Manbearpig

"Jason." Her eyes flicked toward Evelyn's vague direction and then back toward Jace. "And a friend..." Evelyn sighed inwardly, with a few nervous glances behind them.

The girl was just in front of Jason now, gently clasping his wrist with her hands. "You are Jason Wright?" Chills ran down Evelyn's spine, but the young girl kept a distressed face. "I apologize for my deception, but in truth, I am an associate of Sofia Academy. Herr Wright, it concerns Elodie Motte."

It was like a switch had gone off in his head. And suddenly it didn't matter that some weird light tried to kill them, or whoever this kid was, why she was there. There was only one question on his kind them "What? What happened to Elodie?" His golden eyes narrowed. "Where is she?"

This was like a page out of The Shining. Maybe it was just hearing that name in the girl's mouth, but she instantly got a sick feeling in her stomach. Gifted. And giving her a harder look, not quite as young as she seemed. Evelyn thought back to what she'd found in the closet, but kept her mouth shut. "Safe. For now." The young girl grimaced. "There has been carnage in Europe ever since the destruction of the school. Our former sanctuaries are no longer safe and Motte was caught in an engagement near Brussels and is being treated at a hospital there. I—... I am afraid she is in grievous condition. Please, Herr Wright, it is urgent that you come with me."

It'd felt whatever air he'd had in him then had long since left. He didn't know what to say, catching Evelyn quiet in the corner of his eye. She had to understand, right? Sure, there was something fucking crazy out there, after them - but when wasn't there some stupid portal monster bullshit lurking around? His mind did flips, and he puffed himself up. Everything else could wait, he'd have to be on the first flight to Europe. [color#edb54c]"Right, Let's go -"[/color] The blonde said firmly, pulling his hand back.

Her legs had turned to lead. She met Jace's eyes, not saying a word, and followed after them like a lost puppy as the girl led them down thinner and thinner trails, until they pushed through a curtain of ferns to emerge on the cliffside. The green valley swept out before them, the sun sank into the jagged fangs of a ridge needled with pine trees, and a steep drop-off the precipice.

The girl twitched her fingers, and a wire of light drew around Jace's ankles, pulling the loop tight.

"J-Jace!"

He was such an idiot.

The wires were hot and piercing against his skin, but he'd never felt more cold. He wanted to run, but there was no way he'd get very far, and he could feel his stomach sink down as he peered over at the steep cliff behind them. What was he thinking? He wasn't thinking. Was Elodie alright? Maybe she was already dead. He took one last look at the trap caught around him.

Jason had the dignity not to beg at least, forcing himself to look back up at the small girl. "Why?" He asked. His hand twitched towards his pocket, but there was nothing that he had to help. He couldn't see any way out of this.

Didn't that fucking blow? Couldn't say goodbye to his anyone, not his brother, or his mom. When would the flashbacks start?

Shit.

He put on a smile anyways. "Eve, I'm sorry."

There couldn't be possibly any way their vacation could be any more fucked up, right?

"Be silent. Don't trouble me." Evelyn flicked out the dagger, lunging for the girl, but a thread of light wound around her wrist, knotting tight and freezing her hand in suspended motion, keeping the knife from connecting. That stupid smile. How could he smile right now?! The girl in black planted her foot between Jace's shoulder blades, and you could barely hear the leaves rustling above Evelyn's scream.

Bigfoot careened toward them like a freight train. The girl was swatted backwards with a ferocious backhand, and Evelyn kept screaming, scrambling backwards. The wires dissipated around Jace's ankles as the animal kept charging, stepping over Jace with a leaping bound, shredding through the threads that began to snake around his thick limbs, scooping the girl up and flinging her like a football into the trees.

Alright, so where did he fuck up? Where did he really fuck up? He didn't want to imagine the look of horror on Evelyn's face, or did he want to picture how pretty he'd look at the bottom of the cliff. Jason didn't know what to think, shutting his eyes and silently praying to be somewhere other than there, smewhere safer, happier; shit, when was the last time he'd even really felt his best?

His last thoughts careened into him, sharp and stabbing as the heel in his back.

""...f-f-f-forget about me..."

Jason cracked another small grin, his heart leaping out in fear and leaving him to only see the of distant sea of trees beneath him.

