PANIC

Tiptoeing On The Edge Of Reality

So they took a break until Avalon could hear voices again. She abruptly stood up.
"We need to go. Now."
"Why?" Kian groaned.
"I agree, let's go." Noah stood yet Kian refused.
"Let's just trick them or hide. It's much easier." Kian explained.
"No." Avalon ordered. "Get on your feet , we're going."
"You know you're bossy, right?"
"Yes. Now get up."
"Nah. You can't force me."
"Fine. Stay here for all I care. I don't care if you get taken away anyways. You know what, I hope you do."
"I think I heard something!" A voice in the distance yelled. Male. In reaction, Noah grabbed Avalon's arm.
"Let's go. If he wants to stay, he can stay."
Avalon looked into his eyes, contemplating. "Fine." And began walking yet again with Noah closely behind. With her pocket knife gripped tightly in her hand, she slashed the bushes in an X motion while Noah pushed them out of his way with his sleeves as he followed close behind.
"We need to move faster." Avalon exclaimed.
"You never told me, where are you going?"
"I don't know." Avalon sighed. "We're just- I'm just trying to get away from home. I'm sick of it there."
"Really? Why? Where are you from?"
"Are you my therapist? Why not tell me why you're out here in the woods?"
"I'm running away too."
"Really? From home?"
"No. I mean, yeah. From home. My mother wasn't a figure of a mother and my father died in battle years ago."
"I'm sorry."
"All good."
In a hot second, there was rustling in the bushes behind them and out came Kian, hugging onto Noah's arm.
"Kian!" Avalon shrieked. "Don't scare us like that!"
"Why did you guys leave me?!"
"Because you refused to continue walking." Noah explained, pushing his grip off his arm.
"I didn't think you'd actually leave!"
"Shut up! Both of you. Kian, are they close?" Avalon interjected.
"I don't know, I ran as fast I could."
"That's not that fast." Avalon mumbled. "Okay, I'm guessing they're about a four minutes sprint away. "We're far ahead but not enough. We need to keep going." Avalon turned to continue walking but was stopped short when Noah screamed watch out and jumped onto Avalon, bringing them both to the ground. They groaned when the met with the ground. Noah on top of Avalon. They looked up to see an arrows in the tree in front of them and scrambled to their feet. "Run!" Avalon screamed and they began to sprint.

Kian tripped and was dragged into bushes and soon after, another arrow came and skimmed Noah. He stopped and leaned over, holding his side in pain. Avalon turned around. "Noah!" She ran to his side. "We need to keep going, c'mon!"
"I- I can't. Go."
"What?"
"Go!" He weakly pushed her forward and she stumbled a bit, giving him a sympathetic look and running off. Although she didn't get far before she dropped her bag and went back for it but before she could grab the strap, an arrow shot through the bag, piercing it and creating a hole. Everything spilled out making it utterly useless. Rustling in the bushes quickly began. Avalon knew she couldn't run. She had to fight. Taking her pocket knife out of her back pocket and opening it and holding it out in front of her, she got ready. Slowly, a figure of a person appeared from the shadows. Male. Avalon thought quick and hard. In seconds, she threw the knife towards the stranger causing them to stumble backwards, holding their rib cage. Avalon took this moment to spring forward and gather as much as she could out of her bag before the person bent down to grab her. Everything was blurry at the speed she was going so in instinct, she fumbled to find the pepper spray before spraying it in their face. Now with an empty bottle of pepper spray, Avalon threw it to the ground and ran off with as much as she could salvage in her arms but she didn't get far before someone jumped out of some bushes, tackling her to the ground. Her head hit a rock, knocking her unconscious.

A few hours later, Avalon woke up and frantically looked around, taking in her surroundings. She attempted to stand in the wooden carriage but she was unsuccessful as she could use her hands or arms for balance as they had been tied together in front of her. She squirmed before being startled as a buff man jumped into the back of the wagon. The sun had partially been in Avalon's eyes making it impossible for her to see the male's face.
"Let me go." She demanded.
"I can't do that." The man huffed, sitting down.
"Who are you?" Avalon ordered again.
"Someone with a lot of power so don't even think of double crossing me, princess."
"It's Avalon." She corrected but the man only waved one hand about in the air. He had multiple rings on his fingers that caught the light of the sun. He wore a large jacket with animal fur and was accompanied by a beard. A curly beard. Avalon sighed. "Thank you."
"For what?" He spat.
"For saving my life. Are my friends here?"
"Friends?"
"Yeah, Noah and Kian. Brown haired, one's curly haired. One is tall and the other is... sassy you could say?"
"Hmmm." He thought about it for a moment as the horse carried them through a small country town filled with sand. "Hurry up!" He hit the side of the wagon and the horse hurried. "Brown eyes?"
"Yes, that's them!"
"Nope, haven't seen them."
"Oh." Avalon frowned. "Okay."
"But can't say I won't stop looking for them. My men are the most powerful!"
"Most powerful?" Avalon echoed before thinking, who says that? Who is this guy? "Where are you taking me?"
"To my dungeon, of course. There, I will feast."
"Feast? I am hungry."
"You shall be there then. My honour."
"That'd be... awesome. Thank you."
The man smirked. "Yes. Awesome."