"Lucia. Go!" A shout from behind the girl sounded, startling her and causing her heart to jump in her throat. Her lungs were aching as she fought to breathe in the stale night air, terror shooting throughout her veins. Everything was going downhill, the whole plan had failed. They were going to be found out.

Large hands pushed her forward and she was suddenly in motion again, unfreezing from her moment of fear. "Lucia, are you fucking deaf? I said 'go'." A harsh voice growled in annoyance. It was Jackson. His dark hair was ruffled with the night wind and stubble lined his prominent jaw as it was set in a stubborn and annoyed expression. His dark eyes were worried, though, as he gave the small girl another push. "C'mon," He urged and began practically dragging her.

Lucia's feet stumbled along the uneven forest ground, hand tightening around Jackson's. "But, what about the others?" She argued, trying to keep up with his long strides compared to her shorter ones.

The older boy seemed about to hesitate, brown eyes troubled. But, it didn't take him long to shake his head. "They've survived this long, they know what to do." And continued to tug further, avoiding the closely knitted trees. Lucia continued to get scratches and cuts along her face and legs, longer branches and overgrown brush cutting into her pale skin.

Her lungs felt like they were going to burst, but she couldn't slow down with Jackson's hand wrapped around hers in a death grip. Everything was flying past in a blur and her vision was narrowing down to a tunnel, warning her that she was close to unconsciousness. Lucia tried to gasp out his name, tried to warn him of her weak state.

But, she couldn't.

Instead, she fell. Bony knees hit the pine-needle covered ground, scraping in the dirt. Everything felt heavy, her head, her shoulders, everything. Lucia could hear Jackson's footsteps, rushing to her side, his voice sounded a million miles away, but she could tell he was shouting her name, screaming in horror. But, she was too busy with the pain in the back of her mind. It felt like something was trying to crawl inside, steal everything away.

Everything calmed to a point within seconds, narrowing the pain and blackness to a small center. And everything she had once known was gone. When the girl re-opened her eyes the inside rim of gold had been taken and in its place was a ring of reflective blue. She was gone.

The girl awoke with a loud gasp, eyes flying open and arms reaching out in a defensive way. Everything was black and she started to panic, heart beating wildly fast and painfully slamming against her rib cage. Lucia wanted to scream, shout for help, but just as she sucked in a huge breath, two hands reached out from the darkness and took ahold of her shoulders.

She would have screamed or yelled, if it hadn't been for the soothing voice that followed. "Lucia, sweetheart, are you okay?" She would have recognized that voice anywhere.

"Jackson," She breathed in, heart race finally slowing down as she reached forward, thin arms wrapping around the boy's neck, tugging him in tightly. He accepted the gesture, pulling her forward so that her legs wrapped around his torso as he sat up against the wall.

"Another nightmare?" He asked in a soft murmur, free hand running through her bed-ridden hair.

Lucia sighed deeply into his neck, her warm breath tickling back to her face; she nodded slightly, a frown forming. "Same thing?" Jackson asked, pushing the subject further.

Again she nodded, remembering when she had first told Jackson of these nightmares and the way he had nodded in an understanding way. She wasn't the only one afraid and in fear of the alien invasion that had taken ahold of earth years ago. But, it affected Lucia in the form of dreams, well, rather nightmares. Ever since the damned beings that had invaded their planet took every single member of her family had Lucia began having these bizarre dreams of being possessed in the way that the alien parasites took over other human bodies.

"You're going to be alright, I would never let anything touch you." He promised, moving back slightly to peck her forehead. This gesture sent a certain calmness throughout her body, untensing her shoulders and back and melting into the older boy's embrace, feeling the slight curve to his stomach and sharpness of his collarbone.

"I love you, Jackson." She murmured into his neck.

He gently ran his free hand under her chin and tilted Lucia's head to face his. Her eyes had finally adjusted to the dark space, recognizing the damp walls of their forest sanctuary, their small room one of many. She could make out Jackson's graceful facial structure and dark eyes intently staring back into hers.

She didn't hesitate to lean forward and kiss the boy, mouths curving against each other's. She busied herself with the way his tousled hair wound perfectly around her fingertips and the way he seemed to pull her closer by the small of her back, never seeming to want to let go.

