The Runaways

Chapter 3

    I awoke to the soft and serene sound of birds chirping above me. In the distance I could hear police sirens wailing,no doubt searching for me. All I had done was run , I needed to get out and clear my head. I slowly sat upright on the forest floor, my head throbbing. I knew exactly what went down but I was still disoriented.
    I looked about and took in my surroundings. The earth had a smell of something- I didn't know how to describe it, I had never smelt it before but it was invigorating. The sky was fully blue and dotted with a few wispy clouds. I stood up and decided I would begin walking back home. I think I have had my fun. Now I would have to go back and confront Chase.
   As I began walking I decided that if Chase could apologize and prove to me that he was the same loving Chase that I used to know I would take him back. Everybody deserves a second chance and maybe he was just having a bad couple of days. It didn't help that all of our friends were entirely happy with no complications. Maybe he was nervous too, and was just taking it out on me. It can't hurt to try and work things out. He deserves another chance.
     As I was walking theought the forest, I heard a  few  twigs snapping behind me. I spun around so quickly I felt a little dizzy. The sound went quiet. I began walking, quicker now. More crackling behind me. I whipped my head back again, frantically. Then I saw it, clearly and without a doubt this time.
    A white surface, like a mask was peering out of the bushes. It was all white except for a small beak like part sticking out and two dark holes for eyes.
    When I saw it my heart began racing. Who was this? Were they going to kill me? How long had they been watching me? I slowly backed away, hoping it didn't see me. I turned around and broke into a full on sprint. I could almost see the edge of the forest, then my foot got stuck on the root of a tree and my entire body fell to the ground. I fell face first into the dirt, a plume or dust erupting around me. I looked behind me and there was the mask again in another patch of bushes this time. It was following me. It felt so strange having a woodland stranger stalk me, and watch me.

    "Wh-Who are you?" I stammered. No response. " Hello?" No Response. " I'm going to go home now, please don't follow me." I pushed myself off the ground to a standing position.

   "Wait!" The mask said. The voice belonged to a male, and had a kind and non-threatening tone to it. The voice spoke again,"I need your help." he slowly began to rise out of the bushes. He was just a regular boy, except he appeared to be wild. He was covered in dust and dirt and the only clean thing he wore was his white mask. He had a long sleeved flannel that was a dull red with black lines throughout. He also wore torn jeans. He had broad shoulders and was only slightly taller then me. He seemed well built and strong, but thin, like he hadn't eaten a solid meal in a while.

   " Wh-why should I help you? Who even are you?"

   " I understand you are probably very confused, but my people and I, we are in serious danger."

   " Your people?"

   "um, yeah." he lifted his arm to scratch his head, like it was obvious and I should have known that there was people living in the woods all along.

  " Take the mask off and then we can talk." For some reason my fear of him melted away. I don't know why, but he seemed like he had genuine intentions and my curiosity was an intense driving instinct.

  " I'm not supposed to."

  " What do you me-" he cut me off. 

  " Just follow me, I can explain later."

 " Why should I?" 

  "Please?" I rolled my eyes, like a simple little pleading would win me over. I intended to find out what this wad, but first I wanted to know more. I wasn't about to just follow a complete stranger into the woods without even knowing who he was.

  "Your name, first."

  " Of course, I'm Urs , it means bear." I was a little shocked that he shared his name, I didn't think that he would be willing to due to all this mystery. "Alright, now come with me." Every instinct other than curiosity told me to run home and live out a normal life,  but I couldn't help myself, My curiosity was overpowering, and what was wrong with a little adventure? He began winding through the dense forest. I followed him closely, excited to uncover this mystery. I looked down and noticed that he was barefoot. His feet had hair on them and were covered in scars and dirt.

     " Doesn't that hurt your feet?"

    " What?" He glanced down at his feet, as if he was missing sometjing that I saw and he didnt."Oh, naw. I'm used to it." Then I began wondering how long he had been out here. The only people around are the people in the cities, security is too great for anyone to be able to run away into the wilderness, then again, I did it. 

  "Where are you from?"

  " The forest." he shrugged as he said this. It was just a casual response see to him.

  " I mean like what city, you had to have come from somewhere, no one just spawns out here magically."

   " I can't tell you, because I am no longer from there, I am from the forest and that's the end of it." I was slightly frustrated at this response, because he wasn't originally from the forest. I decided to give it up though, he seemed like the kind of person who couldn't easily be broken.

   " We are almost there, and when we get there, please don't tell anyone your real name, They will automatically call you Spark, so just go with it. "

  " Why can't I tell them my real name?" 

   " It makes 'em mad." I guess I couldn't really argue, I had no idea what I was getting into here.

  " Alright we are here, be cool."

  " ok."

  We stepped over a log and came to the top of a hill. I peered down into the valley. I saw a bunch of huts on stilts, they were made of trees, bark and what looked like lots of rubbish. I could see lots of people like Urs, all covered in dirt and grime, but wearing what used to be regular people clothes. Except there was one difference, they didn't wear the white masks that Urs wore. When I looked back at Urs, who was standing behind me, he had removed his mask and uncovered his face. He had dark blue eyes, similar to the color of a lake on a cloudy day. He had a messy mop of dirt blonde hair on top of his head. It looked as if he had just woken up. His face was long and he had a birth mark near his left eye, it was a splotch of brownish skin in the shape of a heart. I recognized that birth mark, I recognized him. I knew him once upon a time. His name was Charley, we were friends when we were kids, then he disappeared around his tenth birthday.

   "Char-" He cut me off again.

  " That isn't my name anymore, I am Urs now. Do not speak my birth name please, it was my slave name. It is offensive to speak one's birth name here, because out here we are free and we get to choose our own names with the help of our council." I stared into his eyes as he said this, feeling ignorant, then shrugging it off because how was I supposed to know? He began making his way down the slope of the hill towards the village. There was about 20 huts and I could see smoke billowing out of the chimneys of some of the huts. They were arranged in a circular pattern around one spot in the village that had a ring of rocks. As we made our way closer to the village I could smell cooking meat and campfire. Then a woman began making her way towards us. She had a very thin build and she had matted grey  hair that clung to the sides of her face. She had dirt smudged on her face. She had bags under her eyes and wrinkled skin. She appeared to be around 50 or 60.

   "Urs, have you found another Spark?"

  " Not sure yet, but people flee to the forest for a reason, and many do have doubts, but look around you."

   " Very true. Anyways, hello Spark." she directed her attention towards me.

  " um, hello."  I awkwardly took a step backwards, which for some reason made Urs laugh a  hearty and loud laugh.

  " You don't need to be afraid, she doesn't bite." He slapped his hand on my back and pushed me forward.

  " My name is Sage. I am the oldest person here. Has Urs caught you up on the history of our village?" She glanced over at him.

   " Not really."

  " Well then, lets dive in." She rubbed her hands together and turned away from me, then motioned for me to follow her.