INSIGNIAS: THE ABECEDARIANS

CHAPTER XV: TESSA

On the third day, running footsteps and laughter echoes when she left the rice field and found herself in front of a familiar-looking town. The honking of cars startled her but comforted her at the same time. People were walking in a different direction. Woodland was a small but known town in the country as one of the producers of fresh flowers. This was not her first visit to the town. Three years ago, her Dad encouraged her to stay for a week to look at the fields. Her tour made her discover flower perfumes that she loved but some memories were quite hazy.

Now, as she stood looking at the children running while holding bouquets near the gateway, the familiarity of the town scared her.

"This is my favourite town in the country," her Dad declared before as he held a bouquet of white roses. Sadness washed over her but her eyes were too tired to cry.

Her thoughts were interrupted when the children's voices died down. She saw five men talking with the kids. There was a mark on their necks.

Tessa's breath hitched. Eyes widened from realization. Her hands trembled involuntarily. She took a step back eyeing the five men.

Please don't look this way.

She glanced to her right and found a trail inside the forest. Taking one step at a time, her eyes never left the men. She held her breath for a moment as the children walked inside the town and the men watched them. She bit her lips as sweat rolled down her forehead.

She released the breath she was holding when the men walked back inside. Tessa did not waste any time and ran towards the forest. She hid behind a tree and looked back at the retreating men.

One man stopped and looked back. He arched his brow. Another man talked to him but he continued to look at the road where she came from.

He did not look at the forest, just the road. Tessa, unable to look at the men any longer for fear of getting caught again, ran deeper into the woods. Her right foot stepped on a slippery rock and she fell on her bottom. She gasped and released a moan when she felt the pain on her backside. She looked around and noticed she lost the path she took earlier.

Great. And I'm put food and water, too.

She slowly stood up and tried to ignore the pain on her bottom. Unable to locate the trail, she stopped and sat on a flat round rock to get her compass in her bag. She stood up again as she held the compass and turned around. The bronze covering of the lodestar reflected the sunlight. A bronze chain was attached to the metal ring on the head. North was behind her, but she still had no idea where to go.

"Steve said someone was waiting in the eastern woodland," she whispered to herself.

Before she could make out a plan, she froze when she heard the heavy footsteps. She held her breath and looked around.

"I saw her run." The male voice came behind her but she could hear the footsteps around her. Their power was undoubtedly strong than her own. She could hear her fast pulse and her erratic breathing.

Snap out of it, Tessa. Run.

She pocketed her compass and ran towards the south, the area in the forest was covered with large trees. She jumped from rocks to tree roots without stopping. It was a good thing she played track and field before.

She slowed down when she neared a large tree between two diverging paths. Stopping in front of the tree, she placed her hands on the trunk, catching her breath. A sudden movement of the bush on the right startled her. She eyed the bush, hoping for a rabbit or any animal lurking behind it.