The Playing Fields First Draft

Chapter Nine

     Claire took a sharp turn to the right, while Will wasn't tearing down trees in his way, she could feel his presence behind her. It felt odd how long Claire was running for, and she did not feel out of breath, especially after the beating she gave Will. It was possible that the Playing Fields enhanced the endurance of the abductees, to balance the game out for the viewers to enjoy.
     It made Claire sick to think that anyone would enjoy this kind of programming. The fae programmed a changeling to a killer, they kidnapped humans to be slaughtered in these games. There was only one thing that made Claire sicker.
     I hoped that he would go after either Rick or Mari. Claire thought, miserably.
     Although Claire could explain it away as being human, it was the side of humanity she really didn't like. For years, Claire had been in that darkness after her psychic friends abandoned her, and treated her like the neighborhood trash. It was only after her graduation from high school when Claire began moving away from all the people who made her life miserable.
     I can't wait until Anna figures out where I am. Claire thought. It was something that was often forgotten by Claire, between the spriggan changeling, and the fae abductors, it was hard to remember the paranormal huntress that would do anything to save her sister.
     Whether it was for blood or for love. Claire thought, sardonically.
      Either way, Claire knew she would either be saved or avenged by her sister.
     Another roar sounded even closer than before.
     Wait, I can hear roars, but nothing else!
     Spriggans were well known for their strength, but strangely enough Claire didn't hear Will smash through trees. He could, if he wanted to. Strange. Claire thought. If Will wanted to get to me as quickly as he could, why wouldn't he go through the trees than around them?
     Then it hit Claire, Will's not allowed to destroy the trees.
     Quickly, Claire grabbed a tree branch, and lifted her onto it. I sure hope this works! Claire thought, as she felt the branch wobble. With a grunt, Claire climbed onto another one, and another, until she was high enough, some ten branch climb, for Will not to see her as he passed by.
     Please don't look up! Claire held her breath.
     Will looked around, confused.
     In every direction, except for up.
     Which he promptly did.
     Claire froze like a deer in the headlights.
     And then Will roared with frustration, and moved on, completely oblivious that he should have seen Claire.
     What just happened? Claire wondered, then she noticed that the creatures from before were hanging on the branches near her.
"Was that you?" Claire asked, confused. These creatures were created to be part of the Playing Field, why would they help her?
      The creatures just scattered without giving Claire an answer, and left her deeply confused about what just happened.
      "Why?" Claire asked, softly.
      One of the creatures stopped to look at Claire. There was something about the creature that seemed familiar to Claire. The creature turned away and went away.
      There was one thing that Claire wondered about what happened to the souls of those killed in the Playing Fields. Were they the creatures that lived in the Forest? If so, was that creature that stopped one of those Claire saw in her visions? Or was that Jim? Still, there was something about that thought that really unnerved Claire.
     You die here, you're stuck here for eternity.
     Claire shuddered at the thought, she couldn't imagine a greater nightmare than that. The creatures continued to play in the trees, seemingly content with what they're doing. Maybe they were the spirits of those murdered in the Playing Fields with their memories of their past lives erased.
     At least that's Claire's theory.
     I should go. Claire thought as she carefully lowered herself down from the tree. I haven't heard any roaring. Then Claire realized that she hadn't noticed any of Will's recent roars. Were there so many that Claire became desensitized to the roars? Or was she too focused on the mystery of the tree creatures?
     Claire stopped, hung onto the current branch, and listened. She hung there for five minutes until Claire was reasonably certain that Will moved on. As Claire slowly climbed down from the tree, her senses on alert, if Will received more glamour, it was possible that he was hiding, waiting for Claire to climb down.
     With a grunt, Claire landed from the first branch. While it was true that Will could lay an ambush for Claire, there was little she could actually do. True, Claire could try to traverse the Forest via the treetops, but she didn't know what the creatures would do if Claire was trespassing in their territory.
     I need to find replacement dowsing rods. Claire thought, miserably. Although it was unlikely that she'd find two L-shaped sticks near each other, virtually impossible, there were other types of dowsing rods. All Claire needed to do was find one Y-shaped branch, and she could continue to search for the components.
     Bingo! Claire thought, as she grabbed the Y-shaped branch.
     A Y-shaped dowsing rod worked differently than the twin L-shaped rods, as Claire could remember from her mother's teachings, a Y-shaped dowsing rod would cause it to tug on Claire whenever the thing she was looking for was close.
     I'm not going to like the tugs when I find the components, aren't I? Claire wasn't certain how powerful the tugging would be, her memory was a bit rusty on that part. What Claire did remember was how in control her mother was of the dowsing rod when she closed in on the targeted rock.
     Then again, Claire's memory of her mother was all about the control. The perfect image of a paranormal hunter family, of which Claire became a stain on.
     Not now. Claire thought, annoyed at herself. I can complain about mother all I want after I escape from her....er...here.
     There was a tug from the dowsing rod, faint, but Claire definitely felt it. After a few steps forward, the tug went away, and Claire turned to the right.
     Nothing.
     To the left.
     Nothing.
     Claire turned ninety degrees to the left behind her, and there was a slightly stronger tug than before.
     Bingo.
     Slowly, Claire moved onward.