Status: Done
Epic Escape
Epic Escape
“I think this is a good place to rest for tonight.” Phillip Durrune said, plopping down on a tree stump.
“Yeah.” agreed Marissa Elliot
The tall blond girl furrowed her eyebrows together in concentration, her green eyes directed at a fallen branch dotted with dead leaves. Within seconds the branch burst into flames.
“Way to go Mar!” Phillip cried, rubbing his hands together over the now crackling fire.
“Do you think we’re safe for the night?” she asked
“We should be.” Phillip replied, running a hand through his longish blond hair, “We’re in the middle of the woods and left the Institution ages ago.”
“You don’t think Eloise will track us down?”
“Sooner or later. But I doubt she will tonight.”
Satisfied, the two laid down by the warmth of the fire. The heat seemed to recharge their batteries, giving them the energy they would need. The flames cast eerie shadows around them, doing nothing to calm their fear. Eventually, they fell into an deep sleep, their worries miles away.
*****
“Marissa! We gotta go! They’re coming!”
Groggy, Marissa opened her sleep filled eyes, to see Phillip inches from her face, stricken with fear.
“Sup?” she croaked, brushing her hair from her face.
It was still dark and the fire had long since gone out, leaving only charcoal in it’s place.
“They’re coming!” he repeated, his voice thick with panic.
Finally, it seemed to sink in that they were in danger. Marissa sprang to her feet, all feelings of drowsiness had gone from her body.
Phillip grabbed her hand, making a break for the dense surrounding trees. Try as they might, it was nearly impossible to move quickly and silently through the wood.
“We can’t out run them.” Marissa said suddenly, stopping in her tracks, doubled over and breathing hard, trying to calm the stitch in her side.
“Then let’s climb.” suggested Phillip, nodding at a great oak tree to their right.
“Really?” Marissa asked, “Give me a boost!”
Within minutes both of them were up in the tree, climbing higher and higher up until the branches got too thin to climb.
“Think we’re safe?” Marissa asked, sitting on a thick branch, clinging for dear life.
“Shh!” he shushed her, pointing below
Squinting, she was able to make out Eloise Duncoore’s figure. Fear gripped at her insides, pulling her stomach into knots. The girl seemed to be passing through on full alert. She passed their tree unaware they had taken it as a hideout. Suddenly, Eloise stood rooted to the spot. She appeared to have a look of intense concentration upon her face. The girl’s ivory skin rippled over her taut muscles, as specks of black bristly hair grew swiftly into a dense fur coat. Her spine bent in an impossible human angle. Her nails grew longer, curving into sharp claws. Her dark hair seemed to recede and her facial features contorted. Her mouth and nose came together as a snout formed and her eyes parted, furthering the distance between them. Her ears rose to the top of her head shaping them to resemble a husky’s. Within seconds her human form had morphed into that of a dark wolf.
Marissa shivered. It wasn’t the first time she’d witnessed Eloise Change. She had seen her do so a hundred times at the Institution. But no matter how many times she’d seen her Change it never got any easier to watch.
She kept her eyes glued on Eloise’s figure. The wolf had her ears perked, her great head swiveling back and forth in the direction of every sound the wood made. Her tail hung high in the air.
Marissa’s heart was racing. She knew it would only be too soon that they would be found out. All Eloise had to do was raise her great head and they would be immediately spotted. If Eloise wasn’t the one to find them, one of the Institutions cronies would be sure to.
After what seemed an eternity, Eloise took off into the opposite direction of their tree.
Breathing a sigh of relief, Marissa and Phillip sat there for a few minutes longer. They couldn’t quite believe that Eloise, a werewolf with keener senses than any human, hadn’t been able to find them in the tree.
“I think we’re safe now.” Marissa whispered, her gaze searching Phillips.
“I think so too.”
Carefully, making sure to not make any unnecessary noise, they clambered out of the tree as quickly as possible. They dropped cat-like on the forest floor and continued to slink- doubled over- through the dense trees. They were faced with two narrow paths. One which Eloise had taken, the other branching off into the opposite direction. Glancing at each other, they followed the latter.
Sweat trickled down Marissa’s forehead. She was exhausted and really tired of running. Her muscles were aching, and she was cold. All she wanted was to sleep well into the next year. But she kept pushing on as she followed Phillip down the now sloping path. They were forced into a low crouch due to the low overhanging branches, to avoid being struck.
It seemed as though they had been walking for hours when finally they found themselves by a stream. Dropping to their knees, Marissa and Phillip scooped water into their cupped hands, greedily gulping down all the water they could. It was a cold and clean fast running stream, with colourful stones littering the bottom.
Then the worst happened.
“Enjoying yourselves?” came a sweet voice.
