on instinct, and reflexes only, I reached above, and latched onto a thick branch, above me head.

The falling stick struck a Freak, who happened to look up. It squealed in surprise and pain, clutching it's eye. The other Freaks, looked on at him, and seemed to be amused at his clutching, and running in circles.

Then, a smart one, looked up to see where the branch came from. I gulped and started sweating. I felt my clammy hands starting to slip. I tried to regain my grip, but I was slipping fast.

Suddenly, a shrill ear shattering whistle sounded, making all and every Freak, cover their ears, and scream, and run every which way. I slipped and fell a good ten feet from the high branch.

I closed my eyes, and waited for impact, and the sound of cracking bones before darkness, but....it never came. I slowly, and cautiously opened one eye. I gazed into vibrant greyish blue eyes, that seemed to spark with electricity.

I was let to stand, and I blinked. Regaining my non dizziness. I looked at the person who rescued me. It was a girl, with light brown hair and the most hypnotizing eyes ever. "Lost?" She asked. I tilted my head, curiously. "N-no....I don't think so...Who are you?" I asked, straightening up.

The girl looked me dead in the eye. A smirk played at the corner of her lips. "Secret." She said simply. I folded my arms. "First you make the Freaks run away, then you save me. Now you won't tell me who you are?!"

She raised an eyebrow. "Secret...." She said again. This time just above a whisper. I observed her clothing. Leather slacks, grease-stained shirt, with a red jacket, and a weapon strapped to her back, looking like a machete, or a sword.

I noticed something tucked under her shirt connected by a silver chian, around her neck. I strode closer to her, reaching out to lift the object from where it lay hidden beneath her shirt. Her hand shot up, latching onto my wrist softly, but firmly. Grey eyes bore into me.

"Secret. No Brooke see secret." I stepped back, 'H-how do you know my name?" I demanded. She smirked a little. "Know about you....Brooke." She lifted her finger, and rested it above my heart. "Brooke with Mark, Chase, Kyle, Emma, and Tyler...." I blinked.

"H-how in the....-" "Brooke!" I turned to see the rest running up to me. "Where were you?!" "Where did the Freaks go!" They rambled off. I turned to the girl, but she was gone! I looked all around. Nothing. As if she was never there...Weird....

I quickly forgot about her, but that night when I was on night patrol, I saw glowing bluish-grey eyes staring at from beside a tree. I blinked but then it was gone. This day was too creepy.

I sighed, and relaxed. Resting my head on my jacket, I closed my eyes, and let sleep take over, listening to distant howls.

I woke up to a jarring pain in my head. Sitting up, I put my hand to my head, wincing. "You OK?" Chase asked, sitting up. I nodded. "Yeah, just a small headache." I answered. He nodded.

"Are you sure you're OK, Brooke?" He asked. I looked at him. "Yes, why?" I responded, a little frustrated at his repeated question. "Well..." He kicked a stray stick into the small fire. "You were talking in your sleep." He looked back at me. "Something about...a secret?" I couldn't talk. My mouth was suddenly dry. "I-I..-" "Hungry?" We looked up to see Kyle walking up.

A rabbit hung from a string by it's neck. "Do you have to hold that up for everyone to see?" Emma stretched, and stood up. Her brother shrugged. "You're going to be eating it aren't you?"

Emma just rolled her eyes. "After it's roasted and it actually looks like food yeah." She retorted. He tossed the dead creature to me. I caught it with ease. "See?" He smirked. "Even the princess isn't scared of dirtying her royal fingers."

I rolled my eyes, and took Mark's knife from his pocket while he remained sleeping. "Just because my father is on the board, doesn't make me royal." Emma folded her arms. "At least you still have a living parent."

After that comment, things got more awkward, and uncomfortable. Chase sighed. "At least you guys knew your parents..." We looked at him in pity. "Sorry, Chase...." I said softly, putting a hand on his shoulder.

He shrugged it off. "It's fine. Not your problem." We spent the rest of the morning in silence. I don't blame them for slightly hating me. The board is evil. My dad works or worked for them. So naturally I am the misfit of the group.

