Chirp

Chirp

            The call of a mother nature stirred the creation awake- coldness covering every inch of her body as well as the damage done in the rapid currents. Moving her head carefully, a pain hit the side of her right temple. A sign that she was alive and free.

Free-

            The thought rang in her mind as the creation began to regain her consciousness- her arms spreading out from underneath her as she felt bones cracking with each slight movement. The damage of her body was still unknown, but from the way her figure responded to the simple movements, it told her that the river and the fall had down a number on her.

            “S-..” Her voice came out hoarse as she felt the aching in her vocal cords- the use of muscles were weak. Her father’s ‘punishment’ the day before was still noticeable- years of him damaging her vocal cords was the reason why her voice had a husky hint to it. Even if her body healed the damage, scars were something that even her body couldn’t erase.

            The winter air danced around the disoriented female when she managed to bring herself up to a sitting position, her right wrist was fractured, but she knew that it was something that would heal on its own, just like the rest of her injuries.

For now, she needed a safe place to hide.

            She wasn’t sure how long she had been unconscious for but from the looks of the sun’s position in the sky to where it was when she left ‘home’, she could at least estimate that she had been out for two hours.

Two hours, that was long enough for her so-called ‘father’ to try to track her down.

Two hours of missed daylight.

Two hours of freedom she didn’t rejoice and could easily end if she didn’t move now.

After waking up by the river’s bay, she did a simple over look on herself before getting on her feet. She was a mess, and she knew it.

            Her porcelain flesh was kissed with black and purple blotches. From her arms to her torso and her legs, cuts adorn her skin as well as a long gash along her left calf, making it painful for her to move on her legs. Mud coated her from head to toe, making what’s left of her clothing to stick to her figure.

            Her right ankle needed to be cracked in place and her healing abilities weren’t really kicking in.  She wasn’t really in any position to take care of her wounds. With each step she took after standing up, small jolts of pain shot through her legs.

            Animals in her path scurried away when she came across. She couldn’t blame the woodland creatures. A mess was an understatement for her appearance: both body and face. She wasn’t going to let that damp her moment’s mission.

            Inhaling a deep scent of the woods around her, her eyes widened when an unknown scent greeted her.

Human?

She wasn’t sure.

It had hints of being human but whatever she smelled, its blood was mixed with something else.

            “Have you checked over there? Come on Seo, I’m sure I saw something over there.”

An unknown voice struck panic in the female’s body. Turning her head to where it came from, her sensitive eyes picked up the figures of two men dressed in black, holding two long shooting range snipers. Their black attire held the infamous symbol of her ‘home.’ The symbol was of two hands underneath an atom particle, the letters ‘A.S.E.R.F’ in black, embroiled in fine blue stitching. They were looking for her.

Why did she think she would have time on her side to run?

She was lost in this world; of course her father would have the upper advantage.

            Stepping back, the familiar feeling of adrenaline rushed through her body and filled her system, her heart pace quickened and her breath shortened. Her body turned violently to the scent she had inhaled and locked on it. The scent’s owner was far and she was sure she could lose the men in black if no one else was nearby.

            Without putting more thought to it, she broke out into a run- forgetting for the pain in her ankle and body. Her battle for freedom wasn’t over, and she knew it when she heard the voices from before shout after her and calling in for backup.

ஜ۩۞۩ஜ

            In a deeper part of the forest, snowflakes shook off a branch from a bird’s lift-off and floated down onto a sled down below. The sled was rigged to a snowmobile. It was equipped with a number of things, including a hunting rifle, knives, ammunition, scent-reduction spray, rope, a bottle of hand sanitizer, a set of clothes and jacket, and a canteen of water. To the expert eye, the sled seemed to lack the proper requirements for hunting, but the owner actually didn’t need the rest. It was simply for looks. For appearances. Attached to the first sled was a second, with a plastic sheet spread out and a body lied dead on its side. It wasn’t human, no, but one of an animal. A deer, to be exact.

            A much larger four-legged animal- a wolf- caused the snow to flatten into a trail as it dragged a second deer to the sled, its teeth firmly gripped into its neck. The flattened snow was stained with a trickle of blood. The wolf was not yet perfect in its technique. Yanking the body onto the plastic sheet, the four-footed figure unclenched its teeth and the deed was done.

            The large wolf shook its gray fur to rid it of the icy flakes that stuck like dandruff and crouched forward. At that time, the four-legs began to stand on only two and it began to lose its fur. The fur receded into the follicles from which they came, exposing the tanned skin underneath. Its spine straightened and the shoulders rolled back until it was in a perfect standing posture.

            It was human. A male, as the endowments had concluded.

            Wiping off a spot of blood from the corner of his lips with his thumb, the male walked to the sled barefooted and sat on the chilled wood panels of the first sled. He remained in the buff until he picked up the pair of undergarments and pants amongst the pile of clothes set aside and slipped into each pair. Standing up for a split second to pull them completely up each time, his shirt and jacket were the next pair, and then his socks and boots.

