The trees around them grew taller as they ran deeper into the forest. The flat valley was quickly disappearing into the distance far behind them. Some lights could still be seen flashing near the farmhouse that was now barely a smudge on the horizon, ever fading as they pressed deeper into the underbrush.

Their faces stung from low hanging branches that mercilessly whipped them as they battled through the darkness, like invisible leafy whips hidden under the shadow of the thickening tree canopy.

Stumbling over giant roots, they forced themselves to a stop against a large tree, then circled it until they were on the opposite side.

“W-wait!” Anne called.

She struggled to catch her breath and leaned with her back against the tree’s coarse bark.

“I think- we are ok. Far. Enough,” Anne breathed loudly as she looked around the dark forest. Their temples pounded. Tom dropped down on a thick root running along the ground and began to vigorously rub his stinging legs. The forest was dead silent except for the wind rustling the branches above.

“Do you think someone followed us?” Anne whispered.

Tom shook his head, gazing into the darkness around them.

The farmhouse was now entirely out of sight. They embraced the quiet, gradually calming their wild heartbeats. Tired from the running, they tried to make sense of everything that happened at the farm these past few days. Yet the only thing that flooded their minds were the shudders of confusion that swept back and forth between them, mingled with the fear of being hunted.

The flapping of wings made them look up, searching the canopy above them. Although it was dark, silver rays would shine through the thick canopy when the leaves and branches moved in the wind. A branch overhead shook as a large winged silhouette landed on it, stretching out its large wings before tucking them away.

Is that a bird?

Anne and Tom froze in place, not wanting to draw any attention, for the bird had an intimidating size.

It’s bigger than me! Anne realized with shock. The weight of the bird slumped the branch enough for a stream of moonlight to beam through, basking it in an eerie glow. It had a giant beak covering its entire face and no eyes could be seen.

The beak snapped once, then moved around as if it was searching.

Anne’s foot slipped off a root when she shifted her weight, crunching some dry leaves, and the owl creature’s beak snapped in the air in response. Her muscles tensed as she tried to stay perfectly still. They looked on in horror as the owl’s chest tore open, revealing a giant yellow eye inside, staring straight at Anne. The eye was throbbing.

The owl’s pupil narrowed, sending a stinging pain shooting through Anne’s body. Her limbs refused to move as she stood paralyzed, held firmly by an unseen force. Anne could feel the owl’s mind tugging on her own, trying to breach it. The contact was brief and with a horrific screech, the owl’s mind retracted, shutting its eye and spreading its wings. The owl fled with great haste, leaving them in silence yet again.

Anne had regained control of her body, but the fear and confusion intensified as they left the large tree and continued deeper.

They wandered the forest for hours. Their bodies and minds were weary.

We are nowhere. Again. What do we do now? Anne tried her best to focus on their situation.

Her thoughts turn to that scarlet scene, and her last few hours with Tiffany sleeping under the tree. She took a few steps toward a dead tree stump lying on its side with small white and purple mushrooms that had grown from between its cracks.

Tiff. John. Was it our fault?

Anne reached out to feel the mushroom when the muscles in her neck and back tighten in alarm.

What!? Where?

Anne looked around, searching the darkness.

Tom!

Tom was lying flat on his back, pinned to the ground by a hooded figure on top of him. Tom struggled, but he is firmly held in place. A loud buzz and a flash of blue light nearly blinded Anne. Tom clenched his jaw as his body contracted, and moments later the blue light was gone.

Tom laid silent.

“No! Get off him!” Anne ran at the figure without a thought. The figure stood up and the blue light flared again, crackling loud as tendrils of lightning danced through the air. The light revealed a man, clothed in black. Lightning arced from his right hand and multiple red spheres lined his face, glowing faintly. Azure streaks painted the sky as he moved and before she could react, she felt her feet leave the ground. Her small body dangled in the air as the man held her by her throat.

She squirmed and clawed at the man’s arm as she tried to escape, but the man was too powerful. His big hand was holding her firmly, nearly crushing her neck.

Gagging noiselessly, she choked and struggled.

The surrounding trees were ablaze with light, like pillars of azure flame. The man moved his hand right up to her chest.

…Tom.

***

Anne opened her eyes. The world was a stark orange. Her eyes refused to focus. Faint rattling and humming sounds were heard around her.

A drop of blood rolled down the side of her arm, leaving a warm streak. Anne tilted her head to follow the line of blood back up her arm from where it flowed. Her wrists were bleeding as she was suspended in the air. Large steel cuffs were attached to her small wrists as she hung from them, arms spread apart, with two more cuffs that dug into her skin just above her feet.

She could not make out much more of her surroundings, her blurry vision making the orange around her swim and melt together.

