Sequel: The Fifth World 2

The Fifth World

Dishonest Shopping

Bo: It is cold on higher ground. I wonder how long Nancy and I have been walking. She is barely in appropriate clothes. I did consider jumping to her house to grab them but knowing governments and how shady they can be... Cynric's entire family would be under investigation. It would be impossible to return here safely with better clothes for Nancy. She has not spoken a word to me since Angelica Falls.

"You look cold," I say, my voice toneless. I look at her, up and down. She is wearing a skirt that ends just above her knees, it is frilly and a navy blue. She wears long, high boots and they reach far up her long legs. Her long sleeved shirt will give her limited warmth - the fabric is thin. "Do you want me to jump somewhere and get you something?"

"If I needed your help I would ask for it," she replies coldly.

I sigh and look up at the many mountains beyond. I'm not sure where we are going... but wherever it is, I know we have a very long way to go.
I watch her shiver. The sun is setting. It will be dark soon. A glamorous sheet coloured orange and gold covers the sky. I wonder where the hell Cynric and Janine are. I hope they're okay. Minutes go by. And soon an hour. It is dark and Nancy and I have been walking for a long time. I am tired. So is she.

"We will stay here overnight," she says to me.

There is a small clearing, a flat surface wide enough for a small cottage to be built on. In the cliff face is a cave. Nancy points towards it.

I nod my head, "okay." I don't know what is inside that cave and I definitely don't want to wander into darkness to find out. If we're sleeping on this mountain and in that cave... we need to be prepared. "Do you mind if I take a trip somewhere?"

Nancy rolls her eyes, "where are you going?"

"We need food, blankets and light." I answer her. Cynric has all of the food and Janine has her bag. I have mine, that has one blanket and a few items of clothing and some photos. Nancy sits down on a boulder, ties up her blond hair with an elastic band and then sighs.

She folds her arms for warmth. "Be back in ten minutes, I'll be waiting."

I smile softly at her and then my entire surroundings disappear. I am no longer cold, nor am I standing on a mountain. I am actually in a cubicle of a bathroom, I've done this so many times it is ridiculous. I unlock the door and head out of the public bathroom and into the mall. I've been to this mall plenty of times. It's a shopping centre and it's warm and always full of people. I pass a few girls who I know from school, they don't even take a second look at me. I'm invisible at school, for years I've been different, not many people pay attention to me. I'm surprised Jonathan even paid attention to me. I sigh as I think about him and can't help feel guilty for not thinking about him enough. I shouldn't be thinking of Cynric as much as I am, I should be thinking about Jonathan.

I wonder throughout the shopping centre, I enjoy being around these kinds of people. It's kind of nice not to see anything supernatural. I quicken my pace, Nancy expects me to return in nine minutes. I have to hurry. It shouldn't take too long. I remember where the closest department store is and I jump, vanishing in the middle of an open space (completely surrounded by Average Humans), and I appear in the book section. There are a few people around but nobody notices my sudden appearance, they are all too busy with their noses stuck into novels. I hurry towards the clothes section, pick up as many jackets I can find. I also grab pairs of socks, slip them under my arm and continue hurrying throughout the store. On the way to the bed and bath section I pick up a basket and shove everything I have pulled from the shelves inside. I take some blankets, a towel and I even grab some pillows. What else do I need? I take another wander throughout the store, pick up some first aid essentials and then I vanish, bringing absolutely everything with me. I haven't shoplifted before and I don't plan on doing it ever again but this is an emergency.

Nancy is not in sight, I walk over towards the cave and see her silhouette not too far away from the entry. She is resting but I can tell has only been doing so for a couple of minutes. Her back is against the rock wall. She looks at me, her expression surprised.

"I'm impressed," she says, "seven minutes and you've come back with all of that."

I smile softly.

"But there is one problem," she says, "we need food and from what I can see you don't have any."

