Lucas rushed forward with a flash of light and disappeared, disorienting the people around him. Luckily, nobody knew where he had gone. He had gone home. Never was Lucas so excited to see his house. Though it was small and the paint was peeling off the walls, it was his home, and he loved it. He rushed inside, happy to be there, away from what could have been a nightmare. That happiness was quickly replaced by worry and confusion.
What was Lucas going to do next? Where was he going to go? Would he be taken to the Capitol? Kidnapped? No. Because he was going to flee. Grabbing a small pad of paper and short, overused pencil, Lucas wrote a note to Claus and Flint, letting them know that he would be running away. At least until the Capitol couldn't care less about him, anyway. Then he would return.
Lucas picked up a small bag he used for carrying books back when he used to go to school. He and Claus had gone to school until Hinawa died, then they started working to help support the family. Lucas picked up a small loaf of nut bread from the table, hoping it would be enough to last him the time of his escape. After putting the nut bread into his bag, Lucas scavenged around the room for anything useful. Finding nothing, Lucas stepped outside and was relieved to find that nobody was there.
Lucas began to walk cautiously along the road, worn red and yellow sneakers leaving clean footprints in the just-fallen snow. He began to run after realizing the coast was clear. His bag with the nut bread in it smacked against his side as he ran. Soon he reached the town boundaries, with a chain link fence blocking off the forest beyond. Upon inspection, Lucas noticed the fence had a broken section, just big enough for his slim frame to fit through. Lucas bent down and began to wriggle through the hole.
Lucas almost froze in fear when he heard someone coming. He shoved himself through the hole in the fence as fast as he could, causing his side to get scratched against a sharp link of the fence, ripping his shirt. He winced as he got up and ran.
About 15 minutes of running later, Lucas felt he was deep enough into the forest that he was safe for the time being. He inspected the damage of his wound, which scared him. The wound was 4 inches long, and seemed deep. Dried blood soaked his shirt where it had ripped. Lucas cried. Only then was the pain of the wound beginning to set in. Lucas dropped down to his knees in pain. He spoke some words instinctively, but he wasn't sure why. "PK Lifeup Alpha," he said softly.
He watched in utter fascination as his skin knitted together, the wound closing up quickly. Lucas let out a breath he didn't know he was holding. He was exhausted. He found a suitable tree to climb, and scaled it quickly. He had never climbed a tree before and found himself quite good at it, though his foot slipped a few times.. Sitting on a thick branch, Lucas began to relax. He tore a small piece of nut bread off of the loaf and ate it. He had always like nut bread, though most people didn't.
Tazmily was a poor town and most people struggled to get by. Nut bread was an inexpensive food item that was the most a lot of people could afford, and thus was always in bulk quantity. Most people were ungrateful for nut bread. But Lucas loved the slightly sweet, almost salty taste of the bread, like if almond milk was made into bread, but sweeter. It was almost as good as omelettes. At least he thought so.
Lucas got comfortable in the tree, or a least as comfortable you can be in a tree. Lucas soon drifted off into a quiet sleep.
A loud crash rang through the forest, shaking Lucas awake. He fell out of the tree he was in. Thankfully, the snow blanketed his fall. No sooner than when he got up and shook the fluffy white snow from his freezing face was he met by an Enforcer's gaze.
Enforcers enforced the law. If someone got out of line, they took care of it. If something got out of hand, they handled it. Like police. Lastly, they sent complaints and reports to the Capitol to be reviewed and handled by the Psions. Not much like police. Lucas had always been afraid of Enforcers, ever since he saw one almost kill a shoplifter in public.
Lucas screamed and tried to get away, but just as he did, another Enforcer blocked his path. Multiple Enforcers surrounded him, and Lucas began to panic. This was it. He was going to the Capitol. He would only see his family one day per year, the family he loved...
Love. Lucas felt something odd when he thought of that word, and chills went down his spine that weren't caused by the cold. Gathering his courage, he felt a wave of power overtake him, just as had happened when he teleported. Lucas then called upon his instincts for the correct words to say. He took a deep breath. "PK LOVE ALPHA!" he screamed, not sure why he did.
What happened next was chaotic. The forest was enveloped by cyan, purple and yellow in a fabulous display of hexagons, showering the area in a terrifying display. And then Lucas fainted.
Lucas woke up in a room with tan walls. He was laying on a soft, well-made bed, with blue covers lightly covering him, as if someone had taken great care not to harm him while placing him in the bed, or as if he was a porcelain doll, ready to shatter. The room lightly smelled of wood, a smell that Lucas had always admired. A small table and chair were placed against the wall adjacent to where the bed was. A wooden dresser and bookcase were placed against the wall opposite to where the table was. A window with light brown curtains was next to the bed, curtains slightly drawn, allowing light to spill into the room.
Looking out of the window, Lucas spotted a sign. In colorful but worn letters, it said "Welcome to Onett".
Darude Dogestorm: Thank you so much! I'm glad you think the story is interesting so far!
Guest: Haha yeah, I like to use cliffhangers. I feel cliffhangers are a good way to build suspense and get readers hooked on the story and what will happen next. Honestly though, I just write because I like to do it.
Anyways, I should have the next chapter up in a few days, so bye for now!