Don't stop. The thought repeats itself over and over in Serenity's head as if it's stuck on a loop. Her bare feet slams against the dirt floor of the dense forest, branches whipping into her skin as she runs past. I have to go faster. Her legs begin to burn as she pushes herself to move, her thighs screaming for a break. How long have I been running? It's dark, shadows casting eerie monsters that aren't actually there. The real monsters are behind me. For a split moment, Serenity wonders if there truly is another monster in these woods, she would rather face it than the ones chasing her.
Short black hair whips her in the face as she looks over her shoulder. Two hulking figures chase after her. They weave through the trees and underbrush with such ease despite the bulky heavy armor they wear. It gleams in the moonlight, making it easier to spot them in the dark surroundings. Laughter comes from behind and then a harsh foreign language calls out to her.
Why is this happening? One minute she's gazing at the lake behind her house and then she's being chased by armored men who speak a language she's never heard before. Who are they and why are they chasing her?
Serenity screams when she trips on a root sticking out of the ground. Her chin slams against a rock and blood floods her mouth, the taste of iron sitting heavy on her tongue. The inside of her cheek stings with pain.
One of the armed men laughs and she pushes up onto her her hands and knees only to have a weighted foot shove her back down. Her cheek slams against the floor, the dirt smearing against her. Serenity sobs, her vision blurring as she struggles to get out from beneath his heavy weight. What do they want with her?
The two of them exchange a few words of harsh consonants before the weight on her back is gone. The figure leans down and then clicks on a trigger on his helmet.
Serenity's eyes open and she jumps upright, her head slamming against something. Instincts take over, and Serenity pins her ambusher to the floor, her hands wrapping around their neck as she squeezes.
There's a desperate gasp of air, and the red-haired woman beneath her digs her nails into Serenity's wrists in an attempt to get her to let go. "C-can't breathe." She barely manages to get the word out. Serenity doesn't let go.
"No!" There's a deep shout of alarm and a set of arms are wrapping around her waist and hauling her off of the woman below. "What are you doing?!"
"Sh-she's fucking crazy!" Lizzy shouts, her voice raspy. She rubs at her neck, bruises forming around the base from where Serenity grabbed her. "Oh fuck! What the bloody hell is your head made of?" Her hand pressing against her forehead from where they bumped heads when Serenity first woke up. Jay stands a few feet away, his eyes wide and a canteen in his hand lifted up halfway to his mouth.
Serenity's ears ring, her vision blurring, "Zero?" Her voice comes out desperate. Where is he? Why isn't he there with her? Her heart begins to race, what is happening?
"I'm here."
Calvin is pushed away and he goes to Lizzie's side to check on her, his gaze hard when he sees Jay just standing there. Jay clears his throat, closes the canteen of water and comes to Lizzie's side.
"What's her fucking problem?!" The red head snaps, swatting Calvin's hands away from her.
"Look at me." Zero grabs both sides of Serenity's face and forces her red gaze on him. "You're okay." He says, his voice firm. Strands of his black hair frame his handsome face, his mouth set in a grim line as he tries to get her to connect to reality. Serenity looks over his shoulder at Calvin and Lizzie, her gaze burning, but Zero gets in the way, his dark eyes snatching her attention, "Eyes on me. Take a deep breath." He sucks in air through his nose and Serenity follows his instructions. As her heart begins to regulate, she starts to remember everything and who the others were.
Lizzie, Jay and Calvin watch as Serenity seems to grasp her bearings, her eyes watering as she begins to cry. Why couldn't she remember anything when she woke up? What if Calvin hadn't intervened? Would Lizzie have been more injured than she already is? Serenity keeps her gaze on Zero, guilt eating away at her heart. She hurt one of her friends.
"You're okay." Zero smiles softly. Serenity nods her head still trapped between his hands and sniffles. She pushes him away gently, and rubs her eyes.
"What?" Serenity rubs the throbbing area of her temple and takes in the frazzled red-haired woman. "What happened?"
Lizzie glares at her and when she pulls her hand back from calvin, the center of her forehead is bright red, a bump beginning to rise. "You're lucky to be alive is what." She purses her lips and sighs, "You looked like you were having a nightmare."
A nightmare? Serenity hisses when her head begins to throb, she doesn't remember what it was about. "I'm sorry, I don't know what came over me." She steps over and frowns at the marks on Lizzie's neck.
Lizzie doesn't say anything at first and steals a look from Calvin. When she glances at a glaring Zero, she swallows, "It's fine."
"I thought I told you to leave her alone?" Zero asks, his voice dark. The air thickens with tension and Lizzie rubs the base of her neck, wincing when she touches a tender spot.
"I was worried about her." The red-haired woman says softly, "She's been asleep a long time. Do you sleep-walk often?" She looks back at Serenity.
Serenity tilts her head and frowns, "I don't think so?" Her head pounds, how does she tell them that she has no memories past waking up on their planet? When she glances at Zero he gives a subtle shake of his head and she sighs.
"Maybe it's a side effect of trauma? Maybe you're not adapting well-"
Lizzie cuts off when the floor beneath them shakes. The old frames on the wall shatter to the floor and then there's a moment of absolute silence. It's broken by another rumbling shudder.
"An earthquake?" Jay asks, his eyes widening.
Calvin runs to the nearest window and peers through the blinds covering the glass. His body freezes, his muscles growing taught. "There's something out there." He whispers, his voice trembling as he stares with wide eyes.
"What do you mean?" Zero frowns. He steps towards the window, trying to get a grasp of the situation. It's one crisis after another.
"N- no," Calvin stutters, his eyes wide with horror as he takes in whatever is outside. "This is-" There's a loud thwack and then the window and wall crumbles, leaving a gaping hole in the abandoned house they took shelter in. A large veiny hand pushes through the glass and ruble, it's meaty fingers wrapping around Calvin's body. His scream is cut off when the giant hand pulls him out through the hole in the house.