Humanity: Project X - 160

Chapter 13

After sleeping for several hours, Skye found her eyelids fluttering open. She had been having constant nightmares of the room with the glass raining on top of her, while she was hiding underneath a table. And then the wolves would come and try to feed on her. It felt so real, so... perhaps it was a flashback, like her other nightmare. Or a flashback in disguise, at least.

Her eyes wide open, she felt a strange alertness hover over her. She was uncomfortable here, she felt like every moment something could happen, someone would try to kill one of them.

Turning her head, she noticed that everyone had fallen asleep, including the person who was keeping watch. Perhaps now, now was her chance to leave. But injured like this? No, she wouldn't make it far. Besides, she wasn't willing to leave Kaya and Joseph, and even Gabriel anymore. She had simply gotten too close to them, considering them family now. Perhaps, maybe if she could convince them...

"Joseph," she quickly whispered, shaking her friend to wake him up.

"What?" he asked, groggily, obviously exhausted. After all, he had been keeping watch for the past two days.

"I was wondering if maybe... well, you know, after the fights and all? I don't really feel comfortable staying. Maybe we should leave, as a group..."

She felt selfish for saying it, like she was forcing everyone to do what she wanted to do. But Joseph seemed to take into consideration what she had said, and then whispered back, "I'll wake the others, see what they think. I agree, for once, with you."

He quietly crawled to the others, and individually asked them if they wanted to leave. She could vaguely see what was going on, only because the room seemed to look dark.

After talking to the others for quite some time, he came back to Skye and asked her, "You ready?"

She nodded, and he half picked her up, half let her walk. He probably didn't want her to feel useless in the state she was in. After she got up, she flinched as she limped with her still injured leg. Perhaps there was a way she could not walk, but still go with everyone else?

I shouldn't be complaining, she thought to herself. They're finally listening to me. Okay, I should just suck it up and deal with it.

Joseph seemed to notice her uneasiness, or at least the fact that she was flinching every little bit, because he asked her, "You okay? Do you want to stay for a little bit, just so you can heal, and then we can leave?"

Skye quickly shook her head. No, she refused to stay, not after she got everyone to agree on leaving. Joseph did not ask again, even though he could practically see the pain she was going through. Perhaps he knew of a way that she wouldn't have to walk... no, she didn't want to seem weak to everyone, so weak that they couldn't leave the group.

After gathering around, Skye noticed that Gloria was now considered "part" of their smaller group, because of what she had said about Skye and her, as well as her and Gabriel both making a promise to each other.

Joseph made a head count, and then whispered, "Alright, time to go," careful as to not wake up any of the other people. Their party could've been a little quieter. However, considering Skye's wound, they couldn't be any faster or quieter. At least they weren't loud enough to wake anyone up, so that another fight would happen. Not many people would be so lucky that time...

Skye felt her anxiety increase when she noticed that someone was sitting upright, next to the doorway. The doorway made a little noise when it was being closed. The sleeping man sitting upright had his head slightly tilted, evidence that he had been keeping watch.

"Can we really get past him without waking him up?" Kaya asked, probably having thought the same thing as Skye.

"Yes, it shouldn't be too hard..." Joseph stated, leading the way with Skye's arm over his shoulder.

As they continued to walk, Joseph stopped in his tracks. He turned his head so that he was facing her, and then asked Skye, "Would it be alright with you if I carried you on my shoulders? It would be easier for us to run if it comes to it."

Skye thought for a moment and realized that perhaps he was correct. And so he bent down so that she could climb on his back, although she wasn't sure how he could carry her. After all, he was only one inch taller than her.

After Skye jumped on his back, he huffed and stumbled forward and almost fell on the man that had been keeping watch. Instead, he had gained his footing slightly, barely being able to hit the wall instead. He silently groaned but continued to higher Skye on his back. Then he continued on, to the door, where he let Gabriel open it, his hands no longer free.

Being the first to exit, he was startled with the surprise of stairs, having probably come through a different entrance. Thankfully, however, he hadn't fallen over and harmed himself or Skye.

Although Skye didn't feel very comfortable with going back to her old room, she thought it was probably their best bet, the best thing they could do. Perhaps they could wait the whole thing out, wait for everyone to... no, no, she shouldn't think dirty like that. The people that were holding them would eventually let them go, and they could live happily together, right?

All the thinking was getting on her nerves, and everything getting on her nerves certainly wasn't going to help anyone. And so she began to breathe in and out, until everyone had gotten down the stairs and they were now on the ground level.

"Guys?" Skye whispered after they walked away for a while and they sat down to rest. "I have somewhere to go, but I want to know your opinion first."

"Where?" Gloria asked, rolling her eyes.

"My place," Skye said. "I think it's time I show you where I used to live."