Jackson gently nibbled on her bottom lip before moving with quick and fluid movements, changing their position from sitting to him hovering over her, his tall and hard body practically covering hers.

"Are you still scared?" He murmured the question, warm mouth playfully and teasingly running across Lucia's collar bones, stopping for a second to gently peck the hollowed space near her neck and continuing onwards to the other side.

Her breath was caught in her throat as he did this, distracting her from the terrifying thoughts that invaded her mind. She pictured the Seekers finding their hiding spot and making hosts out of all of them, tearing away any sense of freedom or independence. Killing them. Plain murder.

Being reminded of the nightmare, she could only nod, not trusting her voice with the way he kept busily moving his lips upwards towards her neck, sucking gently on the vulnerable skin and how his free hand, that wasn't supporting his weight, kept running soothingly up and down her side.

Lucia could feel his smile against her skin and he slyly crept his mouth more upwards, tracing her curved jaw with his lower lip, occasionally pausing to kiss the sharper parts where the bone jutted a bit more. He seemed determined to play this out as long as possible, ever so slowly making his way up to her lips and then pausing, seeming to wait for her to break in impatience.

Which is exactly what happened.

With a slight feeling of annoyance, she unfroze her body and took control, slim hands finding their way to the back of his neck and pulling his face down to meet hers. She bit his lower lip somewhat roughly, tugging on the delicate skin.

But, all Jackson did was smirk. "Feeling a bit anxious, hmm?" And she quickly quieted him with her mouth, enjoying the taste of him and feeling content.

Breaking apart, he was still smiling, straight teeth showing. "Now are you still scared?" He asked quietly, running his thumb across her swollen lower lip.

She couldn't say she was still frightened now. In this moment, there was nothing to be feared. She was safe with Jackson, hidden away far from any parasite or alien, and that was all that mattered.

Smirking slightly, she replied. "You do seem to have a knack at being distracting." It was meant to be a compliment, and he definitely took it as one.

"We still have a few hours till sunlight, still tired or?" He continued, glancing towards their makeshift door made out of an old sample of plywood, it was close against the grimy wall, muffling most of their noises.

Lucia had to admit, despite Jackson being teasing and getting her heart rate up, she was still exhausted from yesterday's raiding for food. Her hands were still sore and bruised from all the bow shooting she had endured, their group taking full advantage of her skilled hands.

Even with her lack of response the boy could tell she was ready to return to sleep and made the final decision for her, carefully moving off of her and laying down beside her instead. Without hesitating, Lucia turned to her side, placing her head against Jackson's chest and listening to the steady rhythm of his heartbeat.

"You'll be alright, I'm right here." Jackson reminded her in a sincere and calm tone, tightening his grip around her and leaving his hand to rest on her waist.

"I know," She murmured, tilting her head up to kiss his jaw before settling back into place and falling into a calm slumber.

The next time Lucia woke up it was to a slight shaking of her shoulder, warm hands grasping at the light skin. "Babe, time to go." Jackson's voice reminded her and she groaned slightly before opening her eyes.

The light from their small and slanted window came in and burned her eyes viciously, causing Lucia to bring a hand up to shield them from the brightness. She was surprised, though, to find herself well rested, the only pain coming from her worn down hands and blistered feet. Despite those few things, everything was fine.

Jackson was busily preparing their packs, putting in bottles of water and a few food items. Lucia's bow and arrows were leaned against the wall, prepared for their day of scavenging and hunting.

Now in the light she could see her companion in full view and she watched for a moment as he worked. She scanned over the way he would furrow his eyebrows in complete concentration and how his hands couldn't keep still, they were constantly moving to accomplish the little details and small adjustments. She admired the way his full mouth was pursed as he concentrated and the stubble lined his jaw and sharp cheekbones.

Jackson looked up, brown eyes meeting her golden ones. "Might want to take a picture, it'll last longer." He joked, smiling cockily at her.

She playfully rolled her eyes at him. "Someone's quite confident in themselves." Her comment only received a wink as he went back to finishing the packing for their trip.

Lucia eventually got up, stretching her arms above her head and listening to the satisfying cracks her joints and bones made. She shivered slightly in her long t-shirt that hit mid-thigh, missing the warmth of Jackson.

