Chapter Ten: Alone in the Dark
649 Words
The city started to thin out as I ran north. The tall buildings gave way to empty lots and old factories. My legs felt heavy. Every breath burned. The wound in my shoulder throbbed in time with my heartbeat, sending sharp waves of pain through my whole body.
I kept running.
The small jammer Max gave me glowed faintly in my hand. Thirty minutes. That was all the time I had before the Silver Order could track me again.
Rain mixed with sweat on my face. I didn’t know if Zara and Max were okay. The sounds of fighting had faded blocks ago. Now there was only the slap of my sneakers on wet pavement and the heavy beat of my own heart.
“Come on… keep moving,” I whispered to myself.
The wolf inside me was restless. It didn’t like being alone. It pushed against my ribs, wanting to take over, wanting to stop and fight. My hands kept twitching. The glowing veins on my arms flared brighter every few minutes.
I ducked under a broken fence and entered an old abandoned park. Dead trees stood like skeletons. A rusted swing set creaked in the wind even though there was no one on it.
I stopped for a moment to catch my breath, leaning against a tree. My vision blurred. The pain in my shoulder was getting worse. I pulled out the small vial Dr. Voss had given me and took one drop. It tasted bitter, like metal and herbs.
For a few seconds, the wolf quieted down.
Then I heard footsteps.
Not loud. Not running. Just slow and steady.
I froze.
A figure stepped out from behind a thick tree about twenty yards away. Tall. Hood up. I couldn’t see the face clearly, but I could feel the eyes on me.
The wolf surged forward again. My claws started to push out from my fingertips.
“Who are you?” I called, my voice rough and low.
The figure didn’t answer. Instead, they tilted their head, studying me like I was an animal in a cage.
I took a step back. “I said who are you!”
The person slowly pulled the hood down.
It was a woman, maybe in her thirties. Pale skin. Short silver-white hair. Her eyes glowed soft blue — not gold, not silver. Something different.
“You’re the Anomaly,” she said calmly. “The one they’re all looking for.”
My stomach dropped. I crouched low, ready to run or fight.
“I’m not going with you,” I growled.
She smiled, but it wasn’t cruel. “I’m not with the Order. My name is Lena. I’ve been watching your kind for a long time.” She took one careful step closer. “Your friends… they sent out a signal before the fight. They told me to find you if they couldn’t.”
I wanted to believe her. But after everything, trust felt dangerous.
“How do I know you’re telling the truth?”
Lena looked toward the south, where I had left Zara and Max. “Because if I was with the Order, you’d already be in chains.”
She was right. But something still felt off.
The jammer in my hand suddenly beeped twice and went dark. Thirty minutes were up.
Lena’s eyes widened. “They’re coming. Fast.”
I felt it too — the wolf warning me. Engines in the distance again. Closer this time.
Lena held out her hand. “Come with me. I can hide you. But we have to go now.”
My shoulder burned. My body screamed for rest. I thought of Zara’s warm touch and Max’s steady strength.
I had two choices: run alone and probably die… or take a chance with this stranger.
The sound of vans grew louder.
I made my decision.
I stepped toward her.
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To be continued…
- Writer
