She could practically hear the clock ticking down the seconds as the horde of monsters got closer. Should she choose to go with this strange man or try to fight off the mass of creatures and certain death?
She chose the man.
As she gave him her hand, she realised that she had made the right decision. It just felt right. His hand engulfed hers with a rough warmness. He pulled her onto her feet and started in the direction of the trees. Turns out, however, that her body had not taken kindly to being thrown into the air and then into shards of chapel because it refused to run. She stumbled along for a few steps but they got nowhere.
"I am awfully sorry but I am going to pick you up now," the man, who still hadn't told her his name, said to her as he threw up over his shoulder mid-step.
Twyla might have screamed but her voice was lost in the crashing of the chase through the forest. She looked up and between the forest green, she saw blurs of red cloaks all around them. They were too close. She could smell the pine of the forest as they crashed through it. Just like the destruction of the chapel, this felt a sacred place that should be left untouched by violence.
She clutched the fabric of his thin shirt. His back was pure muscle and every time he turned, she felt the muscles ripple under her hands. He held her with barely any effort and used his other hand to move branches or jump over large logs.
And then he got out a gun.
"What is that?!" Twyla screamed. She wasn't too fond of guns.
"A gun."
"Yes! I see that! Why do you have a gun?"
"Well, it is much faster to use than a traditional stake."
"I… But…" Twyla spluttered, not quite knowing how to respond.
"You might want to block your ears. It is louder than a stake."
"Oh hahah," Twyla did enjoy hearing things so she covered her ears and, just to be safe, shut her eyes.
The shots rang out. She did not know if they hit their target. If she was being honest, she wasn't sure if she wanted to know if they did. Could he even aim with one hand while carrying her and running? He would be pretty amazing, even more than he was now, if he could. Was he too good? Like the old saying 'too good to be true'? He did show up at just the right time. And why was he in her dorm that day? Did he have anything to do with Sofia? Where did Sofia fit into all of this?
Was Sofia… one of them?
No. No. Twyla would know. Also, the teeth, right? Sofia's teeth were all normal. The people in red cloaks had… had fangs.
They had started slowing down while Twyla contemplated the situation and it only sank in when the man came to a complete stop. There was no one following them. While she was ruminating, he had been productive and lost their tail. He really had gotten her to safety.
Although, where were they?
He gently put her down. She wobbled for a second as she got her bearings. The trees around them were much older here. They formed a dark emerald canopy far above her head with specks of sunlight showing through. Their trunks were smooth before their branches sprouted big and full. She smelt the earthiness of fresh rain and an almost minty scent.
"How are you doing?" the man asked, tentatively. He looked at her like she might break at any second.
"I… I'm not sure. What's your name?"
"Ah. I am sorry. I have not even introduced myself. I am Hunter, leader of the resistance," Hunter announced with a bow.
"Um… I'm Twyla. University student. What resistance?"
"It will be easier to show you. That is where we are going now." Hunter leaned against a tree and folded those arms that were corded with muscles.
"We're not going… going back?"
He cocked his head and gave her a look filled with pity. "No. It is far too dangerous. They will be waiting for you to go home."
"How will they know where I live? They can't know that?" Twyla shrieked, getting a little frantic.
He still just stood there, all calm. "Your scent. They will follow your scent. It will be all over your home. We are going to hide your scent before we go further."
Twyla tried to get her breathing under control. She couldn't just not go back home. She had a life. Her classes. Her exams. All her hard work. Sofia's plants would die. Sofia. That's why she was here. Right. Okay. She would go with Hunter and get answers.
She looked up at him to find him staring down at her.
"What?" she questioned.
"It is going to be okay. Come here," he requested as he straightened up and pulled a small, unmarked aerosol can from his jeans pocket.
Twyla hesitated and then inched towards him. Her fists opened and closed at her sides. "What are you going to do with that? It looks a lot like pepper spray."
"I would not need pepper spray. Also, I have a gun. Should you not be more worried about that? This is to conceal your scent."
"Um… I mean sometimes death is the better alternative…"
Hunter crouched in front of her. "I will not harm you. Look." He looked at her, his chocolate brown eyes searching her soul and then he sprayed his own hand.
It smelt faintly like vanilla but nothing else. He showed her how unharmed his hand was and put her hand in his. "See? It feels fine?"
It felt more than fine but Twyla was not about to tell him that. His hand encompassed hers, making her feel tiny. His hand was covered with the callouses of a person who used them for hard work. But they were gentle as she touched him. She realised she was holding onto his hand for a moment too long and dropped it.
"Okay," she whispered, her voice hoarse.
"Close your eyes for a second."
She heard the release of air around her head and felt the pinpricks of cold as the aerosol touched her skin. She shivered.
"I am sorry. I forgot to warn you about the cold," he said.
"No, it's okay."
She started smelling the vanilla as more clung to her skin and her hair.
"You can open your eyes now."
Her eyes opened and he was much closer than she realised. Her breath caught. He gently, took each arm as he coated them. His fingers trailed along her skin as he moved. She was finding it annoyingly hard to breathe. Especially as he got lower.
"Open your legs."
She stopped breathing.
Finally, he sprayed her shoes and moved away. She took in a strangled breath.
"We have to walk for a while longer and then we can rest. Would you like me to pick you up again?"
Twyla thought she needed some distance from this man. "I can walk."