Chapter 3: Running
Emily stood back and surveyed the small shelter, wiping her hands on the dress she was wearing, the dress that was at that point as full of dirt as her surroundings. But she didn't mind too much, and Paul looked even filthier. He had just half-tripped into their small clearing, arms full of dry sticks and bark. He set it down, then walked next to Emily with an impresses whistle.
"I think it'll last us the night," she said.
Paul snorted. "The night? That'll last for quite some time longer than a night! How'd ye know to make it like tha?"
She shrugged. "Just made it up as I went. Sure hope a breeze doesn't blow it down."
Paul put an arm over her shoulders. "Looks pretty darn sturdy to me. Ye did a wonderful job, love." He moved his arm so he could give her a quick kiss.
She blushed and kissed him back. The fact they were surviving in a muddy wood with little food or safety didn't matter. They still had each other.
They stood in their embrace for a moment longer, then a loud crack startled them back to attention. They pulled apart, knowing they had things to yet be done.
Paul trudged off into the thicket a ways and stood listening. He had a pocket knife ready, as if he were to go jungle man and find meat with nothing more than a puny knife. It was by sheer luck and a good eye that he spotted a raspberry bush instead of an animal, and picked berries for himself and Emily.
Emily, on the other hand, was making the finishing touches to the hut. She had found some rather large oak leaves with which she used to make a roof that wouldn't leak, and was continued to do so from an overhanging branch that allowed her to reach down only an inch before finding the roof. She thought she could detect the telltale scent of rain, that musty smell in the air before each storm, and didn't want to spend the night soaked to the bone.
"So have you seen them, then?" Courtney demanded of Rick, who was now accompanying them through the woods.
Rick shook his head. "Nothing unusual around here lately."
"Big help, ye are," John muttered, kicking a rock in his path.
Courtney ran a hand through her hair, frustrated at what seemed to be a wild goose chase. Had it really been wise to come out here without professional help? she wondered. Then she remembered the brains she was with, namely Stephen and rick, and realized wisdom was not part of the package.
"Courtney, you look cold," Stephen started, "let me-"
"Back off," John growled.
Courtney sighed and began to wish she had forced Stephen to stay back at his apartment. But, it was too late now.
The group of now four pushed through the undergrowth, Courtney and John side-by-side in the lead.
"Think we can ditch the dummies?" John whispered, referring to the two behind them.
Courtney laughed. "If only."
Stephen and Rick didn't notice. They were having a discussion of their own, reminiscing of past days when they had their girls. They were much too loud to take notice of John and Courtney's conversation.
Paul, with the shirt off his back piled up with berries, paused in his gathering. He thought he could hear something, carried over by the wind. It sounded as if someone else were near. Someone who could possibly help. He listened a while longer. It was definitely a person. Two at the least. Blokes talking loudly. He debated about going to get Emily, but was afraid he would lose the other people.
"Be right back, love," he whispered, a promise he intended to keep at all costs. The bundle of berries was placed gently beside the bush, then Paul was off, jogging towards where he could still faintly hear voices. He took stock of his surroundings, so as to find his way back to his love, hopefully with help.
Paul tiptoed through the undergrowth, getting rather good at moving smoothly and quietly. He was quite proud of himself, actually. And he was nearing the loud voices, sounding boastful and happy. He didn't like them, but couldn't figure out why... it was no matter, so long as it was help.
He stepped on a twig that cracked loudly. The voices faltered and Paul took a deep breath. He hadn't thought about what would happen if they were hunters, and hoped they weren't. It was now or never, reveal himself or slink back to his berry bush.
He decided on the former, and acted quickly, before he could change his mind.
"Hullo!" He yelled in a friendly voice, and walked towards the figures he could now see faintly through the leaves.
"Who're you?" One of the loud male voices he heard before challenged, then turned to another, "I'll protect you."
"Oh, come off it," the other said, female. And familiar. He could now see blonde hair as he progressed. "Do you need help?" She asked, looking his way.
"Have ye seen me mate?" Another voice, one really quite familiar, asked.
Paul grinned. "No, Johnnie-boy, I haven't seen George anywhere, nor Ringo. An 's been a long while since I saw a mirror."
"Paul!" Courtney said loudly and excitedly, for it was obvious who the blonde bird was now.
"'Ello to ye, too!" He replied, in good humour.
Then he saw the other two trailing behind John and Courtney. And his whole body stiffened.
John jogged up to his mate and gave him a good man hug, quick and with no romance whatsoever. As he did so, he growled in Paul's ear: "Watch where ye're driving next time, ye git."
Courtney was right behind John, and took her turn at hugging Paul, doing so as one might do to a sibling. She looked around, and her face fell. "Where's Em?" She asked suspiciously.
Paul pointed back. "She's at home base. Safe." He assured her.
"Better be," she said with a nod.
Then, to Paul's surprise, he received another hug, very quick and very sudden. It was Stephen.
