The group trudged through the dense forest, the sound of leaves crunching beneath their feet. The air was thick with tension, and the occasional distant roar of a beast set their nerves on edge. Madison broke the silence first, brushing a leaf out of her curly hair.
"So," she asked, glancing at Claire, "which direction are we going?"
Claire paused, looking around the forest as if retracing her steps in her mind. She raised her hand and pointed in one direction. "When the beasts attacked us, Amara went that way," she said, then gestured in another direction. "Two people ran that way. I don't know much about them; they never really spoke to us. But I think Lena went this way," she added, pointing toward a third path.
"Why do you think Lena went that way?" Nate asked, narrowing his eyes as he surveyed the surroundings. Her guess doesn't help their situation, she has to be sure about her situation.
"She told me she'd always hide somewhere enclosed if anything went wrong," Claire replied. "And there's a rocky area that way. I'm almost sure she'd head there."
Claire hesitated before continuing, "I think we should go towards Lena first. She's the weakest of us, and she's likely to be the one in the most trouble."
Madison immediately shook her head. "No," she said firmly. "Lena's the weakest, which means she's the most likely to already be dead. Wasting time on her is pointless. Let's focus on the other two locations."
"Wow, Madison," Bella said, glaring at her. "Relax. We don't need you adding negativity to what's already a bad situation."
Madison's face hardened as she snapped back. "What are you on about, Bella? How about we stop pretending everything is fine and start being realistic? If we think logically, Lena is a lost cause."
Before the argument could escalate further, Nate, who had been quiet the entire time, spoke up. His voice was calm but commanding. "That's enough," he said, stepping between the two women. "Here's what we're going to do. Claire and Bella will go after Lena. Madison and I will go for Amara. As for the other two..." He paused, glancing toward the direction they'd gone. "They'll have to take care of themselves."
"Fine," Madison muttered, stepping behind Nate, clearly ready to move.
Claire and Bella exchanged a look before Claire turned back to Nate. "Wait, before we split up, you need to know what they look like."
Nate nodded, and Claire began to explain. "Amara has long, dark brown hair, almost black, and striking green eyes. She's tall, with an athletic build, and she was wearing a dark blue hoodie when I saw her last. You'll recognize her right away because she has a strong presence about her. She's... hard to miss."
"And Lena?" Bella asked.
"Lena is smaller, with shoulder-length blonde hair. She has pale skin and light blue eyes, and she was wearing a red jacket. She's quiet, shy, and not much of a fighter. That's why I'm worried about her the most," Claire said softly.
Nate nodded. "Got it. Let's move out."
As Claire and Bella turned to leave, Nate stepped closer to Bella and lowered his voice. "If you see any signs of danger, run. Don't take unnecessary risks."
Bella's eyes narrowed, and her tone turned cold. "Thanks, but I don't need you watching over my back, Nate."
Nate frowned slightly, unsure why Bella was acting distant toward him, but he decided now wasn't the time to dwell on it. The only thing that mattered was finding the missing survivors.
Without another word, the group split up, disappearing into the dense forest in search of their scattered companions. The clock was ticking, and every second felt like a race against death.