INTO THE SHADOWS

Lena's POV My pulse accelerates as I strain to hear any indication of the woman following me pressing my back against the hard bark of the tree. Only the far-off rustle of leaves in the breeze breaks the deafening quiet. My mind racing with ideas of what Mom may do should she catch me, I can feel the cool sweatshirt on my brow. I hear her footsteps approaching suddenly, then her voice, sharp and forceful. Lena! You are here, I know! One cannot hide indefinitely! I fight the need to answer her challenge. Rather, I will force myself to inhale deeply, therefore calming my racing heart. I trained, battled, and survived; I am not that fearful girl anymore. I simply have to beat her. Looking around the tree, I see her peering about, her eyes flickering between the shadows. She is resolved; I cannot undervalue her. I back off carefully, searching for a way out of this unstable position. Lena calls once again, her voice resonating in the stillness. You believe that hiding will save you? You simply make it more convenient for us. My gut turns at her words. "Us?," I ask myself silently, who else might be hiding in the darkness. I cannot let them reorganize; I cannot allow them to locate Daniel or the others. Suddenly brave, I went out from behind the tree facing her. "Exactly what do you wish for?" Though my heart is pounding, my voice is firm. She appears shocked for a second then smiles, her confidence disturbing. You consider yourself to be brave? Adam does not treat you kindly when you have been a thorn in his side. You would come to regret this. "Regret what?" I challenge, hands closing into fists. "Getting to stand up to you? To Adam, to? No, I refuse to let anxiety rule me any more. Her expression gets gloomy. Lena, you are engaged in a deadly game. You have no notion of what you are up against. Then enlighten me, propelled by a mix of defiance and curiosity, stepping forward. Tell me Adam truly wants. She closes her eyes, considers her choices, and for a split second I see doubt flutter over her face. At last she responds, "He wants to protect what's his." And you won't last long if you're in his way. "protect what?" I push, resolved to untangle her threats. "You hardly even know what he's after." Her voice low, Lena says, "Watch your back." You are excavating your own tomb. She veers suddenly and disappears into the woods before I can reply. Still standing there, adrenaline still pumping through me, uncertainty whirling in my head. By what then did she mean? Needing to get back into the clearing and regroup with Daniel and the others, I dismiss the residual terror. Every step releases a little strain in my chest. I cannot let them occupy my brain. When I go to the area, Daniel is pacing and his jaw is tight while Nyla and Elias exchange concerned looks. Their reactions change when they see me, yet I can still feel the undercurrent of concern. "Lena!"— Daniel runs to find me clearly relieved. "We worried you might not make it back." "I'm good," I tell him, even though my heart is still racing. "I came upon one of Adam's colleagues. She issued a warning to him. "What was her response?" Anxiety permeating her voice, Nyla asks. I tell the story, including every detail I could recall. She said Adam wants to safeguard something. But I'm not clear what that implies. Elias furrows his brow. That sounds threatening. Should Adam feel threatened, he will change his approach. We are going to be ready. "ready for what?," Daniel crosses his arms and asks. "We have to work out his plan before he moves. If he has one." I nod and get a boost in will. "We have to compile additional intelligence. We can offset Adam if we know his reasons. "Agreed," Nyla murmurs, her eyes lighting with fresh intent. "We have to learn his endgame and who he is working with." "Let's split up again," Daniel says, his tone grave. "But this time we have to improve our communication. Should something go wrong, we have to know what is occurring. I can sense the weight of duty on my shoulders as we create our strategy. This concerns all of us now, not only about me. Fear cannot control my behavior. Once we have our plan, we get ready to split once more. With his low voice, Daniel advises me to be careful out there. He takes my hands. "I want nothing to happen to you." I say, "I'll be careful," tightly squeezing his hands. "I swear." I can't get rid of the impression that something is hovering above us as we separate ways. Tension permeates the air, and as I travel into the future the shadows of the forest appear to press in all around me. This time I go differently, toward an ancient abandoned building the locals have told me about. Those engaged with Adam reportedly meet here, hence, if I can find any information, it could provide the edge we need. The road is overgrown, the traces of a once-bustling region now buried by the environment. My heart speeds as I get closer to the structure. I cannot afford to be surprised. Glancing through a broken window, I search the inside. The air seems still as dust particles float in the sunlight. Not showing any life, but I cannot let my defenses down. I hear voices from within just as I am ready to walk in. I stopped, adrenaline coursed through me. I must hear what they are saying; I cannot simply stroll in there. "Adam's not going to take this lightly," a tough voice says. We have to locate her before she alerts the others. Agreed, another voice answers with urgency. "We will get in hot water if we let her vanish once more." My gut turns at their words. I cannot let them have the upper hand when they are discussing me. I have to act swiftly. I turn around looking for another path inside. My gaze fixed on a little door at the rear, half-covered by vines. I inhale deeply and gently approach it, trying to go undetectably in. I cringe as I ease the door open and a creaking sound breaks the quiet. I stop and hold my breath as I wait for any internal response. My pulse thumping, I step inside when nobody else comes hurrying out. The room is softly lighted, with shattered windows letting in slabs of sunlight. Now the muffled voices are clearer, and I slink toward the sound, low to the earth. One of them replies, sounding slightly desperate, "We cannot let her destroy everything." We have traveled too far to turn around right now. I peep over a corner and see two males tightly seated together. As I understand they are talking about a strategy against us, my heart races. The first man adds, his voice full of contempt: "I say we take her out." "Before she starts to seriously trouble us." "Wait," the other says, lifting a hand. We cannot simply murder her. Adam wants her alive. He has ideas for her. For me, what are my plans? The phrases cause me to shiver down my spine and make me anxious. Adam wants with me what? I have to learn more, but I cannot afford to be seen. I move back, prepared to vanish, and then the floors creak underfoot. Men whirl about, eyes wide with panic. One of them barks and stretches for a weapon, "Who's there?" I flee, running driven on adrenaline. "no!" Screaming, I dash back toward the entrance. Their footsteps thumping against the earth, I can hear them behind me. My heart thumps in my chest as I explode out the door into the wide air. I run from the structure, but I can hear them shutting in. I go forward; my instincts guide me over the forest. I never turn around. I have to warn Daniel and the others, then get to the clearing. I trip on a root out of nowhere, falling forward and hard on the ground. My leg hurts, but I am unable to stop. Desperate drives each step as I push myself up and keep running. The sounds of chase became louder, and I can feel my breath arriving in quick gasps. I cannot let them catch me. not right now. At last, my chest heaving, I exploded into the clearing. "Daniel!": I yell, desperation bursting from my mouth. "They are arriving! We have to depart! Looking around, I notice Daniel and the others compiling their belongings, uncertainty clearly visible on their faces. " Lena, what happened??" Rushing toward me, Daniel asks with clearly worried eyes. "Two guys from Adam exist! They already know where we are! I yell and turn back into the woods. We had to move right immediately!