            “What time is it...” He murmured to himself as he dug out his cellphone from his right jacket pocket and pressed on the side button, only to be surprised by the number of texts he received in a group chat.

Kakaotalk:

11:20am Haneul: Holaaa~ when will you come back to Seoul?

11:21am Seojoon: Aloha~ you’re coming today right?

12:40pm Haneul: Hey, did you not bring your phone again? I told you to get a waist strap to wear while you’re out!

12:45pm Seojoon: Let’s go shopping together for one when you arrive... kekeke

1:15pm Haneul: I need to put a tracker on you.

1:33pm Haneul: Kim Jihoon.

1:33pm Haneul: Jihoon ahhhhhhh

Jihoon clicked his tongue and chuckled as he began typing a response.

2:02pm Jihoon: Sorry, mom. I’ll be going back tonight.

            After typing the reply, he put the cellphone back in his pocket. Jihoon began tying his shoelaces until his nose wrinkled when it picked up at an unfamiliar scent. His eyes sharpened, shifting from left to right to see if he could catch sight of the unknown presence that was seemed nearby. Jihoon moved more cautiously as he prepared for home, wrapping up the large bodies of the deer with the plastic sheet.

He let out a heavy exhale, his breath as clear as smoke.

            “Hmm...” His throat hummed as the unfamiliar scent became stronger, indicating to him that the presence was nearing itself towards him. It wasn't deer. He was already familiar with its scent. Was he being watched? He was unsure.

            Deciding to leave it be, Jihoon walked to snowmobile and threw his leg over to straddle the seat. Revving the engine with the handles, the snowmobile moved at a moderate speed towards the direction out of the woods and to his house. It was a thirty-minute commute or so; stock didn’t wander too close to civilization.

ஜ۩۞۩ஜ

            The creation was sure she had lost the guards when she jumped up into one of the trees. Using Mother Nature’s trees as shields as she made her escape up until a few meters away from a clearing’s opening. A new wound was added to her already bloody figure that she was surprised she hadn’t completely passed out, but it seemed like the newly added wound pushed her limits as her eyes began to blur from her overwhelming struggle for freedom.

            Her body had ran through the tightly closed trees and brushes coated in the winter’s white blanket, her eyes focusing on the figure of a male that came into view, but becoming further away as he rode passed on the snowmobile.

            It was against her thoughts when she said to herself she would ask for anyone’s help once she broke free from the hell call home. Initially, she swore she would never get anyone involved with her affairs knowing the risk. She knew and she promised to herself but all those thoughts were now tossed away as she exited the forest, entering the clearing.

            Despair glistened in her eyes as she watched the person she tracked down pulling away- ensuring distance between them. Her heart pounding profusely within its chest cavity as she tried to enclose the distance.

            She couldn’t give up. Not now that she had made it all this way.

            The urge to scream out was one that she was not sure she could give into her. ached and she knew her vocal cords were too weak to proud such sound.

‘Not like this. So close… so close.’

Her inner voice began to whimper.

Was it too late for her?

He seemed so far away.

‘Come on, Ae. come on.’

            Collapsing to the floor, Ae’s hands clenched the snow-covered ground violently. She was tired, hungry and most of all; she was cold. Her existence was cold. She was nothing. Ae had been noting for all her life until today when she made a stand for herself. So many emotions boiled within the torn body.

            Darkness was already waiting to embrace her as she body shook uncontrollably.  This wasn’t how it was going to end. Not for her.  Everything had tested her today and her will to live was strong and radiant like the earth’s energy.

            Tears flooded her eyes as she picked up her head to see the figure of the person still in sight. Even through her blurred gaze, she could see his figure. He wasn’t short or tall, from the looks of it. His flesh was a nice sand brown color- standing out in the winter’s whiteness, his back told her he was strong. Especially from the sight of the deer on the sled that he seemed to have caught by himself. And even if she could tell his features from behind well, he was so far from her. ‘Come on, Ae. don’t give up like this.’ Once more the voice whispered in her ear.

“Not like this.” Ae hoarsely whispered to herself, mustering up all her strength to pick herself up from the ground. Her hands clenching to her mud covered gown as if holding onto the fabric was what she needed for the push.

“S-stop! STOP! PLEASE! HELP ME. PLEASE!”

Her yells rang loudly throughout the clearing as she bend forward slightly, putting all her force on her voice to be heard.

The veins on her neck becoming protruded from the stressed cries of help. Her feet stiffly moving forward trying to close up the gap between her and the unknown male that didn’t seem to pose a threat for her.

“I don’t want to go back... please, help me.”

Weakly, her body came to a halt when she noticed just a few feet was left between her and the male.

A feeling of relief spread throughout her exhausted body.

She couldn’t explain the emotions that coursed all over.

“I don’t want to go back...”

Hanging her head low, she allowed her messy tangled mud-coated tresses to drape over her face, hiding her features as she fought keep herself conscious.

“Please...”

ஜ۩۞۩ஜ

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