Run

'If I had known that I'd be spending half of my lifetime running away from unknown creatures, I would have practiced running since I was a kid.'

Szeina let Yvann pull her as they sped through the forest. The trees were looking more knitted together on this part.

If she placed a bet, Yvann didn't even know where they were going. The only thing in his mind right now was to distance themselves from the upcoming chaos. Whoever or whatever that was.

After a few more minutes of running. Szeina gently tugged on Yvann's hand. She can no longer keep up. The exhaustion, hunger and thirst made her lose the strength to keep moving.

Her adrenaline rush left her deflated and gasping for breath.

"Can we…" she trailed off, placing a hand over her heart. "Stop for a minute?"

Yvann wanted to argue, but he thought better about telling her of the danger that they can be in. He, too, has finally reached his limit. The color from his face had drained him pale, and it was only at that point that he realized what kind of day they have had.

"I think we have gone as far as we could."

Szeina shook her head.

"There's no telling what is in store for us. Whatever those are, our companions seemed so eager not to get captured. I have no plans of getting chained once more."

'Or have another rampage which I can't even remember.' Szeina added as an afterthought, but kept that to herself.

To say the least, it frustrated her for not being able to recall the scenario in her head. It was as if her memory of that part of their escape was wiped clean.

How was that even possible?

She knew it was possible for a vampire to mess with one's head. She had quite the habit of reading something like that before.

It never occurred to her she'd be associating herself with it in her reality, though.

Yvann opened his mouth to respond. However, Szeina held her hand, halting him from talking when she heard a rustling noise coming close.

She and Yvann exchanged nervous glances. Her eyes looked from left to right. She was trying to figure out a good place to hide.

They were in the middle of a forest. Only the big, imposing trees provided them some sort of shelter. But it can't hide them from whatever creature was after them.

At least not fully.

Unless…

Szeina pulled Yvann close to her. She whispered in his ears.

"Do you know how to climb?"

Yvann stared at Szeina. He thought she was joking, but the determined look on her face told him otherwise.

"Yes. What do you have in mind?"

"Then, let's not waste time. I have no plans to get captured. Again."

--

The rustling intensified right after Yvann pulled Szeina to rest on the branch with him. The thick leaves of the gigantic tree hid them from plain sight.

If their pursuer would look up, he or she will have to squint more in order to figure where they were perched.

Hearing the sound of footsteps, Yvann caught Szeina's gaze. She was keeping her silence as he was. Neither of them dared to make a sound, lest their cover would be blown.

All of this would have been for nothing.

The climb was not even easy. They had to help each other out from time to time. But this was the more practical choice for them right now.

Trying to run further in the direction they were going earlier on might prove fatal.

They cannot tell what kind of enemy waited for them on the other side.

Directly below the tree, Yvann and Szeina watched with intense silence a red-headed woman emerging from the other side of the forest.

Her weird looking clothes hang around her body like a sack, the side holes were enough to have her arms out and move freely.

She was thin, pale and, from the looks of it, she was trying to sniff the air. Her head was moving in every direction.

Shortly after, another red head joined her. This time, it was a male. But like the woman, he too was wearing what appeared to be nothing but a sack for clothes.

With the two of them simultaneously sniffing the air, Yvann could only hope that they don't find anything.

The leaves didn't fully save nor conceal them from view.

  A change of angle and the two of them would be discovered.

The sound of hooting sounded once more. Yvann was beginning to think that it must be their signal.

It appeared to be so as their red-headed pursuers exchanged a brief glance before disappearing from their sight in a flash.

Yvann had to blink and try not to think that he'd gone bat-shit crazy seeing things like what he had just seen now.

"I did not just see that." Szeina murmured, instantly breaking the building silence between.

"Argh! NO!"

Turning towards each other, Yvann recognized that voice. He knew that voice, and there was no denying who it was.

"No," Szeina groaned. "We run as fast as we can to survive and then what? Someone got themselves caught."

"They didn't intend to, Szeina. I'm sure they share the same sentiments as us."

"I know. I'm just voicing my frustration out. Don't mind me."

Yvann sent her an understanding smile, forcing the corners of his lips in doing so.

"Sorry." Szeina added.

"No. You have a point. So that leaves us to make a choice right now. We can't stay up here even if we wanted to. So…" Yvann took a deep breath, looking meaningfully right into her oceanic eyes.

Szeina took a deep breath as well. She held Yvann's gaze.

Logically, it would be a smart move to save themselves and find their way back somehow. That way, they could tell someone and call for help.

But the thing was, if they called for help, how would they even begin explaining what their situation was?

Biting on her lower lip, Szeina let Yvann finish his question.

"To be wise? Or to do something stupid?"