She got up anyways, despite the chill of the spring morning, and crossed the room to him. He looked up from his work and smiled before she wrapped her arms around his torso, enjoying the heat that seemed to constantly envelope him.

"Sweetheart, we really have to get going, they need their best hunter going." Jackson reminded her, but he sounded almost hesitant, as if he'd much rather curl back up on the bed, their bodies pressed against one another without a worry in the world.

Lucia sighed deeply, "I know, it's just-" She cut herself off; knowing whatever she wanted to say was useless. Their planet was invaded and they were all wanted fugitives, nothing could go back to normal, peaceful ignorance. There was work to be done.

She shook her head, "No, you're right." And with a quick peck on his soft lips, retreated to go get dressed.

The couple left their room within ten minutes, Lucia dressed in her gear that consisted of jeans, a black shirt, and a sweater to go over it. Despite it being spring, the state of Washington was still chilly in the mornings.

A bracer made of leather was strapped tightly to her left forearm and she was busily checking to see if her finger tab and thumb ring were correctly attached as they walked down the narrow hallway to their slightly underground forest bunker.

The walls were half brick, half dirt and she was constantly watching the ground so she wouldn't trip over a root. Their whole group had had to build the bunker from scratch, they were fortunate enough to have an engineer on the team. Without Kevin, their engineer, they probably would have been found or living in the rough terrain.

"Who's all in the hunting party?" She absently asked Jackson, taking a moment to latch the nitch on her quiver and make sure all her arrows were correctly placed and intact.

The tall boy was busy with his own preparations as they walked together, tightening a side sheath that held two knives along his waist. "You, I, Clyde, and Jasey." He spoke in a rougher voice now, a voice Lucia referred to as his 'survival' voice. Whenever the two weren't just alone together Jackson's voice seemed to become deeper and much more menacing.

Lucia nodded and turned sharply towards the stairs that would lead to above ground. Their bunker was much more a cellar than anything, cleverly disguised by tree roots, leaves, and other forest debris. No one would ever suspect anything unnatural.

Lucia's boots clanged against the metal stairs as she reached the top, taking a deep breath and warily moving her hand towards the latch that would release the flat door to the outside world. She didn't know what it was about opening this door and releasing herself to the outside world, maybe it was the fact that it made her feel vulnerable, or possibly the way she felt so exposed to anything and everything.

Thinking about it made her feel an intense hate and anger. She shouldn't have to feel so fearful of simply being outside in a planet that she belongs to humans. She shouldn't have to be hiding in a musty hole in the ground or have to hunt with a bow and arrow to survive. Waves of disgust rolled in the pit of her stomach and with no hesitation she moved quick fingers over the locks and popped open the wooden shaft.

The outside air was damp and full of moisture, though she had expected this. Washington was always wet.

It took a moment for Lucia's eyes to adjust and when they did she saw how the morning sun was trying its hardest to peak through the constant covering of clouds, but to no avail did it succeed in its poor attempts, only letting a poor inkling of light shine through.

Jackson stepped out right after her, protectively giving the grounds a once over, eyes scanning the crowds of trees that had moss growing up to its branches and the dirt covered floor, making sure no other being was around.

Though, of course, there were two other people already waiting for them, although they recognized the pair right away. It was Clyde and Jasey, their other two companions.

Clyde was a tall boy in his late twenties, his slicked back black hair didn't stand out much in the dull foresty area, but it did make the green in his eyes pop when he turned a stare at you. Lucia had always felt uneasy around him, as if he was slightly crazy, as if something was missing.

Jasey, on the other hand, was as friendly as anyone could get. The younger girl just had a certain charm about her that made it impossible to dislike her. She was always offering to help or lend a hand, hence why she was on this dangerous hunting trip. Although, she wasn't much a hunter, she was probably the only other volunteer.

"Finally," Clyde spoke, standing up straight from his earlier position slouched up against the tree. His hunting weapon of choice was a crossbow that hung limply in his hands.

"Where are we taking? The north west border?" Jasey asked with enthusiasm, binoculars strapped across her neck as she smiled at Lucia and Jackson.