Marissa and Phillip’s heads snapped towards the all too familiar voice.
“Didn’t think I’d find you, did you?” Eloise asked, stepping out from the shadows of a particularly large looming elk tree. She was back in her human form, looking a little disheveled.
“Let us go Eloise.” Marissa stammered, climbing to her feet.
“I don’t think so, Marissa.” Eloise said, giving her a crooked smile. “In fact, I think I’ll take you both back to the Institution where you belong.”
“Why are you doing this Elli?” Phillip asked, “Do you really think they’ll let you go if you hand us in? You’re in as much danger as we are!”
“That’s what you think Phillip.” Eloise said, her eyes glinting maddeningly, “They promised me. They promised to let me go. To go back to mom and dad. To get back to my old life, before they took me. All they asked was I get you.”
“It’s lies Elli!” Marissa pleaded, “Can’t you see they’re using you!”
“You should understand better than anyone Mar!” Eloise cried, tears welling up in her hazel eyes, “You were popular and gorgeous! You had everything! A scholarship to the University of Toronto and a life that everyone could only dream of having! Wouldn’t you do all you could to get that back?”
“Of course I miss it!” Marissa whispered, her eyes flashing “But I’d never betray my friends to get what I want! We’ve been locked up in the Institution together for way more than a year! We were always there for each other! Always the others rock when we came back or got ready to go through one of their cruel examinations of our powers! We were family! We were what got us through that horrid place!”
“I’m sorry Elli, but I can’t let you take us in.” Phillip said.
Looking around, Marissa found Phillip gazing intently at his target; Eloise. His arms were out in front of him as he summoned all his energy.
“Wha-What are you doing?” Eloise asked, for the first time that she had turned on her friends, there was a hint of fear in her voice.
“This.” said Phillip simply.
It happened within seconds. It took a moment for Marissa to realize what had happened. Eloise seemed rooted to the spot, watching the brilliant show. The colourful stones from the stream rose into the air, swirling like a tornado, slowly forming a firm thick wall. The colourful mass of stone swirled into position around Eloise, forming a firm box around her.
Her scream rang out into the night, sounding far away as it was muffled from the stone box.
“Come on!” Phillip said, grabbing Marissa’s arm. “It won’t hold her long, we have to get going! They won’t be far behind her, we’ll be caught if we stay here!”
Bewildered, Marissa tore her gaze from the magnificent view and followed Phillip down the trail, ducking once more but this time at a faster pace.
She had never actually seen Phillips power in action, mostly because there were no metal or stone objects that could be found within the protective walls of the Institution. She felt a strange kind of wonder towards Phillip. But she had no time to think about what she had just witnessed, they had to get going.
After what felt like forever, the two finally came upon a break in the dense woods. The two pushed away the last of the over hanging branches and walked through. Scanning the surrounding area, Marissa and Phillip found themselves on the very edge of a small town. The closest building was an average sized looking mall with a packed parking lot. Close to the mall’s doors was a city bus.
Glancing at each other, they had a silent understanding. Without a word, they tore across the street, narrowly avoiding traffic to get to the bus. They made it just in time. Knowing they didn’t have money for the bus fee, they slipped on through the exit doors, avoiding any unwanted attention.
Marissa and Phillip found seats at the back of the bus where they plopped down.
“We made it.” Marissa breathed, grinning at Phillip
“Where do we go from here?” he asked
“We’ll go as far as the bus will take us, then walk to my parents.”
He sighed, “I wish Elli could be with us.”
“I do too, but she chose to betray us, back at the Institution. She knew our plan to escape. She was totally with us.” Marissa reminded him, “But I guess she felt Dr. Katherin and the rest of her cronies had a better deal. But I don’t think we can blame her. We might have done the same.”
“Mar, they offered us the same deal, help crack the rest of the patients and they’d let us get back to our lives. But we didn’t take the deal.” Phillip reasoned.
“Guess you’re right.”
“‘Course I am.”
Silence fell amongst the two as they watched the scene fly by out their windows.
“Do you think we’ll ever be truly safe?” Phillip asked
“Yeah, I do. Dad works for the government. He’s really high up. He’ll get somebody’s attention, and eventually close down the Institution. The others will be rescued and from now on, every other child showing any psychic talent won’t be at risk of being abducted from their families and all they know to be done extreme psychic testing on. They’re no longer in danger of becoming lab rats.”
“Well let’s hope so.” Phillip sighed.
Silence once again fell amongst them. It was a couple hours later when Marissa broke the silence, so abruptly that Phillip jolted awake from his doze.
“C’mon, this is us.” she said, standing up as she clung for the yellow rope above her head to alert the driver.
The bus slowed to a stop and a handful of people stepped off.