What a way to go.

As he felt himself begin to tip over, a frenzy of wind and fur rattled him, nipping away at the wires on his knees and leaving him scrambling to get a foothold into the dirt. Some dark matted shape was sweeping the crazy girl up into his fists. He didn't try to make sense of it. Nothing made sense right now. Nothing had finally started to fucking click at all until he could clearly make out Evelyn's screams and see that cursed shape in the flesh and blood.

"Shit... Holy shit..." Jason watched with wide eyes, brushing a hand over his head, making sure he hadn't hit it - or that he wasn't actually already dead. "Oh, holy fucking shIT." They had to get the fuck out of there. He let his gaze linger a few seconds longer as the thing tossed the girl away like a fucking play toy, just to try and make sure he wasn't batshit insane before he went scrambling up to her side.

"Eve!" He made a shaky reach for her shoulders. "Are you alright?!"

Was she alright? Forget about her! Evelyn just kept screaming, gripping his arms, looking straight past Jace toward the creature that was now whirling on them, beating its mighty chest, and then flexing into a charge. "Go!" she shouted with a shove.

Fuck, fuck, right, right, right -

What he wouldn't fucking give for some stupid ass crossbow or a crazy claymore, of all things, like his fucking parents used to use. The same sort of shit that he carried around when he started chasing after that mother fucking fantasy.

Bigfoot. Fucking Bigfoot was about to fucking mow them down.

Jason sprang up on his feet, adrenaline roaring in his ears. He didn't run like he should have, stopping to spin around and help yank the Winter off the ground. If they could manage it without tripping, they only needed to flee downhill.

The young man refused to let go of her hand, dragging them both and doubling back toward the main trail.

Evelyn half-fell, half-sprinted at his side, legs flying over rocks and roots, jumping through curtains of ferns and lichen, through blackberry bushes that snagged at their clothes. And every once in awhile, she'd shoot a look over her shoulder, and see the creature bulldozing through the underbrush, trampling everything in its path. Back on the main trail, she ran, sharp pain splitting up her ankle with a wrong step, but she fell into her momentum to keep running, clutching Jace's hand tight for support and swallowing the pain that rose up in her throat.

Mother fucking Bigfoot was after them. How had anyone not noticed yet? How the hell had anyone not seen it before? Could they be sure that this wasn't insane fever dream? Jason grit his teeth and ignored the new cuts and scratches eating away at his arms and legs. As they fled down the steep trail, he could feel Evelyn starting to drag and fall behind him; the strong limp in her leg was impossible not to notice. There was no way she could keep going like that.

He paused, sliding his feet harshly into the dirt and twisted around, trying to find somewhere, anywhere to go before Bigfoot barreled into them. To their right, a small drop-off into a cavernous ridge. It looked like a decent place to hide, they had to take the chance. "Come on." The blonde tugged her closer to him, offering a bit of support and ducking them closer to the undergrowth.

Each passing day, she was increasingly convinced this was all a sick joke, like the Truman Show. Evelyn panted between awkward, loping steps, arms swinging. She stared into the cleft, but she was beyond questioning anybody's decisions, and one glance back toward the rustling trees was enough to convince her it was as good a plan as any, diving with him into the brush as Bigfoot came careening into view.

It was a steeper slide than he'd anticipated, his shirt and jeans snagging against roots and weeds, and for a moment he'd doubted his own logic and thought he'd made some terrible mistake. The grass crunched beneath their weight as they hit the bottom and he'd barely managed to stay upright, putting a strong arm out to keep Evelyn from falling again, the last thing they needed.

He turned his head, seeing Bigfoot'd dark shape off in the distance, slowing, thrashing around; maybe he'd lost them, for the moment anyways. They'd get seen if they'd stayed any longer. Whipping back around, there were a few arching trees to give them cover, and a cool cave - hopefully not with too many bats in it. Damn. "I think we can stop here..." Jason murmured, ducking down and leading her away into hiding.

"What the fuck..."

What the fuck just happened?

Evelyn slumped against the stone wall, head back, face flushed dripping with sweat. "What the fuck" was totally right.

"S-so, I guess we f-found him..." She could've laughed, but instead she just winced, massaging at her swollen ankle. Owowowow...