CHAPTER 2: WHAT'S RIGHT ISN'T LEFT

JETT'S POV

As we began running we felt something behind us but we couldn’t make a shape of it. It was dark in the forest so we couldn’t see it properly. It was gaining up on is. I could tell because I could hear it’s heavy breathing and smashing of trees draw closer and closer to us. I was feeling something. I knew this feeling. I was sweating profusely, my pulse skyrocketing, my limbs trembling and moving of their own will, my insides hot but freezing on the outside… It was Fear. I was afraid but not for my life or so I think. I was afraid that I’ll be the only one to me it out alive.

Just then, the ‘best’ outcome possible happened. Gryffin fell.

‘Help!!’ he cried out looking at Tess, the girl of his dreams, who didn’t even bother to turn around.

‘No, don’t!!,’ Ravi yelled at the gallant hero Ethaine who ran back to help Gryffin up.

At a point it seemed like they’d make it until Gryffin’s head was sent flying over our heads and Ethaine’s inside was spread across the floor and his head squashed. Fortunately this unfortunate circumstance have us enough time to run further because whatever it was that was chasing us stopped to enjoy its kill.

As we kept running we finally started seeing the town and dashed even faster. We ran into its warm sunny embrace and noticed that the beast stopped exactly where the shadows ended. Still, I noticed that a part of its hand reach the sunlight and it shrivelled due to the sun burn. It hates the sun.

I came closer to it, but making sure not to step into the shadow and gazed into its crimson glowing eyes. It showed it’s razor like teeth in a scowl. It had horns on its forehead. Its hands were bigger than my entire body with claws longer than a sword, it probably used those to cause the marks on the trees. It had a huge upper body and slim lower body. It had a tail the was like a spear but extremely flexible. It waved it around.

‘Are you insane! Get away from that thing’, the usually composed Ravi cried. I can’t blame him he just watched his friends die.

‘You’, I said pointing at it. It’s gaze focused on me. ‘Neo… Neo Enigma. That’s your name’

‘Are you insane, you just named something that wants to eat us like it’s a fuck’n pet!’, Tess raved; ready to let me have it.

I vanished in a flash. I fell on my ass and started feel the after effects of adrenaline wearing off. My heart felt like it’ll fly out of my chest.

‘What the actual fuck!?’, the dazed Tess exclaimed.

‘Cindy, Testein, Gryffin and Ethaine…. All dead’, Ravi subbed as he broke into tears and fell on his knees. ‘ We need to tell the adul-‘

I cut him off with a slap. ‘Are you mad. The adults never care and besides I think they already knew this, that’s why they warned us not to go into the forest.’

‘So you knew we shouldn’t have gone there and yet you brought us along’, Tess said.

‘I forced no one along. You came along of your own will, same with all of those that died’

‘What do we tell their parents?’. The confused Ravi asked.

‘I’ll handle them’, turning around to face the forest. ‘But I doubt that they’ll care. I dunno about you two but I’m heading home and acting like this never happened…’

‘You’te gonna act like people didn’t die? Are you even human?’

‘… I’ll advise you both do the same if you truly love yourselves’.

I couldn’t say I didn’t feel something or that I did because at this point… I feel empty. I’m not really surprised by today’s outcome but I didn’t expect what happened.

Later that night, I decided to study the book o had found while hoping that Ravi and Tess would have enough of common sense not to inform the adults of the happenings of today.

As I looked through the pages of the book, I realised that it was a collection. A collection of strategies and plans to escape from this city. Different plans were and drawings were made and scratched out. The plans were written by our predecessors, the dates that were recorded on there date back to fee years after this town became the last fortress on earth.

Apart from the explanation of the strategies, which were clearly written, there were also some pages which had other writings which I couldn’t decipher.

At last after spending a while night trying to decipher the encrypted language; I… Didn’t succeed. I was perplexed and frustrated. The characters looked like those of the English language that my brother had taught me but for some unknown reason I couldn’t just understand them.

I decided to drop the book for a while and take a stroll; probably I’ll try and break the news to the adults of they notice the missing kids.

‘Have you seen Cindy?’ asked Gabby pulling my pants.

 Gabby was a twelve year old girl. She was chubby from some residue of baby fat and was extremely fund of Cindy. Not really surprising though, she was as blunt and straight forward as Cindy but still kind and caring also like Cindy.

