“Ellison, can you tell me who attacked you?” I ask.
“I… don’t know. I don’t even know what happened,” he whispers.
“Let me carry him,” August says. “I can run while carrying a person with ease.”
I hesitate, not wanting to hand him off. It’s my duty to protect him and I’ve already failed.
“Deus, I’ve got him,” August says, and I know that while I could move quickly for a short period, I’m not going to make it to the car with him in my arms without some struggle if I’m running.
So I grudgingly pass him off to August as Ellison passes out, sinking down into his arms. My arms are coated in blood, the ground is coated in blood… there’s so much blood.
I race after August, only capable of assisting when it comes to which way to run since his sense of direction is not really the greatest out here in the woods.
When we reach the parking lot where our vehicle is, the ambulance still isn’t here, so August lowers Ellison onto some grass.
“Ellison, you with us?” Landon asks, he and Lex having managed to keep up with us because we weren’t too far from the car. “It’s going to be okay, alright?”
I stand watching the trees to make sure that no one can get past, no one can hurt the rest of them, but the trees seem silent.
My hand tightens on the rifle. If I failed to notice them the first time, what will keep me from missing them this time?
I hear the ambulance and eye them as they pull up.
“Deus, I think Ellison wants you,” Landon says.
I waver, not wanting to look away from my post, but I go over to Ellison and kneel down.
“Don’t… don’t go out there.” His hand reaches out and wraps around my wrist, squeezing it. “Don’t.”
And then the medical team are on him. He’s still holding my wrist when they try to pick him up, so they have to pull his hand free to turn away.
“You heard him, right, Deus?” Landon asks.
“Of course. I’m right here.”
“Let’s get in the car and follow them,” August says as they head to the SUV. I watch the medical team load Ellison into the ambulance and the moment the doors are shut, I turn myself invisible and run back into the woods.
I make it to the spot where Ellison was attacked and look around. I don’t remove my invisibility while I examine the spot where blood is splattered on the ground.
Why did he go over here? We were looking at the deer, so why did he go over here alone? I knew he wandered off, but I thought he was just going to the bathroom or something else. I thought very little of it. Did he see something? But if it was something scary or wrong, he wouldn’t have left us without alerting us, right?
I don’t know what you’re planning on proving, but you will never be good enough. You’ll never save anyone but yourself, you selfish little prick. I will beat it into you again and again if you need me to.
“SHUT UP,” I snap, trying to quiet the thoughts in my mind. I can’t think when all I can hear is them rambling on about my inadequacies.
Focus, focus.
The wound began from the side of his waist and ran up to his chest, where it was the deepest. The person must have swung from below at a diagonal to create it. It was so fast that it looks like Ellison didn’t even have time to step back before the attacktook place, telling me that he either didn’t see the culprit or he knew them.
Then he put up a barrier of illusions to trap the person?—
I hear something and turn.
“Deus, you little piece of shit!” Landon yells.
I freeze and look back as Landon pants, his hands on his knees. What is he doing here?
“I… don’t… know… where… your ass… is at… but I’ll… find you… and kick it!” He starts blindly waving his arms around like he’s trying to give ultimate air hugs. I don’t see August or Lex, so… why is he out here by himself? Does he want to get hurt?
