The Serum

T H I R T E E N.

I'm never going hiking again. 

I shiver. The sun is long gone, leaving behind a gloomy mist. It doesn't help my mood whatsoever. My head still throbs a bit, but nowhere near as bad as before.

The four of us have been walking aimlessly through these trees for days. Lucas told us repeatedly that he's an expert in reading maps but I'm sure we've passed the same mossy stump about five times. 

"Lucas, will you just hand me the thing?" I ask him, exasperated. I don't know what it is with boys and showing off but we could've gotten to the fort much faster if I were navigating.

He pulls it out of my reach. 

"I've got this."

"Yeah, right." 

He gives me a look and continues to study it. Oliver quirks a brow at me and I swallow my giggle. Ever since our conversation, we've become much closer. Aria has obviously picked up on it and from the thunderous look on her face right now, she's not happy about it. 

Noises surround us, but thankfully, they sound millions of miles away. I can never really tell where the Creepers are. We haven't had any encounters since the bear and I'm grateful. We've been here for about two weeks and we've made minimal progress. I'm sure Lucas still has no idea where we are. 

Suddenly, Lucas goes flying and the map flutters out of his reach. I pounce on it, waving it to him triumphantly. He glares at me but when he moves to stand, he hisses and falls to his knees again. Oliver squats, dark brows furrowed.

"He's cut himself. And he's bleeding. That's not good." 

I stuff the map in my pocket and heave him up by the armpits, panicked now. 

"Any Creepers within five miles of us will be able to smell that blood. We're in trouble."

Aria whimpers and I shoot her a look.

"Be useful and carry his pack." 

"I'm not a donkey," she sniffs.

I roll my eyes and help Lucas to his feet. There's a gash in his leg, not too deep, but deep enough that the blood will be hard to stop. Oliver shifts some of his weight to me and tears off the cuff of his shirt. He applies pressure to Lucas's wound, steady as a rock.

"Where did you learn that?" I question, amazed. 

"I was a lifeguard." Oliver answers, not looking up. "Hold that, will you, Aria?" Aria steps closer, pressing the cloth against the wound.

"Eww, it's warm!" She gags.

"Shut up and press," I order. She scowls, but does as I say. Lucas leans more on me.

"You stink," I tell him. Days of bathing without soap has taken a toll.

"You're so kind," says Lucas sardonically.

"I try."

He rolls his eye. Oliver crouches again and nimbly ties more cloth around Lucas's leg, helping him to a stand. 

"Can you run?"

"I can certainly try." 

"Well, I have a feeling we're going to need to." 

A howl arises, sending goosebumps rippling over my skin. It's only then do I hear the low, almost whispering moans. Leafs crunch and shuffle, the groans getting louder and louder.

Then they fall silent. 

We stand at each other's backs, brandishing a weapon each. 

"What do we do?" Aria whispers, voice quivering. 

Then, Creepers burst through the growth, zoned in one Lucas's leg. 

"Only one thing we can." I tell her, fear kneading my stomach.

"Run."