“Quite the runners these two.” An unknown voice laughed. The voice sounded inches from Anne’s face, but she could not be sure.

“They should be awake soon.”

“Yeah well, they are in for a long ride since that bridge collapsed.”

“Cut the chatter back there. I’m opening a comm line to the LC.”

They went quiet. A high-pitched beep could be heard soon after.

“Darn it. No answer. Let me try again.”

Another high-pitched beep resounded through the air.

“Lieutenant colonel Marcus? … This is Sergeant Gibbs reporting in about the sighting.”

“Good, what are your findings? Make it quick sergeant.” Marcus’s voice boomed from the radio.

“Yes, sir!” Gibbs answered, his voice a bit shaken.

“It appeared the sighting was on point, sir. We have captured two entities. One boy, one girl. They match the descriptions.”

“Well, I’ll be damned. John came through,” Marcus mumbled.

“Did John say anything more about them when you were there?” Marcus continued.

“Sir.” Gibbs paused. “He got V.D.”

There was a long stretch of silence. Only the persistent humming and the sporadic rattle could be heard.

“What is your ETA?” Marcus said in a low, controlled voice.

“We need to take some back roads, but that will slow the convoy.

ETA is 04:14,” Gibbs replied.

“Still about 2 hours away, huh? Just get here in one piece, sergeant. I’ll have a containment team waiting. Just keep those two sedated until we are sure what we are dealing with. Marcus out.” The call ended.

A few minutes passed before the conversation picked up again. “S-sir?” Another man’s voice could be heard.

“Sir. Permission to ask a question, sir.” The man said. He sounded younger than the others.

“Isn't that a question already?" a woman asked.

A few soldiers laughed.

"Speak up there private. Ask away.” Another man answered.

I can… I can make out at least five voices. Are we in one of those… armored vehicles? Anne observed.

“Sir, who are these children? I know this was a capture operation, but why? And why the restraints? Why all the security?”

“You did read the sitrep, didn’t you?” The man replied.

“There was a sitrep?” The young man replied, and everyone burst out laughing again.

“Private. I’ll fill you in, but only this once.” A serious voice came from within the laughter.

“Are you familiar with the 'The Incident'?” The stern man asked.

“Y-yes.” The young man answered softly.

“Well you see, after The Incident they started research into dealing with the aftermath. V.D. events were widespread. So, people that were suitable for testing were identified as ‘entities’ and were used to develop the cure as we know it today.”

The laughter had quieted, and everyone was listening.

“The thing is,” he continued.

“That was over fifty years ago. These entities are the youngest I have ever heard of. Too young. The research ended after the cure was synthesized four years after The Incident, and even then, they were all adults.”

“I… I don’t understand.” The young man murmured.

“These entities are not supposed to exist! The youngest entities were just over twenty years old when the project began, and would now be old enough to be your grandparents.” The response came bluntly.

“There is a facility a few hours from where we found these two, but it was abandoned years ago, taken back by the forest. That is why we are investigating this anomaly and taking these entities to the lab.

Read the mission details next time!”

The man grumbled, clearly irritated.

The young man didn’t have any more questions and the rest stayed silent. Anne could hear the humming of the vehicle around her again.

A faint screech could be heard, and Anne and Tom swung from side to side with the movement of the vehicle.

“Why are we stopping?” One of the men asked.

“I don’t know.”

A familiar high-pitched beep sounded.

“Lead, this is Unit Three. Why are we stopping?”

“Lead?”

A shockwave shook the vehicle and light burst through the front window, illuminating the inside for a moment. The armored car in front of them spun through the air as it was thrown by a huge explosion.

Chaos ensued as the car behind them also disappeared in a flash of orange flames.

Incoherent yells mingled with the sounds of gunfire sounded around them outside. Then the world tumbled.

***

Anne’s ears rang.

She only saw a haze of orange fire as she hung limply from her shackles. Tom’s chains had torn out from the floor when the vehicle rolled. It ended up on its roof, from which Anne was now dangling by her feet. Tom was still unconscious. Anne could feel herself turn pale as her battered and bruised body yearned to surrender.

The flicker of flames around them revealed the bodies of the other passengers. They were all wearing the same jet-black gear that the man in the forest wore.

Two figures appeared, crawling through the back of the vehicle where the door had been forced open. Anne felt the strangers free her feet from the cuffs. She saw Tom get picked up and carried out the back of the vehicle and a pair of strong arms then gently held her as she too was carried through to the outside.

Anne’s body loosened as her consciousness left her.

The last image to leave her mind was that of the overturned armored car shrinking into the distance, with both her small arms still chained to the roof inside.