Katrina, The Savior

The girl continued to walk and walk and walk aimlessly towards what she perceived as nothing. Finally, her legs were beginning to ache and grow weak. She allowed herself to sit on the hard, cold ground to rest a while.

While she sat and waited for her muscles to rejuvenate, she began to stare at her body. First she looked at her hands, small and bony. She noticed her knuckles looked large, as if she had cracked them one too many times. Her arms were thin and scrawny just like her legs. She placed her hand on her stomach. It was flat. She moved them up over her breasts, up her neck, and touched her face delicately. The skin was smooth and soft. She looked down at her dark brown hair. It reached past her shoulders and laid flat against her torso. The girl didn’t know if she was pretty or even normal. She didn’t know if everyone else looked like that, or if she was something strange.

The girl then laid her head back and leaned against the tree. She was suddenly so exhausted, drained of all energy. She didn’t know how long she had walked or how far she had gone, but she could tell that it had been a journey.

She still didn’t find anything remotely helpful.

The girl was tired and her stomach began to groan as her mouth became a desert. She let herself close her eyes and doze off to ignore the whining of her body.

If she had walked this far finding nothing, who’s to say she’d find anything if she kept going?

Searchers scrambled around the woods looking for one girl, one very important girl. Andrew Fields, a team leader, knew that it was absolutely crucial to find her. If no one found her, every team leader would be chastised and possibly fired, maybe even killed if the president chose. Her life was too imperative to their survival for them to lose her to monsters.

The team spanned out and searched everywhere they could: up trees, behind trees, even inside of the trees.

He began to think that maybe they were looking for a needle in a haystack. In a world that stretches on for countless miles that is full of millions of people, finding just one is an odyssey. When you really think about the odds of finding just one person (who you haven’t a clue of where she could be) the probability of finding her is slim to none.

Nevertheless, Andrew kept his team out and continued the frantic search. To be the one to find the girl or at least the leader of the lucky man to find her would be an honor.

As a newer member, Andrew was still in the probationary stage. He had to prove himself a competent leader in order to even dream of credibility. What better way than to find their savior? In no time, he’d be the most successful man of the generation!

“Who’s that?” one of his members, Christopher, shouted out a little unsure. He had seen her before and had stared at her for at least two minutes debating on his next course of action, paralyzed by his nerves.

Andrew awoke from his thinking shaking his head slightly and looked over to where Christopher was excitingly pointing down the hill. He saw a teenaged girl leaning against the bark of a tree, soundly sleeping away despite the ruckus of his team running about and shouting to one another. Andrew took a hard look at her, squinted his eyes to see, and stared at her contemplating. He had to be sure. There was no time or enough reputation for mistakes.

These woods were hardly ever used by normal citizens. Only the lost and those searching for the lost usually ended up there.

It was the perfect spot for her to land from God knows where. It was only logical.

Slowly with bats beating their wings against his stomach, he approached the girl. Half of his men stopped what they were doing to watch him descend the hill towards the sleeping beauty. They all shuffled toward the top to watch.

When he finally reached her, Andrew gently placed his hand on the smooth skin of her wrist. He wrapped his fingers around and lifted it up slowly so as not to wake her up. This was the moment of truth. He swallowed loudly and his breath hitched. He finally glanced down.

The mark was there.

He stared at it, wide-eyed. He found her. He found her.

He found her. He, the newbie after just finishing his training as a leader found the girl that would save their world! He did it! Andrew smiled from ear to ear absolutely delighted. He turned to his men and nodded with a sheepish smile. They cheered.

Some hugged each other either proud to be in the team that found her or thankful that their living nightmare would end for their families and friends. Either way, it was a happy occasion. Andrew climbed back up the tall hill without a complaint and received several handshakes. Christopher received nothing but a casual pat on the back from someone who had been standing next to him. He crossed his arms over his chest, slightly annoyed.

“Now, I need someone to call the president and tell him the news. The rest of you must return to your vehicles and get back to the city. Group A, you are to remain with me. We’ll take her back to the president.”

The men still elated did not groan or beg to see her. They were satisfied and pleased with
their work for the day.

“Now for the fun part,” Andrew mumbled apprehensively once they were all gone. He turned to the remaining men of Group A, the highest ranked men of his team which included Christopher, the man who led Andrew to the girl. “I need you all hidden so that she is not scared once awoken. You must stay in the area in the event of an attack. Once she is settled and calm, you can slowly return to us in a calm fashion. Again, you must stay close to her in the event of an attack.”

All of the men nodded nervously. They were afraid of monster attacks ruining their accomplishment. How humiliating to have the privilege of finding the savior but end up being the one responsible for her death. How humiliating to watch all of that success and achievement slip right through their fingers. They all grew nervous. What would the world think if they failed?

It only made it worse when Andrew added, “If this girl has her sanity taken, I will personally see to it that your head gets ripped off. Do not let this one get lost too.”

They’d never seen Andrew like this. He seemed just as nervous as they did. The only exception was his aggressive insanity; it was like the monsters had already had a small taste of him. Usually he was so responsible with power, so kindhearted toward his team. Now, he was growing mad.

They watched him descend the hill once more.