The Counterfeit

five

A few days had passed and Jasmine felt like she'd been in the same sticky jungle for years on end. She now knew almost all the faces around her and didn't rate any but Hannah, Adam and Izzabeth.

Over the course of many hours, canned dinners and ridiculously early mornings, Jasmine had grown ever closer with the three.

She learned that Izzabeth migrated from a city and decided to stay here because she hated how everything was run. She also learned that Adam had a twin, something he didn't remember much about, and that Hannah could sleep until the end of the world.

But most importantly they brought Jasmine back down to earth everytime she talked about some not-so-well-thought-about escape plan she'd fantasised the night before.

Although they were reluctant to admit it, Adam and Izzabeth were itching to flee the village and find out what else was out there. So was Hannah, except she always managed to pinpoint the flaws in Jasmine's plans.

None of them seemed to be able to work.

"It's not going to work. Someone would see us from up above." Hannah nodded upwards at the sighters, who were staring over the trees and into the distance.

Jasmine sighed wearily.
"Guess we're gonna be stuck here until the end of time then huh?" Her friend's faces saddened enough for Jasmine to divert her eyes to her feet. Their melancholy was something Jasmine had quickly learnt to dislike and despite not knowing them for long, Jasmine would do whatever it took to see her friends smile.

"Incoming." Adam said quietly. Jasmine frowned, puzzled at their sudden change in facial expressions. They looked panicked, like adrenaline was rushing through them but they couldn't seem to move.

Just as Jasmine was about to swivell around and see what they were eyeing, a pair of strong hands yanked her away from Hannah, Adam and Izzabeth by the collar of her rain jacket.

"You, you have a hell of a lot of explaining to do if you want to walk away from this alive." It was Trixie, the angriest Jasmine had ever seen her.

She'd thought she'd seen Trixie at her worst the other day when a kid had refused to hand her the silver knives she'd profusely requested. Trixie had completely flipped out and almost strangled the poor boy to death.

Her behaviour was absurd, if you asked Jasmine.

"Why the blinkin' hell has there been a thurnak sighting just outside the jungle, hm?" Trixie shoved Jasmine away from her. People were now gathering around to watch the commotion and Hannah, Adam and Izzabeth stuck to the ground like glue.
Neither of them could predict the next few minutes well enough to know they wouldn't get hurt either.

"I think you should explain to everyone who has built their life on this jungle why their homes and supplies are going to be ruined when that thing comes creeping in to smash everything up. Tell them!" Trixie shouted, her eyes fiery with rage.

Jasmine looked around at the large circle of people. Most of them looked confused, others almost as ticked off as Trixie.
"I've got nothing to tell."
"Liar!" Trixie lunged forward at Jasmine, whipping a knife out of her pocket.

She crashed into Jasmine with such force that Jasmine landed with a thwack on the hardened mud, hitting the back of her head. Everything was a blur to Jasmine now, but she could feel Trixie pinning her down with her leather boots at her wrists. Then, Trixie placed her blade at Jasmine's neck.