Chapter 3

The hallway was mostly made of wood with paintings lining the walls and intricate decorations on tables for display. Bright windows in front of us displayed an orange blazing sunset, a sign that gave me strength till I saw what was in front of it.

A legion of guards with vicious dogs barking at us against their chain leashes stood between us and a large double door leading to our freedom. These guards held large assault style guns instead of the pistols the others had. They were also bigger, more muscular, and somehow more menacing than the ones before. An older man with a scar on his chin stood in the center with a confident stance.

Our own legion stopped, analyzing the scene before us. We were fewer in number now but still many and would not be taken down or forced to yield our assault.

"We calmly ask you to drop your weapons and return to your cells." The older gentleman spoke with a gruffness about him.

"Or what?" Hope spit towards him with a menacing glare though there seemed to be something else that glinted in her eyes. She pointed at the man defiantly as if she was the one telling him what to do instead. The man raised his brow in a slight arch as a hint of a smile made its way to his crusted lips.

Or else you and-" he started before a shot rang out and something splattered all over the girls in the front- Hope and I included. The man stopped mid-sentence as his eyes went wide in surprise. Some of the girls and I cowered as one of the windows shattered like sparkling diamonds. The shimmer of glass made of flecks of golden orange reflected off the evening sun as it flew across the room on impact. The men in black whipped their heads around to search for the shooter because whoever it was, was clearly not any of the girls.

I looked back up to Hope and blinked in shock. She had splatters of blood all over her face making it look like blood red freckles covered her smooth white skin. It matched her rich red colored hair and that mixed with the glint in her eyes, made me shiver. She stood unaffected by the entire sight- a relaxed face, no shock or surprise whatsoever.

Did she know that would happen?

The older man who spoke to us fell forward with a grunt and landed face down on the wooden floor. Blood flowed out of a bullet wound to the back of his head, leaving a large caved in mass of tissue oozing blood and something yellow and white. The remnants of his brain.

I knew I should have felt terrified. It was indeed a shocking scene. I didn't understand why I felt nothing from the grotesque sight. It would probably hit me later on. And if that was the case then it was better to be out of this place that bred destruction so I wouldn't witness more.

The men in black started shooting out the window as they searched for the assailant but some were soon shot down as well. The many that were left stormed out the front door, guns firing round after round.

I looked to Hope who laughed maniacally at me before running towards the wide open door streaking bright evening sunlight.

Like a hoard we flooded the entrance, temporarily blinded by the evening sun. It stung my eyes and rang in my ears making me lose my balance but I couldn't stop my legs. They demanded retribution for what I had gone through and I would not deny them their right any longer.

I glanced back at my place of capture; it wasn't what I was expecting.

There in its beautiful glory stood a large country lodge with wide open windows, stained wood exterior, and perfectly pruned shrubbery. The multiple stories and pointed roof seemingly added to the illusion of a peaceful atmosphere surrounded by the woods.

I ran with the girls across the freshly trimmed grass, gun in hand, and sweat starting to trickle down my temple from the tension.

Screams were heard all around me, more guards and men in black were shooting at other men and women dressed in strange camouflage clothes. Hope was among them, guns blazing with her red hair shining like a torch waving in the wind.

A man in black was running my way and I pulled the trigger on my gun once more but it merely clicked.

Out.

I should have felt afraid. A jump in my chest and a quiver in my stomach seemed like a normal reaction to the circumstance. But again, there was nothing but a separation between my thoughts and my emotions. Maybe I would feel it later like with the man whose brains were on display just a moment ago.

The man tackled me before I could do much else. I felt his shoulder jab into my neck with the impact as he went to straddle me. It was hard to breathe. I gasped from the wind being knocked out of me and tried to push him off but I knew I wasn't very strong, especially right now. Even my pumping adrenaline could do little against the largely built man.

Another man in camouflage tackled the man off me and they started to wrestle for control. I sat up slowly, leaving my gun and continued running for the tree line with the other girls. The gun didn't have any bullets left so there was no use in keeping it.

When I reached the edge of the clearing, I looked back once more to see Hope still fighting amidst the chaos. She was the only taken girl still in the middle of clearing by this point. What was she doing?

At that point, I knew I had two options.

Continue on with the other girls for our escape, or go back to the fighting and risk my life again.

I owed my life to Hope and it made no sense to leave without her so I started to run back. I had to weave through many stray bullets and one flew into my thigh, passing straight through and ripping out the other side. I cried out but continued on.

Hope sliced a man's throat with her knife before kicking him away. Once the man fell, she saw me and her eyebrows raised in surprise.

"Nibs! Get to safety! You can't fight! You're injured!" She shouted to me over the roaring of the battle around us. I shook my head and continued to lessen the distance between us. "Nibs! Stop it!" She peeled a large knife from the dead man's belt next to her and finished off the distance between us. "Here, take this and follow those girls into the forest. There's a river about half a mile down and those girls won't be able to make it across. You have to lead them north where the jagged boulders are. There's a small path of stones you can use to cross if you're careful. Get those girls out of here! I'm counting on you."

"What about you?" I held the large shining knife tightly, scanning to make sure another threat wasn't going to appear. Hope smirked at me.

"I've got to help my pack. Don't worry, I'll meet up with you by the morning at the latest. But if I don't, just keep going north and follow the river on the west side. It'll lead you to safety."

A menacing growl filled the air and several men in camouflage started to hunch over before loud, spine shivering cracking started.

"Go Nibs! Now!" Hope pushed me toward the tree line before running towards a group of men in camouflage struggling against some men in black.

I weaved through the battlefield once more, blood trickling down my leg and dripping steadily as I made my way back to the edge of the clearing.

The forest floor was harsh and unforgiving to my bare feet. I must not have been the only one because bloody footprints started to form around me as I followed them. It wasn't long after I heard the rushing sound of a river ahead of me along with murmurs and the familiar cries I had grown used to.

A large group of women and girls stood at the bank of the river, a few wading in to test the current. It must have been too strong because one girl was swept away. The others cried out, trying to wade in just enough to pull her back but by then the current had pulled her under and those who were close to the edge were roughly pulled back by the ones on the shore. A collectively overwhelming cry sounded out from the loss of hope of the girls.

Hope.

That's what we needed. That's what Hope did for us. And now- I needed to fulfill her will. She gave me a task to do and I would see it through.