"Uh... 'ello," Paul said uncertainly.
Stephen backed away. "Oh. I just thought that's how you British greeted each other."
Courtney sighed and put a hand to her forehead while John snickered and said something about Stephen and gay.
And then Paul re-stiffened as he looked back at the fourth. It was Rick.
Next to him, John put a hand on his shoulder, and gave him a knowing, sympathetic look. It was never pleasant having to deal with your girlfriend's ex. Especially when he obviously hadn't gotten over the failed relationship.
Courtney took the moment to revert attention to getting back to Emily. "And then, maybe we can get out of here!"
"It's this way," Paul said, leading the group to the shelter. He was surprised that certain trees were familiar enough to lead him. And he had thought a tree was a tree, no more!
"Bet she'll be glad to see me," Rick was saying to Stephen, in a typical loud American fashion, "it's been a while. And who wouldn't be glad to see me, really?"
There was a chorus of quiet snorts of disagreement, none of which Stephen or rick noticed.
"She'll take you back in a heartbeat, bro, no doubt." Stephen agreed.
Paul glared straight ahead and thrust aside a tree branch with more violence than necessary, breaking it from the tree.
"Oh, I know she will!" Rick replied, "problem is how to get rid of the foreigner."
Paul's eye began to twitch, but he held his tongue.
"Him? No problem, bro. That foreigner's got nothing!" Stephen encouraged.
Courtney swung around, sick of the two, especially Stephen. "That foreigner has ears. Moron."
Paul found his berry bundle and picked it up. "Almost there," he said to Courtney and John.
"Good," John grumbled, "then can we ditch the idiots?"
Paul grumbled something, then pushed through a final bush, ignoring the scratching. Ahead was the small clearing and the shelter.
Hanging from a tree branch was Emily.
"Love, get down!" Paul said, rushing to stand beneath her in case she needed catching, "ye make me nervous!"
She laughed and climbed down. Then she saw the herd of people behind Paul, Courtney managing the brush just fine only to trip on a rock, john catching her after his struggle through the brush, and the two "bros" still talking loudly.
"Em!" Courtney hollered, regaining her balance with the help of john.
"'Ello!" She replied, hopping to the ground and smiling at her mate. Her first thought went to the joy of seeing her. Then, she realized it was probably a rescue mission, and her smile grew. As fun as being alone in the woods with Paul seemed, it was a lot of work to survive with little sleep.
"Good to see ye're alrigh!" Courtney said, and the two girls hugged. John, undecided whether he was going for a hug, a handshake, or just a friendly wave, found himself being looked at expectantly by the others. He shrugged and went with the hug, nodding first at Paul to communicate his intentions, or lack thereof. He knew that Paul, beneath his charm and manners, had a jealous streak not unlike John's own.
Paul took his turn last, turning a simple hug into a loving embrace.
"Love, it's only been a few minutes," Emily said softly in his ear. As Paul began to pull away, she added, "Not tha 'm complaining!"
He gave her a quick kiss.
Rick cleared his throat, earning fiery glares from the couple that he chose to ignore. "Emily, my sweet, I have come to save you and ride off into the sunset!"
Paul's patience with him broke. "Go find yer own ruddy sunset, this one's for my love and I." He wrapped a protective arm around her.
"What are ye ruddy doing here anyway?" Emily asked, growling as her man had.
Rick wasn't put off in the least. "Girl, I've come to rescue you from that foreign invader, to make you mine once again! I am the knight, and you are my damsel in distress! I will save you from this dragon of a man and we'll live forever in peace and happiness and-"
"Oh, Rick, enough!" Courtney sighed, trying to keep the small amount of peace present.
"If Paul's a dragon, then I must be his dragon bride," Emily growled, as Paul balled up his fists and glared at the American.
"You've been hypnotized, brainwashed," Rick replied, "I'm your true love, remember?"
"No one could love a snake like you, you bloody..." Paul reverted to swearing under his breath, face red with rage.
"Easy, love," Emily said, giving him a quick peck on the cheek. That helped a little.
Meanwhile, Stephen had gathered a bouquet of weeds and knelt down in front of Courtney, doing his best Romeo impression. This did not please John in the least, who had a larger temper and considerably less self-control than Paul. He rushed Stephen, snarling at him to get away from his bird. His fists flew towards Stephen's face, but never hit their target. Courtney had both arms around him, barely restraining him and using all her energy to do so.
"Not here, love, c'mon." She pleaded.
Stephen had fallen on his back and was looking in terror at John.
Rick was beginning to realize the intensity of Paul's anger, as Paul threw a rock at a tree just beside Rick's head. He had missed on purpose, his common sense kicking in at the last second. Everyone was on edge, a real injury not far away.
Emily put a hand on Paul's shoulder, sharing his hatred for Rick, but sensing a fight brewing as the tension in the air rose. She may have hated Rick, but to wish him dead, actually cold and lifeless, was an overstatement.