My mom used to tell me about my dad, and how they met. She was born in Sector 5. My dad was born in Sector 2 but was given a job in the Board's council due to his...skills. Mom and dad met when my dad came to Sector 5 to do round checks, on Blaze.

He met mom and....you can guess what happened next. Love at first sight, yada, yada, had me, blah, blah, blah. But of course dad couldn't stay. He had a job on the board. And if they ever found out about his relationship with mom...They would both be executed. Along with me. So dad left. To keep us safe.

Years later when I was seven, mom was struck with the Blaze. She died not long after. I was on my own from then on. I learned to survive on what others had. Thieving food, and clothing. But I always felt guilty when I did it.

"Earth to Brooke?!" I snapped my head up. "Wha-Huh...?" Mark waved his hand in front of my face. "Where are you?" He asked like a crazy person. I batted his hand from my face. "What do you want?" I asked, angrily.

Someone is moody. Emma mumbled. I glared at her. "Did you hear what I said?" Chase asked, in a more kinder tone than the others. I sighed. "No...." He nodded. "I'll repeat it...again." He shot a look at Tyler, who raised his arms in defence.

"What?" Chase sighed, and began to speak. "We are going to head North, and then exit the forest, into...." He glanced at the map again. "The City of Blood." I raised my eyebrow.

"Sounds cheery." I muttered sarcastically. We agreed that that's where we would go, and we doused the fire, and went to the stream. "Make sure you fill all the bottles, to the top. And don't waste it." Chase instructed.

"Who are you to tell us what to do?" Kyle barked. Emma grabbed his shoulder. "Chase has not led us wrong yet, Kyle. Leave him alone!" Kyle stared at his sister, then glanced at Chase before bending to fill his bottle.

Chase, smiled at Emma, who smiled back, making Chase blush a bit. I smiled at the two. "Hey! Give it back!" I turned to see Tyler, who was yelling at a primate, who had somehow taken his water bottle. The ape chattered, and shrieked in delight, when Tyler couldn't reach him from his place on a high boulder.

"Get down here and face me like a man you little flea, infested, beast!" Tyler shouted. That only made the monkey laugh more, and while Tyler was distracted with finding a way to climb up, it un capped the container, and dunked the contents onto his head. We laughed, and laughed.

Tyler finally gave up, and stomped over to us, furious, and wet. "This. Is. Not. Funny!!" He screamed. We only laughed more. "Yes it is, too funny!" Kyle breathed. "Dude," Mark chuckled. "You got outwitted by an ape!"

We all died down our laughter, and Chase pulled another bottle from his pack. "Good think I bought extras." He grinned. "Don't' give it to the bunnies this time, kay?" He joked. Tyler snatched it from him, and dunked it into the water, before covering it and putting it in his bag.

"Can we just go?" He shouted. "I'm sick and tired of this place!" We chuckled, but followed him out of the clearing into the forest. We continued walking till we reached the end of the trees.

What we saw made our eyes pop. "I-It's a desert?!" Mark gasped. "That's not possible.." Tyler bent down, and shifted his fingers through the grains. "It makes no sense...." he marveled.

"Earth has changed a lot." Chase said, as if this didn't amuse him. "I wouldn't be surprised if there is an ocean at the end of the desert." Mark rolled his eyes. "End of the desert? There is no end! Look."

We looked. All we saw was sand. Sand as far as the eye could see. Kyle took a deep breath, and stepped out into the golden, grains. We followed cautiously. I suddenly began to feel hotter, and sweaty.

"G-guys..?" I reached back and felt the back of my neck. "It's not me, it's gotten hotter." They nodded. "We know." Chase said, stepping back into the forest. It's cooler here." He came back into the sand. "And boiling out here.."

Tyler bit his lip. "Then why don't we stay there?" He pleaded. "It's more.....livable." Chase shook his head. "Sorry, Ty. We have to go on. We have a mission remember?" Tyler groaned, but nodded. "Yeah..."

We took a drink before starting out into the hot and humid desert.