Run.

Faster Sketch!

It wasn't that far now.

I couldn't let him find me out here.

The thick trees around me swayed as I weaved between them, dodging their low branches and monstrous roots that wanted to trap me in.

My nimble legs were my advantage as I avoided the vast foliage that grew all around me. It vibrated with a potent energy that claimed everything from the grass to the tallest trees. Everything was so...lively, as if some sort of power was flowing through the veins of the earth. Birds of different accords sang their songs a bit louder in the forest, embracing what was once an occupied land.

But I knew these woods.

I had them memorized within a week of first stumbling across this plane of peace with our group. Our safe haven, our home, and the last hope of our future.

Finding my only solace in the sweet breeze washing through the forest with a low whistle. Running always felt amazing. It was the only time I was truly free, with no restrictions or rules. My lungs were burning like molten ash, but my heart soared with adrenaline. It pushed me to move faster with everything I had, but it still wasn't fast enough.

With the trees thinning in front of me, so was my hope of returning unscathed. People were standing all around in a cluster, more than usual, it made my heart skip in alarm.

Some girls and boys were kicking around an old deflated soccer ball, enjoying the peaceful sounds of nature without a care in the world. I slipped by them, hoping no one noticed my sudden venture out into the woods.

There was a total of twenty-seven of us, all having survived the Great Merge. It was our greatest accomplishment recruiting so many humans in such little time, but our greatest struggle to provide for everyone. Feeding this many people daily was a strain to our resources but I didn't blame them, we all just wanted to survive.

The small ranch was everything we had left, and everything I ever hoped to protect. Maybe one day I'll be able to.

That's when I spotted him.

He was peered out on the porch, standing side by side with our leader, Riley. They were too busy talking to give me a glance, so I made a run for the back door.

Once I had yanked the door open I dove inside, hoping Sam didn't notice my absence.

Safe!

"Look what the cat dragged in!" Riley, our leader, bursted out laughing too preoccupied with my landing to care about my fuming brother beside him.

"Are you stupid?! How many times do I have to tell you? The forest isn't safe, Sketch!" He spat, and just like that everything seemed to rush back to me.

"I didn't even go that far! You're overreacting, like usual."

"You know what time of year it is." he hissed, and Riley stifled. "Either go help with the chores or go to your room."

It was true, the vampires had some sort of sick fantasy for hunting humans in the summer. Even though they desperately hated the swelling heat, they still made their rounds of rounding us up like cattle. My want to see the outside world outweighed the possibility of a vampire clawing out my eyes.

"Whatever Mom!" I stuck my tongue out at him and stomped my feet up the stairs.

I pulled the rusted door open with all my strength, reminding myself that acting like a child was not going to help my situation. My fingers guided along the walls of the deteriorating cream colored wallpaper, chipping lightly away at it. I collapsed onto the bed with a sigh, wishing that Sam would see me as an adult and not just his kid brother anymore.

I wasn't all that angry, Sam really tried his best to be a good brother so I didn't complain all too much. He did act a little bit too much like my mom though, always telling me where I could go and what I should eat. Sam didn't follow to scold me so I dumped the lost items on the bed, and sorted through the different tokens I had acquired today. My grandmother always told me that lost things held power, that whomever had it previously left a part of their soul with it. Sam would then mutter something about her being 'a drunk' and simply ignore her babbles.

Even if Sam thought they were nonsense, I enjoyed them, just as much as her admiration for wild herbs and flowers. After

The only sound I could hear was the creak and croak from the bed. Dust bunnies were my partners as I drifted off, resting in the empty space beside me as a sad reminder that I was alone.

Grandma what's happening!" Sam yelled, over the smoke and flames. My vision was blurry as my eyes continued to water. The heat stung my eyes and the smoke hurt my lungs.

My grandmother was talking in a whisper as if someone else could hear. She was saying something about safety and running away. Sam didn't want to leave her but she didn't look like she wanted to go anywhere. The fire raged on but wouldn't reach us for some reason; as if something were protecting us.

My legs felt heavy as Sam dragged me along and rushed out into the dark night. I leaned onto Sam for support, my eyes never taking far away from him. My eyes hurt but I kept them open. We only stopped for a second giving me time to look back at our grandmothers house. But all I could see were flames building on flames, the cottage not even recognizable.

I wanted to ask Sam if Grandma was okay but before I knew it we were sprinting through the dark forest. I was glad I still remembered my bear that clung to my hand. All my clothes were in those flames, and my belongings.

My heart was hammering and the sound seemed to echo across the dark forest. The cold air nipped at my nose and across my cheeks. I was cold and the night air didn't help to making me warm. Sam wasn't even fazed by the coldness, he just kept running. His hand was warm and comforting and I actually managed a smile for a long time. I had Sam and that's what mattered to me.

My mind was racing, and the deeper we got into the dark forest the colder it got. We kept running.

We always kept running, never looking back.

The ranches earsplitting alarm woke me from my sleep and on reflex my body moved on its own. I hopped to the cracked fogged window, hopeful to catch a glimpse of what we were up against.

My heart raced as I watched our best fighters, girls and boys alike, run to the trees with large, pointy spears.

The trees quaked and the earth trembled as the beasts rushed from the forest discarding its brethren in its wake. These monsters stood at eight feet tall, with grayed branches that extended from its horrific face and back. It was like staring at mother nature's greatest redemption on humanity.

A Saryth.

The scouts were running around like chickens with their heads cut off, trying to get the net gun they made working. I watched as they shot at the first one, taking off its balance and weight. That only made the second one more angry, as it thrashed around, hitting trees aside like they were nothing but twigs. My brother and the leader of our group, Riley, took point and tried to distract the beast in front of them with their pointy agitating spears.

My brother was smiling like an idiot, taunting the creature with his own weapon to draw them apart. Riley had appeared from the beasts blind spot, and made a fatal cut across the first beats stomach slicing a gash into its side like it was paper.

My brother did the same attacking it on it's left side, causing it to swing it's large arm in the direction of my brothers blade. I felt the air chill as Sam and Riley took down the monster in one duo move slicing it in half, grabbing each arm and yanking it down to the earth.

The boy who was handling the net misfired, allowing for enough time for the second Saryth to grab the poor soul in its crushing grip. The screams of the boy were silenced when the beasts roots engulfed his head with its long roots for a mouth.

Make that twenty six.