With the two girls barely holding back the violence, one could almost hear crackling and feel the immense pressure and hate in the air. Testosterone was pumping through each of the males, and they were war ready. Even Rick and Stephen had both gotten to their feet and assumed a cautious fighting stance.
"Hold on, let's take a moment and think," Courtney advised, keeping her voice calm and slow.
"Why don't we-" but Emily's suggestion was lost as a sinister snarl, too animal-like to be from any of the people in the small clearing. Everyone froze, anger and rage quickly replaced by confusion and terror.
"What was that?" John whispered slowly, only to be quickly and quietly shushed by Paul.
"C'mon," Emily breathed, pulling Paul with her towards the shelter, and motioning for the others to follow.
They piled into the hut, in the moment of horror no longer caring that they were close to one another. All the redness fled from the previously angry faces, leaving pale skin around wide eyes.
A grunting-roaring sound came from not too far off, with the lumbering steps of something large.
Emily gripped Paul's arm, screaming only in her mind. She kept thinking, not again. Not again!
Courtney stood close to John, staring nervously at the side of the dense stick and mud shelter where the noise was coming from. She took short, quiet breaths, as did everyone else. Rick and Stephen, idiotic as they were, knew enough to stay as quiet as possible to avoid attention of the mystery creature.
It crawled closer, steps still audible, but noticeably quieter. As if trying to stalk prey, but not quite accustomed to it. The small entrance that they could barely squeeze in to make it inside suddenly seemed way too big and obvious. They could hear it snuffling around the shelter, and waited for it to make its move. It seemed impossible the creature hadn't detected them, not if it had an animal's sense of smell.
And then, there was a deep inhale, followed by a muffled sneeze that still pierced the silent air. Everyone turned their head towards Stephen, who was staring in horror at the arm he sneezed in. He met Courtney's eyes.
"I'm sorry," he whispered as the creature roared and began to claw at the shelter, ripping it apart and throwing the pieces behind itself.
Rick cried out hoarsely, and pushed himself away from the breaking wall. "Run out the door," he said, for the first time with an authoritive tone in his voice. "It's our only chance, go!"
Thinking twice about arguing, Paul grabbed Emily's hand and they ran out first, leading the way for the others.
No one dared look back; curiosity had been killed by fear and the need for flight.
The creature continued wrecking the shelter, its thick walls buying the group some time to run. They were lucky it seemed rather dull.
They ran blindly through the forest, adrenaline powering every step. The shadows were lengthening as the sun set, and every movement was seen as a threat, a danger.
"How far do we run?" John gasped, being nearly dragged by Courtney.
To everyone's surprise, Rick answered, gasping as he did so. "Til we find the building."
Paul gave EC a puzzled look, as Stephen did the same to Rick.
"What?"
Rick shrugged and continued on, too out of breath to answer. The group was slowing down; they couldn't keep up such a wild pace. No one could.
Finally, they stopped, collapsing on the forest floor as the very last of the sun's rays met the trees. There were minutes of panting, then, one by one, they caught their breath.
"Alright, you," John said, facing Rick, "What building?"
"Don't," Paul said, "he's delusional."
Rick shook his head. "No. There's a building. ORIX. They own it. They... it's where I came from." He lowered his eyes, ashamed. Then, he found his arrogance once again. "But it's just a bunch of psycho scientists and their pets."
That captured everyone's attention.
"What kind of pets?" Courtney asked.
Rick shrugged. "Dumb ones. Cats, mostly."
Emily scowled at Rick, being quite fond of cats.
"Just cats?" Courtney pressed.
"Is it important?" Paul asked.
Rick hesitated. "Not just cats..." he seemed about to say more, but a sort of sinister screaming in the distance made everyone jump.
"Everyone thinking we should run, say aye," Courtney said, glancing in the dark nervously.
"Aye," Stephen was quick to reply. Rick did the same, but with a little more hesitation.
A second passed, and another scream sounded, closer. Paul and Emily agreed simultaneously.
"Sounds like a psychotic, angry bird," John commented, trying his hand at a joke, "Best to run from those."
They started up again at a tense jog.
For some reason, Rick led the way. The others were too tires and lost to argue, and it seemed like he knew where he was going. They just ran.
Soon enough, they had real reason to run, for the sound of heavy animal breathing could be heard not far beyond them.
Panting, they picked up the pace. But the creature kept a small distance, never attacking, only following. It was toying with them again.
"How far?" rasped John.
Rick shrugged and pointed ahead, panting too much to talk. There was a light up ahead, man-made. Never before had any of them been so glad to see artificial light.
"C'mon, love, almost there," Paul said between gasps, helping Emily along. Stephen took up the rear, moaning and whimpering when the creature got too close.
A building came into view and the trees were all behind them. Without hesitation, rick ran up to a locked door with a keypad and typed in a four digit code. There was a click, and it unlocked. They all streamed through the doorway, then slammed it shut.