"Oh," I say, "I was actually going to use my remaining three minutes on getting us food. I just needed to drop off" - I drop everything; the blankets, clothes, pillows, etc onto the ground - "a few things."

She smiles, stands up and brushes herself off. She looks cold. I wonder why she hasn't just jumped somewhere herself. I'm sure she's itching to... but then I remember... we're waiting for Janine and Cynric. What if they showed up and we weren't here?

"You stay here," she says to me and lets down her blonde hair, "I'll be back with dinner."

Cynric: Impossible is the only word I can think of that can explain why a Thorne is genuinely helping us. I feel like a fugitive. Well, to be completely honest I think I am. It scares me but it is a little exciting too. We have been on the run for about ten minutes now. It will not surprise me if the city is put into lock down. It has happened before, not in my lifetime but I think back when my parents were alive... I remember reading about it and although the reason for it was not explained, it was quite historical. People in the streets were asked to return to their homes, guards would go to every house, identify everyone who was there and document it. I'm not sure what happened after that.
We have been jumping across ceilings, going from one rooftop to another ever since escaping from Janine's apartment. I wonder how long it will take for them to find us. I am in pain, the arrow Namara shot at me still sits in my leg, my flesh ripped open, my insides screaming in pain. I struggle to keep up with Janine and Felicity but somehow I keep going.
"Cynric, we must stop, you are hurt." Janine says to me. I look down at my leg, a single, thin stream of blood drips. The arrow is blocking anymore blood from leaking. Leaving it in there will stop the bleeding, for now.

Felicity turns to us, she is keeping a look out, quite well, actually. We are almost towards Ash Forest. Once we are there it will be relatively easy to outrun whoever follows and if Namara is as determined of a Justice Agent as I believe she is then she would be close.

"I will not ask why you are running from whoever is chasing you but I will let you know that if we stop they will catch us." Felicity says.

Janine sends Felicity a look of disgust. Janine can't trust Felicity but she knows that at the moment she has no choice.

"We are almost at Ash Forest, we should climb down and run along the street," I say to Janine and Felicity.

"But Cynric, your leg-"

"I'm fine, Janine," I hiss at her, she is a little surprised by my response, "keep moving."

Felicity runs ahead, jumps from one rooftop to another. The day is fading quickly. In an hour or so it will be dark. That will make it hard to get through Ash Forest.

"There is a ladder over here," Felicity calls. Janine jumps from the ceiling of the building we are standing on to the building Felicity is standing on. I follow. There is a rusted ladder that leads three quarters of the way down towards the ground. A few people below look at us but other than that they don't really do anything.

Felicity slides down the ladder, even over its rusted edges, she does it so quickly and perfectly that she makes it look easy. Janine climbs down and once she reaches the bottom step she lets herself drop, she lands on both feet. Once she is on the street I place both legs on the top step of the ladder. My heart almost stops when I spot a black figure jumping from rooftop to rooftop, her leather jacket flying behind her from the wind. Namara is only a few buildings away from us.
I quickly move, moving one foot after another until I reach the bottom step. I let myself fall and unfortunately I don't have the same landing as Janine. I yell in pain when I land awkwardly on my back. Janine and Felicity rush to my aid. They help me up and then I look back up towards the rooftop. There she is - Namara, looking dangerously beautiful, determination in her dark eyes.

"Run!" I yell, several people turn around to look whilst Felicity, Janine and I all sprint into the forest.

I look back towards the buildings, see Namara standing on one, she is still and staring at us as we retreat into Ash Forest. I realise that she is not just still but she is drawing her bow and arrow. I take in a deep breath and sprint as fast as I possibly can. I hear a sound, of what I know is the arrow whipping through the air, I spot it spearing itself into the ground, just missing my right hand.
We are almost to Angelica Falls when I see Janine make a look at me, a look that I know well, since I know Janine well. She is wondering, wondering what the hell I saw when I touched Felicity's hand earlier.