“It’s a good twenty minute walk to my house.” Marissa informed Phillip, “We’re almost home free. No one will be able to touch us again.”
The End.
“Yeah.” agreed Marissa Elliot
The tall blond girl furrowed her eyebrows together in concentration, her green eyes directed at a fallen branch dotted with dead leaves. Within seconds the branch burst into flames.
“Way to go Mar!” Phillip cried, rubbing his hands together over the now crackling fire.
“Do you think we’re safe for the night?” she asked
“We should be.” Phillip replied, running a hand through his longish blond hair, “We’re in the middle of the woods and left the Institution ages ago.”
“You don’t think Eloise will track us down?”
“Sooner or later. But I doubt she will tonight.”
Satisfied, the two laid down by the warmth of the fire. The heat seemed to recharge their batteries, giving them the energy they would need. The flames cast eerie shadows around them, doing nothing to calm their fear. Eventually, they fell into an deep sleep, their worries miles away.
*****
“Marissa! We gotta go! They’re coming!”
Groggy, Marissa opened her sleep filled eyes, to see Phillip inches from her face, stricken with fear.
“Sup?” she croaked, brushing her hair from her face.
It was still dark and the fire had long since gone out, leaving only charcoal in it’s place.
“They’re coming!” he repeated, his voice thick with panic.
Finally, it seemed to sink in that they were in danger. Marissa sprang to her feet, all feelings of drowsiness had gone from her body.
Phillip grabbed her hand, making a break for the dense surrounding trees. Try as they might, it was nearly impossible to move quickly and silently through the wood.
“We can’t out run them.” Marissa said suddenly, stopping in her tracks, doubled over and breathing hard, trying to calm the stitch in her side.
“Then let’s climb.” suggested Phillip, nodding at a great oak tree to their right.
“Really?” Marissa asked, “Give me a boost!”
Within minutes both of them were up in the tree, climbing higher and higher up until the branches got too thin to climb.
“Think we’re safe?” Marissa asked, sitting on a thick branch, clinging for dear life.
“Shh!” he shushed her, pointing below
Squinting, she was able to make out Eloise Duncoore’s figure. Fear gripped at her insides, pulling her stomach into knots. The girl seemed to be passing through on full alert. She passed their tree unaware they had taken it as a hideout. Suddenly, Eloise stood rooted to the spot. She appeared to have a look of intense concentration upon her face. The girl’s ivory skin rippled over her taut muscles, as specks of black bristly hair grew swiftly into a dense fur coat. Her spine bent in an impossible human angle. Her nails grew longer, curving into sharp claws. Her dark hair seemed to recede and her facial features contorted. Her mouth and nose came together as a snout formed and her eyes parted, furthering the distance between them. Her ears rose to the top of her head shaping them to resemble a husky’s. Within seconds her human form had morphed into that of a dark wolf.
Marissa shivered. It wasn’t the first time she’d witnessed Eloise Change. She had seen her do so a hundred times at the Institution. But no matter how many times she’d seen her Change it never got any easier to watch.
She kept her eyes glued on Eloise’s figure. The wolf had her ears perked, her great head swiveling back and forth in the direction of every sound the wood made. Her tail hung high in the air.
Marissa’s heart was racing. She knew it would only be too soon that they would be found out. All Eloise had to do was raise her great head and they would be immediately spotted. If Eloise wasn’t the one to find them, one of the Institutions cronies would be sure to.
After what seemed an eternity, Eloise took off into the opposite direction of their tree.
Breathing a sigh of relief, Marissa and Phillip sat there for a few minutes longer. They couldn’t quite believe that Eloise, a werewolf with keener senses than any human, hadn’t been able to find them in the tree.
“I think we’re safe now.” Marissa whispered, her gaze searching Phillips.
“I think so too.”
Carefully, making sure to not make any unnecessary noise, they clambered out of the tree as quickly as possible. They dropped cat-like on the forest floor and continued to slink- doubled over- through the dense trees. They were faced with two narrow paths. One which Eloise had taken, the other branching off into the opposite direction. Glancing at each other, they followed the latter.
Sweat trickled down Marissa’s forehead. She was exhausted and really tired of running. Her muscles were aching, and she was cold. All she wanted was to sleep well into the next year. But she kept pushing on as she followed Phillip down the now sloping path. They were forced into a low crouch due to the low overhanging branches, to avoid being struck.
It seemed as though they had been walking for hours when finally they found themselves by a stream. Dropping to their knees, Marissa and Phillip scooped water into their cupped hands, greedily gulping down all the water they could. It was a cold and clean fast running stream, with colourful stones littering the bottom.
Then the worst happened.
“Enjoying yourselves?” came a sweet voice.
Marissa and Phillip’s heads snapped towards the all too familiar voice.
