Chapter 2
Shortcut ran through a field of poppies. Something was chasing him, but he didn’t know what. The strong floral fragrance stung his nose, and bright red, yellow, pink, and purple flowers blended with the starry night sky, forming a dizzying kaleidoscope all around him. Even though he was running, he felt like vomiting.
He heard the loud, piston-action footsteps of his pursuer—psst psst psst psst psst psst …
He looked back but only saw a shadow. He ran up a hill and slid down the other side, barely missing a deadly swipe from the shadow. At the base of the hill, he sprung up and stumbled, breaking from a crouch into an awkward run as the shadow flew down after him.
Above, a black UEA plane flew through the sky.
“Hey! Hey!”
He activated his lens and tried to send a distress si
