INSIGNIAS: THE ABECEDARIANS

On the third day, running footsteps and laughter echoed 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 from different direction. East Woodland was a small but known town in the country as one of the producers of fresh flowers. This was not her first visit in 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 toward it, 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 out 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 east 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 stronger 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 south, the area in forest 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.

Her head snapped behind her when a rushing power made the hairs on her neck stand. The movement of the bush was long forgotten. Her wide eyes scanned the path where she came from.

What are you doing, Tessa? Run.

In the back of her mind, she wanted to run, but she stood her ground. She promised herself not to run anymore.

She dropped her bag on the ground then clenched her fists. A strong rushing wind made her step backwards but her back collided to the tree. Dust was everywhere. She positioned her arms on her face. The wind suddenly stilled and she blinked several times. She dropped her arms and came face to face with the five men she saw in the town gate. They stood a foot taller than her in all black clothes and enormous muscles.

“Who are you?” the man in the middle demanded. Tessa frowned. Confusion was evident on her face.

Aren’t THEY looking for ME?

These men also had the same insignias on the left side of their necks, however, they did not emanate wicked aura as the Mortemians she encountered before. But it didn’t mean she could trust them. Tessa did not want to trust anyone. She couldn’t trust anyone.

“Didn’t you hear me?” The man stepped forward. He looked angry now. His brow furrowed and fists clenched.

“You don’t know me?” she whispered. Her hands flat on the tree behind her but her right foot was positioned in front of her to get ready to run.

The middle man frowned at her words, confused. The other men looked at each other. Unlike the men she encountered days ago, these men looked strong but not dangerous.

“Kasst, we are wasting our time,” the man on his left said. Tessa looked at him and he looked annoyed. Tessa bit her lower lip.

They aren’t like Redhead and the others, right?

She wasn’t sure about the answer to her question.

“Shut up, Alen”, Kasst, the man in front of her shouted without looking at the Alen guy. “We need to know if she knows Sk-, Wright.” He looked lost for a moment, like he remembered something, but recovered after a second and continued to glare at Tessa. She stared back.

Should I trust them?

Maybe, they are the ones waiting for her.

“She looked suspicious,” said the man on her left.

“I also don’t recognise her energy”, the man beside Alen said with a frown.

Or not.

“Hey!” Tessa jumped a little then blinked at Kasst. Fury was evident in his eyes. Whoever he was, he won’t stop until he gets what he wanted.

“Who. Are. You.” Every word hit Tessa like cold wind. As Kasst stepped forward, his insignia shone.

Should I trust them? Or fight them?

Cold sweat rolled down her forehead. Trust. The one word she did not need right now. The one word so foreign after the truth hit her days ago.

“WHO ARE YOU?” His voice echoed in the forest and birds flew from the trees around them. She noticed that the men were now holding weapons. Tessa gasped, scared of what they might do. But she figured that since she was able to defeat Redhead and the men with him, and she could do it again.

Please give me sign on what to do.

“I’m- ” An explosion from her right shook the ground and stopped her from whatever she was going to say. They all looked towards the sound but the huge trees hid the view.

“Wright.” Kasst’s voice was deep, cold and accusing. He spitted like the word was venom in his mouth. He gripped his sword like he was trying to coke someone.

This was her chance. The men started to run towards the direction of the explosion. Tessa grabbed her bag from the ground and ran towards the opposite direction then turned south to avoid the road.

“Kasst, the girl”, someone shouted behind her but she kept running. Her legs were sore but her instinct and adrenaline pushed her forward.

I’ve been running for days now but I still don’t know who I’m running away from. And where to go.

She saw a tall tree with roots sticking from the ground and twisting with each other. She ducked behind its largest root. She looked at the path she came from and felt relieve when she saw no one. They probably went to investigate the explosion.

The explosion. The truth struck her. She was already in Woodland. She looked towards the direction of the explosion then at her compass.

The explosion was from the east. They were being attacked. ‘They’, being her saviours, were under attack. There was no doubt about that. She groaned.

Now what?

Before she could plan, another explosion shook the ground and trees. She saw animals scatter then hid elsewhere. Birds cried above.

What’s happening?

She looked towards the east. The trees hid what’s happening but she could feel them. She could feel strong energy radiating from the direction of the explosion. Not just one. They were many.

It was only when she heard the snap behind her that she felt another set of energy. Tessa turned and found two pairs of eyes staring at her.

Is it too late to run?