Lucia was the one to answer, clipping her bow onto the clasp on her quiver. "No, we're going to tackle the south side. The herd of deer was moving that way last time we checked the markers." Jasey seemed fine with this statement, obviously up for anything. But, Clyde glared slightly at the short girl, eyes narrowing.

"Who made you leader?" He sneered, more than obviously in one of his moods.

Jackson was about to step in, jaw set tightly. But, Lucia held up a patient hand, quieting him before he could even begin. "No one has appointed me as 'leader', Clyde. I was simply going with the logic of following the herd." Her argument was valid and non-arguable, mostly because if they wanted to catch something, they'd have to track it first.

Though he was plainly unhappy with it, Clyde grumpily followed the other three as they started their trek through the thick forest.

It was a peaceful walk, no disturbances from vehicles in the sky overheard and no sudden movements in the forest. It was just the four of them, Jasey constantly sticking close to Lucia's side, Clyde grimacing and grumbling in the middle, and Jackson taking up the rear, keeping an eye out for anything suspicious.

Lucia was the main hunter of the group, having a keen eye and a good sense of when and where to shoot. It wasn't that she enjoyed the activity; she sort of hated seeing the look of desperation some of the animals would give as they took their last dying breath. It reminded her that even though she saw the aliens as monsters, she was no better herself.

They followed the deer tracks for a few miles, occasionally stopping to check their placing and direction, Clyde did most of that work though, he always a knack with maps and compasses.

After the third mile it didn't take them long to find the herd of deer. Jasey was the first to notice the grouping standing in a clear off field of white flowers and tall green grass.

"Look," She has whispered in excitement, pointing towards the herd of two males and four does, all grazing contently, unaware of the harm that hung over them like a storm cloud.

Lucia did watch with interest, her eyes scanning the animals.

All of them were fattened up from the generous spring growth, lean muscle obvious against the bones. They all looked so peaceful and harmless that Lucia had no want to pull her bow and arrow from the quiver.

But, she had to.

If they didn't bring home something the younger ones would end up starving. The whole group was low on everything lately. They were all lucky that the harsh winter was over and the good weather was well on its way.

Feeling reluctant, Lucia pulled her bow from the quiver along with an arrow. She felt the familiar weight of each the tools before organizing them in her hands, pushing the end of the arrow against the string of the wooden bow. She could feel the tenseness of it in her arms as she pulled back more.

Lucia was aiming for the bigger buck, the biggest one of them all. It was unaware of the four humans hiding in the bushes, waiting for the exact moment to shoot.

Clyde dared to speak, his breath hitting Lucia's next because of how close he was. "Shouldn't we try the crossbow, it's much more accurate." She could hear the snide in his tone and immediately knew he just wanted to annoy her.

But, she shook her head in a way full of authority. "No, I'm more accurate than your little contraption any day." She heard Jackson snicker at her comment from a few feet behind.

Clyde backed off, obviously disappointed that he hadn't gotten more of a reaction out of her.

With renewed concentration, she re-aimed the arrow at the buck, her nimble fingers pulling back at the tight drawstring.

The rest of the group was dead quiet, patiently waiting for her arrow to make its mark.

And just as she was about to let go and let the arrow sail to its mark, an odd noise stopped her.

It was a deep rustling of leaves and grass, somewhere not far off and to Lucia's right. Her head snapped in curiosity, green eyes widening in surprise and fear.

She wasn't the only one to hear the strange movement. The deer, whom had been oblivious before, were now all sticking their heads up and before anyone knew what was going on, the herd was on the run again.

The hunting group were all too tense and in fear to do or say anything about the meal vanishing. All of their eyes were targeted on the one area the noise was coming from. Even Jasey, who's usually good in these types of situations, was locked in fear.

Lucia re-directed her arrow to face the movement of leaves, ready to let it fly if it was a Seeker.

But, what came out of forest brush surprised even her.

It was a boy, no older than nineteen, with a disarray of black hair that was tangled with leaves and twigs. His clothes were ripped and dirt stained. Bruises were lined under his eyes as if he had suffered many sleepless nights.

But, the thing that really held Lucia back was his eyes.

They were a blazing blue, almost translucent like a crystal; they stood out scarily in comparison to such dark hair and light skin. But, in the center of his iris, lining the black of his pupil was a silver lining of light.