The Turn Of The Night

Chapter 16

Darsh jumped over a thorny hedge just in the nick of time as something grazed centimeters past his hairs. Aarush had thrown away his backpack to fasten his speed. Both of the boys were running as fast as they could, the shade of trees being their only resort, the monstrous tangle which even moments ago seemed monstrous enough to gulp down every bit of their existence. The leaves crunched underfoot and the bushes and hedges sizzled as Darsh and Aarush skittled through them. Their only senses were engrossed in keeping themselves alive and not to lose sight of each other in the mess. Because if they did, they would probably never find each other again in this forest.

The seven masked men were surprisingly agile given the heavy dresses they wore. But the boys were faster on the soft small feet. Darsh took a moment to look back and saw three dark figures aiming at Aarush's head. He jumped over Aarush and both of them toppled down a sliding landscape with creepers entangled on the face of earth, as a barrage of bullets echoed through the air. The other men were still away...not for long though. Aarush and Darsh got back on their feet and started running, jumping over the bushes without regard for thorns and poisons. The masked men clearly had more knowledge of their surroundings than the boys. The other four men emerged in front of them stopping the boys in their movements. Aarush and Darsh looked back , two others had taken aim at their heads , and to their right stood another man. It was hopeless for them...there was no way out now...the masked men had completely encircled them. In the moonless darkness, the men with their masked face and hooded clothes looked like assassins clothed in black. They blended easily with the surroundings with the lasers of their weapon being the only source of light. As far as they could see they only saw boughs of trees as if black roses for a funeral.

The boys raised their hands, fear etched on their eyes, one of the hooded men took a step towards them, his g*n still pointed at Aarush's heart. He was only two feet away and the other had circled them. Looked like these were to be the last moments being still alive. Tears stuck to Darsh's eyes as if strokes of dark hue painted by a paintbrush on his face. He turned his head to look at Aarush for what could be the last time they saw each other. Darsh was a bit surprised when he looked at Aarush though, the boy who he knew had been strong through everything he had got through had waters coming down the side of his nose and down his cheeks. Aarush nodded as both of them closed their eyes and the assailants c****d their weapons with a resounding click.

Just when the boys thought they would bear a searing pain from the bullets , voices rang through the forest, terrible , scary screams. It distorted the human minds. The masked men dropped their guns and pressed their ears tightly and looked at one another with scared eyes. The voices seemed to come closer, and the masked men who seemingly had a better geographical view than Aarush and Darsh fled off with a knowing glance. Aarush and Darsh fell on their knees being no longer able to stand the terrible sounds. However, to their relief the sound seemed to go further and further away…

After mere moments, they saw the advanced flying saucer cruising over their heads surrounding the forest with bright lights but vanished within minutes. Struggling, Aarush and Darsh stood up. 'What the freaking heck is wrong with this place?' Darsh asked rather quietly .

They checked their shirts and trousers for cuts and bruises. But to their relief though their apparels had been torn down in some places they hadn't been injured. 'Who are they man? Seems like you were right..'Darsh said as he checked his backpack. 'Yup , but I threw my backpack away. Thought it would increase my speed , you know.' Aarush replied looking longingly at Darsh's bag.

'Well for one thing we can't go back to that stream, we don't know the way.' Darsh sighed. ' In other words, we are lost in an Amazonian forest with the absence of anacondas, sun and moon.'Aarush said. 'Hahaha , Anacondas. Yup at least we don't have to face them.' joked Darsh. ' Now where do you think we should go?' he asked .

'There's some matter we need to clear first..' Aarush said as he leaned upon a tree to rest his back. 'Like?' asked Darsh. 'Like who were they and why those sounds came the moment we were gonna die..' Aarush wondered. 'Lemme think...If we go by what Canisa said in your dream, given that you were not hallucinating, it must be that those men did some pretty bad things to the spirits and since they had to divert their attention upon us, probably the spirits were not completely encased , if that is what they are doing and they came loose and did that ..' Darsh said. 'Woah you do become smart when you want, you know!' Aarush exclaimed 'Good thinking.'

'Of course I am serious bro. I just emerged from the brink of death, come on now!! So which way should we walk, given we don't have the stream beside us.' Darsh asked. Aarush took Darsh's bottle and gulped down a bit of water and tilted his way to face the way the flying saucer vanished.

'Well if the masked men who tried to kill us are the ones who are breaking this link , and if we are to be the ones to stop them , then we gotta follow the way they flew… what do you think?' Aarush asked. 'Same here buddy…' Darsh replied. Aarush stooped down from the tree and for one last time looked at his back, the place where he thought they were going to die…

'Is this real?' he thought. Just some weeks ago he was shuddering at the mere thought of exams and now he had to protect the whole race of humans..