Shade's Orphan

Chapter Two: Creatures Abound

Climbing the fence was a difficult task to accomplish, but it was the massive fences or take the risk of meeting Ferrets, Watchwards, Drones, awake Myrmidons and god only knows what else. Half-way up, Sarah stopped for a breather.

" Whew. This is harder than I thought," wheezed Sarah.

" It only gets harder from here on out," remarked George.

" Don't look down. It helps," added Hannah.

Sarah, like all human beings, looked down and immediately wished she hadn't. The fences were 100 feet high, and Sarah could feel the contents of her lunch rising.

" Ugghh, I don't feel so good," moaned Sarah.

Holding onto the fence with one hand, she held her stomach with the other and heaved, splattering the fence with undigested carrots, beef and mash potato. Having taken her hand off Jack, the Dorms flew into chaos.

Watchwards, suddenly aware of Sarah, rushed to the bottom of the fence. Quickly, one raised a mind-call to its head to warn the Overlords of the attempting escapee. A shrill and piercing scream could be heard, meaning to wake sleeping Myrmidons in the distance quickly, but it was still loud enough to cause Sarah to put both hands to her ears. It was a long way down.

" No! " cried Rick, desperately trying in vain to hold on to Sarah's legs.

" Sarah!" screamed Hannah.

" Aaaaggghhh!" gasped Sarah.

She tried to grab onto the fence again, but only succeeded in breaking her fingers. She cried again with pain, and flipped over in mid-air, to see the ground rushing up too quickly to meet her.

She was lucky. Amazingly, she managed to fall on the Watchward with the mind-call, landing in a crumpled heap of broken bones, blood and ichor on the ground. She was winded, and didn't have the strength to manage more than a few shuddering breaths as the creatures advanced on her.

" We have to get her back," said George.

" How are we supposed to get her fifty feet up and in serious danger from being spotted?" asked Jack.

" She's my friend! If you're not going back, then I am!"
And with that, George started to climb down much quicker than he climbed up. He jumped the last ten feet, then rugby-tackled the Watchward nearest Sarah. The Watchwards, now aware of another escapee, retreated urgently back to their posts as Myrmidons armed with net guns were seen in the distance. Jack wondered about the possible outcomes, then made up his mind.

" I'm going back too," said Jack, starting to clamber down.

" What?" asked Hannah, following him.

" I can still feel that tingling feeling. It makes me and anything I touch invisible. The Myrmidons can't shoot what they can't see," replied Jack with confidence.

" I'll be waiting here for you," said Rick.

Jack was about to argue, but thought better of it. Rick usually got what he wanted. If he said he was staying, he was staying.

" All right," remarked Jack.

" Hold onto me," Hannah said suddenly.

" What?"

" Hold onto me. I can feel something…I think I can jump this," replied Hannah.

" Are you crazy! We're a FIFTY FEET UP!" asked Jack, staring at her unbelievingly.

" Just don't let go," answered Hannah. She reached across, grabbed Jack by his shirt, and then leaped up another five feet, letting go of the fence. Jack cried out as they went tumbling down.

" IDIOT!"