‘Huh? Why?’ I asked myself as I wiped the tears that ran down my cheeks. I didn’t know why not hen I started crying but I did know one thing. I couldn’t stop it. I couldn’t control it. I was acting tough yesterday but I’m actually very sad. They died. They all died.

‘Why are you crying big bro Jett? Big boys don’t cry you know?’, Gabby commented.

Who said so. Boys feel sad too. I just lost some of my friends to whatever that was.

A few minutes later, after I was done with my breakdown, I placed my hands on her shoulder, ‘She has found a way outta this town and now I’m gonna find one too.’

‘Really!?’ she asked excitedly with a smile that spanned from ear to ear. Soon she was running off to tell the rest of the kids.

‘What a nice lie’, the ladies man, Ravi remarked. ‘Thought you didn’t care?’

‘I’m going back there’.

‘What did you just say?’, his face perplexed.

‘I figured out what that book was.’ I went on trying to back up my decision, ‘It was a book filled with strategies for escaping. We can finally leave her!’.

‘Abd do what? Chase after your brother? That’s the whole motive behind this isn’t it?’

‘This has nothing to do with him’.

‘He’s gone. Just face it. Like all the others before him and soon like us, he’s gone’.

His blunt words hit home.

‘I’ll make it out of here. I will’.

‘And do you think if any of them had succeeded you’ll be with that book right now?’

I was dumb founded not just by his smart observation but the icy cold look in his eyes. I had never seen such a look on his face before. I never knew he was capable of such a look.

‘Look I know bu-‘

‘ You haven’t even told their parents and here you wanna go commit suicide’. He said with a look of disgust on his face, ‘ You disgust me. I can’t believe how inhumane you can be. Your friends died and you feel nothing!’

He burst into tears, ‘Cindy died and you feel nothing… She had a crush on you for goodness sake!!’

I looked down trying to avoid his teary gaze. I knew. I knew she had feelings for me but I didn’t reciprocate them. I acted like I was ignorant. Listening to myself now, even I am a little bit disgusted by my actions. Just a little.

‘I’m sorry’, I said turning to leave. ‘But my mind’s made up. Goodbye, Ravi’.

‘You fuck’n bastard! I hate your ass!!’, he yelled as I faded from view.

If I had to look like the bad guy to save us all from what’s in that forest and get out of this town… Then I’m down for the job.

The town was dull, dark and gloomy as usual. The adults were out and about their normal business. The mail man going from house to house, the gardener was busy in his clients bushes as well. Looked like a creep stalking me as he looked up over the hedge to wave at me. The children played tic-tac-toe on the streets and in the parks. As I took a left, I entered Cindy’s street, the place wasn’t as shiny as it was when we were kids or even as it was a few days ago.

We met her when we were kids. She was being chased by dogs and I was wandering around town looking for awesome stones to collect when we bumped into each other. The dogs came to munch on the both of us, so I grabbed her by the hand and we ran all the way to the park. When the dogs saw the adults that were there they gave up their pursuit. We played for a while at the park before my brother came and picked me up. And after that day we kept meeting up at the park and playing. She’d even invite me over to her house for a play date or lunch and I’ll end up sleeping over at times. As time went on we became really close and ended up meeting the rest of the gang.

As stepped on the lawn I looked to my right and saw the mail with ‘Xavier’s’ written on it and I got cold feet. Her full name was Cindy Xavier. Knocking on the door sent my heart to the moon. I froze and anticipated the worst as I heard the foot steps draw closer to the door.

‘Oh, it you Jett’, Mr. Xavier said. ‘How can I help you this fine morning?’.

You must be blind to look at this dark depressing sky and call this a fine morning.

‘Act.. actually it’s Cin… Cindy’, I stuttered. ‘She’s… missing’.

‘Don’t worry’, he replied with a wide smile. ‘ She’ll turn up eventually like all the others’.

I felt like punching this asshole in the groin.

‘Well if that’s all, I’ve gotta get back to was I was doing. Have a nice day’.

See. They don’t care. They never do. Even for their own kids.

‘What happened to my sister?!’, Preci asked. She was Cindy’s younger sister. Looked exactly like Cindy but like Tess was a freckled beauty and had braces on. She had short hair, shoulder high at most.

‘Nothing’.

‘So where is she?’, she queried as she drew closer. She was always the inquisitive type and very skeptical.

‘Don’t worry’.

I left before she could ask me anything else but I could still fill her icy stare on me as I walked away as fast as I could. I didn’t have time for all this. I had to start my preparations for my return to the forest on the next sunny day.