“Didn’t think I’d find you, did you?” Eloise asked, stepping out from the shadows of a particularly large looming elk tree. She was back in her human form, looking a little disheveled.
“Let us go Eloise.” Marissa stammered, climbing to her feet.
“I don’t think so, Marissa.” Eloise said, giving her a crooked smile. “In fact, I think I’ll take you both back to the Institution where you belong.”
“Why are you doing this Elli?” Phillip asked, “Do you really think they’ll let you go if you hand us in? You’re in as much danger as we are!”
“That’s what you think Phillip.” Eloise said, her eyes glinting maddeningly, “They promised me. They promised to let me go. To go back to mom and dad. To get back to my old life, before they took me. All they asked was I get you.”
“It’s lies Elli!” Marissa pleaded, “Can’t you see they’re using you!”
“You should understand better than anyone Mar!” Eloise cried, tears welling up in her hazel eyes, “You were popular and gorgeous! You had everything! A scholarship to the University of Toronto and a life that everyone could only dream of having! Wouldn’t you do all you could to get that back?”
“Of course I miss it!” Marissa whispered, her eyes flashing “But I’d never betray my friends to get what I want! We’ve been locked up in the Institution together for way more than a year! We were always there for each other! Always the others rock when we came back or got ready to go through one of their cruel examinations of our powers! We were family! We were what got us through that horrid place!”
“I’m sorry Elli, but I can’t let you take us in.” Phillip said.
Looking around, Marissa found Phillip gazing intently at his target; Eloise. His arms were out in front of him as he summoned all his energy.
“Wha-What are you doing?” Eloise asked, for the first time that she had turned on her friends, there was a hint of fear in her voice.
“This.” said Phillip simply.
It happened within seconds. It took a moment for Marissa to realize what had happened. Eloise seemed rooted to the spot, watching the brilliant show. The colourful stones from the stream rose into the air, swirling like a tornado, slowly forming a firm thick wall. The colourful mass of stone swirled into position around Eloise, forming a firm box around her.
Her scream rang out into the night, sounding far away as it was muffled from the stone box.
“Come on!” Phillip said, grabbing Marissa’s arm. “It won’t hold her long, we have to get going! They won’t be far behind her, we’ll be caught if we stay here!”
Bewildered, Marissa tore her gaze from the magnificent view and followed Phillip down the trail, ducking once more but this time at a faster pace.
She had never actually seen Phillips power in action, mostly because there were no metal or stone objects that could be found within the protective walls of the Institution. She felt a strange kind of wonder towards Phillip. But she had no time to think about what she had just witnessed, they had to get going.
After what felt like forever, the two finally came upon a break in the dense woods. The two pushed away the last of the over hanging branches and walked through. Scanning the surrounding area, Marissa and Phillip found themselves on the very edge of a small town. The closest building was an average sized looking mall with a packed parking lot. Close to the mall’s doors was a city bus.
Glancing at each other, they had a silent understanding. Without a word, they tore across the street, narrowly avoiding traffic to get to the bus. They made it just in time. Knowing they didn’t have money for the bus fee, they slipped on through the exit doors, avoiding any unwanted attention.
Marissa and Phillip found seats at the back of the bus where they plopped down.
“We made it.” Marissa breathed, grinning at Phillip
“Where do we go from here?” he asked
“We’ll go as far as the bus will take us, then walk to my parents.”
He sighed, “I wish Elli could be with us.”
“I do too, but she chose to betray us, back at the Institution. She knew our plan to escape. She was totally with us.” Marissa reminded him, “But I guess she felt Dr. Katherin and the rest of her cronies had a better deal. But I don’t think we can blame her. We might have done the same.”
“Mar, they offered us the same deal, help crack the rest of the patients and they’d let us get back to our lives. But we didn’t take the deal.” Phillip reasoned.
“Guess you’re right.”
“‘Course I am.”
Silence fell amongst the two as they watched the scene fly by out their windows.
“Do you think we’ll ever be truly safe?” Phillip asked
“Yeah, I do. Dad works for the government. He’s really high up. He’ll get somebody’s attention, and eventually close down the Institution. The others will be rescued and from now on, every other child showing any psychic talent won’t be at risk of being abducted from their families and all they know to be done extreme psychic testing on. They’re no longer in danger of becoming lab rats.”
“Well let’s hope so.” Phillip sighed.
Silence once again fell amongst them. It was a couple hours later when Marissa broke the silence, so abruptly that Phillip jolted awake from his doze.
“C’mon, this is us.” she said, standing up as she clung for the yellow rope above her head to alert the driver.
The bus slowed to a stop and a handful of people stepped off.
“It’s a good twenty minute walk to my house.” Marissa informed Phillip, “We’re almost home free. No one will be able to touch us again.”
The End.