01-Guido + Arash

Through the forest we ran deeper and deeper into the murky darkness tripping on roots and getting attacked by brambles.

“Stop!” I called after what seemed like a long time, I looked over at Alessandro and the others all panting from the run when Aldis called out to everyone,

“Put mud on your face and all bare skin so that you won’t stand out from the forest around you it will make you are harder to spot. If the ground is not wet use your water. I’m sure Guido can find us a stream to refill our water.” Amid the mutterings of annoyance at having to cake themselves in mud again there was a voice that called out in merriment,

“I feel you may put to much stock in my abilities Aldis,” Guido always trying to be modest and putting his on laughing spin on things. He was a forest ranger for the regiment soldiers before he met Arash in the same regiment as him. Arash then was full of ideals apparently about the outside world and all the non-existing settlements. By then he was already working on an escape plan. But he needed one more man to carry it out. So he became friendly to Guido because he knew the terrain and he seemed like he wasn’t content with the propaganda and listened to the rumours that were floating around about child camps where they were all made to work until they dropped and then they lopped off your head. They got together and stole a car, which was loaded with weapons and had a big metal box with lots of petrol cans and decided to ditch in the truck. Unfortunately it turned into a bit of a fight at the guard post. The car was destroyed and Arash got wounded. We found them about a week later off an abandoned road and managed to save Arash.  Thus our group of rebels was formed, back then there were ten of us. But since then we have got more people but some of us from the original ten died. Taban was one, he died from a spider bite, but as he passed from this world into the next he was still happy. A tear rolled down my cheek as I thought about everyone we had lost, the wetness bringing me out of my memories. Realising that I was the only one besides Aldis not putting mud on my face I started to trying to make use of the situation, my first thought was,

Where are we?

00 prologue

I saw it as we ran out the door. The truck’s headlights lit the way in front of it as it bumped down the hill to the clearing where we were, where there was also nowhere to hide.

“Get into the forest!” I shouted over the shouting and the truck. They’d seen where we were and started heading towards us as fast as they could. The baleful light of the moon reflected off the truck and a spotlight swept across the clearing, good I thought they don’t know where we are. But if we don’t move it soon will! I realised with a start.

“Move!” I yelled and following the others I ran counting them all, 12 good we haven’t left anyone behind. Pumping my legs I soon caught up with the others, I was defiantly one of the main athletes of the group. I noticed Accalia running just in front of me her long black hair trailing behind her like it couldn’t keep up, torn ragged clothes showing bare skin underneath. I ran up beside Aldis the only one that was alive before the new version of the ‘old world’ and the oldest of all of us at 23 she was our technical warfare adviser,

“Can we make it?” I asked her as we sprinted to the tree line her dark skin was the only thing that managed to get her out of the camps and when we found her she was half dead. Her eyes twinkled in the moonlight and she smiled showing white teeth, I swear she almost looked like she was enjoying herself,

“Not really. But there’s always a chance. Now pull your hood up and tell the others to do the same so they don’t see your skin.” I did as I was told and relayed the message onto Alessandro to pass it on and do the same so we all ran full pelt into the dark forest evading the machine intent on capturing us. Luckily we all made it.

Just.