Dashing Through the Woods
Jacoby scowled as he came to from the drugs. His body ached
and the dawn sunlight sent shards of pain into his eyes before he could even
lift the lids. He'd heard that waking up was horrible, but it wouldn't compare
to how he'd feel if he didn't begin moving. If he was waking up, then others
were too. Stumbling to his feet, Jacoby scanned his surroundings, fighting
through the tears that clouded his vision as his eyes adjusted to the light.
There were a lot of trees a few feet in front of him. He could try and walk the
parameter, hope that no one spotted him while he searched for a way around, or
he could head into the thick of it, hope the shadows protected him, and try and
find his way.
He scrubbed a hand over his face. His instincts were
screaming to find cover, which he knew everyone else would be doing. Grinding
his teeth together, Jacoby headed for the trees, quickly scaling one then
jumping to another. He kept going until he found one tree with a lot of leaf
coverage. Settling into a little spot, Jacoby looked around as he felt his
pockets, taking inventory of everything he'd been left with.
They'd been told they could stock up on whatever they
thought might be useful, but it didn't mean they'd wake up with everything
they'd packed. That reminder sent a jolt of fear through him and he reached up,
sagging in relief as he felt the necklace, warm from his heat, still in place.
He fingered the swirling design, wondering where Hansen would be in this game
of a test. It would have been nice if they were near each other.
A shift in the shadows had Jacoby stilling, mind focusing.
He hunched in on himself, instinct driving him to be as small as possible while
he waited to see what danger might be present. He tried to listen for any sound
as he watched someone slink through the shadows, looking around fervently every
few steps. Jacoby debated with himself to pull out his blow dart gun, but
decided not to. Killing had always made him a bit queasy. There was only one
reason he'd joined the training school, and that was to follow Hansen.
Jacoby was leaning towards throwing something to warn the
person that they were being stupid when another shadow moved quickly, a flash
of steel in the light filtering between branches, and Jacoby turned his head
away as the idiot who hadn't paid proper attention in their class went down
with a faint gurgle. Jacoby stayed in his perch as the other shadow moved away,
easily blending in with the surroundings.
He waited, poised to bolt if there was even the faintest
indication that someone had spotted him. By the time the sun was almost halfway
across the sky, Jacoby decided he'd have to move. Eyeing the trees around him,
he picked one with sturdy branches and went across, moving slowly and
carefully, doing his best to stay hidden at all times.
He didn't stop at a stream even though hunger and thirst
were becoming annoying, constant companions. He searched the woodland floor
every so often while he kept a watch out for others. When he finally found a
patch of edible plants, he nearly fell out of his tree in gratitude, but he
checked himself. It was too easy. Taking a twig he'd collected earlier, Jacoby
chucked it into another tree, and froze as an arrow shot into the tree he'd
thrown towards.
Oh, he'd have to be very careful. There were only a few
people in their class who could use a bow, and Hansen wasn't one of them.
Swallowing against a swell of panic, Jacoby retreated back the way he came,
making sure to be extra careful as he traveled the treetops. It wasn't until
the sun was beginning to set that Jacoby found a secure patch of edible plants
that had a special sap used in the field to quench thirst.
Picking as many as he could, Jacoby climbed back into the
trees and moved away. No need to risk being attacked by staying near a food
source. He ate a little as he moved, wishing night would descend faster so he
could find some of their teacher's clues. He just wasn't good enough to picked
out the daylight clues their teacher would have left. As much fun as moving in
a random direction was, Jacoby really wanted to get out of the area and away
from some of his more bloodthirsty classmates. And he'd love nothing more than
to see Hansen again.
Moving through the trees, Jacoby had to witness two more of
his classmates being killed, while one of the attackers had been wounded,
limping away from the dead body. Jacoby didn't linger in those areas. Slipping
away quickly, he looked for a place he might be able to rest while waiting for
nightfall, but nothing seemed suitable. There had been a cave, but for those
how usually traveled on the ground, it would be a place they'd claim.
When night finally fell, Jacoby was ragged. His muscles
screamed and ached from overexertion, but he couldn't stop. Now that the moon
was rising, the clues left by the teacher would be clear. He continued moving,
scanning for the telltale glow of moonsigns. There! Jacoby nearly whooped as he
saw one. Steadying himself, Jacoby slunk through the trees, getting as close as
he dared.
He memorized the symbols, pondering them as he moved away,
dredging up lessons from years ago to find the answer written into the bark of
a tree. If only Hansen was nearby, he always knew exactly what their teacher
wrote in code.
Finding a group of close-together bushes, Jacoby climbed
from the trees and hunkered down for the night, the symbols swirling through
his head as he drifted to sleep.
Jacoby woke with a pounding heart as he listened to a scuffle
not that far from his sleeping spot. Shifting only his head, Jacoby tried to
peek through the leaves, looking for who might be fighting and whether he'd
have a chance to escape without drawing attention. They were people he vaguely
recognized, and had thought were friends, but there was no way to know who was
winning, not at the angle he was at. Swallowing against the bile clogging the
back of his throat, Jacoby ducked his head and closed his eyes, focusing on
keeping his breathing as quiet as possible and not expelling his bladder all
over his pants.
There was a sickening squelch. Jacoby looked without meaning
to. He bit his lip, tasting blood as he stared at the victor, standing over the
fallen body with blood staining her hands, a gleeful smile stretching her lips.
Shit. Jacoby trembled, wishing Hansen
was there to hold him as he choked on vomit.
Luckily he managed to hold it in until the girl had walked
away, cradling her injured arm. He tried to be quiet, but he knew he hadn't
managed. Scrambling from his spot, Jacoby raced around the trees, scrambling up
a tree as he heard heavy footfalls behind him. If he couldn't hide then he'd be
dead. Cursing his luck, Jacoby leapt for another tree, not paying attention to
anything but getting away. One of the branches he landed on snapped beneath his
feet and he had to reach out, jagged bark cutting into his hands as he hauled
himself up and continued to move, trying to be careful, until he finally
collapsed in a tree, breathes heaving in and out of his chest.
A sharp trill had Jacoby stilling, memory stirring. Cursing
himself for his stupidity at not remembering, Jacoby willed his heart to calm,
going more carefully as his hands throbbed in time with his heartbeat, heading
in the direction the trill had come from. After a few minutes of careful
movement, Jacoby saw it. A wide, open field with several of his classmates
being tended to by medical staff, his teacher standing tall, staring into the
trees.
Glancing about, Jacoby took a deep breath and vaulted from the
tree branch, rolling as he hit the ground and running before he'd gained his
footing. As he darted that last, dangerous distance between danger and safety,
Jacoby saw him, Hansen. His body screamed in relief as he slammed into his
lover, finally feeling safe.
"Welcome home," Hansen whispered in his ear as he
held him tight.
"Good job finding the way," their teacher laughed,
slapping Jacoby on the back.
Jacoby didn't care, he just clung harder to Hansen.
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