For My Broken Heart - short stories

Mars

"I can hear them coming," she whispers. We're on our feet, on our tiptoes, moving silently through the forest. Unseen, unheard except for the creatures with keen ears. There aren't many left. 

We hear a twig crack somewhere behind us, and in unison five bodies make one effortless movement for cover. A lone caribou treads carefully passed us. Relating to it's lonely aura, we let it go without trouble. 

Gemimm, a centaur like his father - therefore disowned by his nymph mother - looks up at the sky curiously. 

"Mars is in orbit," he says. "We haven't much time." We exhange looks of fear, but there is nothing to do apart from move forward. 

"Gertrude, closer to me," orders my brother Carma. His pointed ears twitch nervously, listening for danger with Elvish intensity. 

"Leave me alone," I hiss back. I'm still angry at him. 

Baehia decides he won't stand for my stubborn moodiness, given the circumstances. He pushes me from behind, and there's no fighting against it. His goat legs are stronger than my nimble frame.

Gwisin stays close behind me, and I wish she wouldn't. I find her paranoia annoying, what is there to afraid of when you're dead? 

"Get away from me," I tell her. 

"Be quiet!" several people wheeze in my direction. 

I don't like Gwisin. Her older sister and my brother were dating, but she led herself and Gwisin onto a highway. They were both struck and killed. Gwisin came back but her sister didn't, so we don't like her. I'm the only one who lets her know it, but we don't like her. 

Carma grabs my wrist and pulls me into his side. It's very uncomfortable, for I don't have any particular wish to be near him. He used magic on a human when he shouldn't have, only because he was selfish, and I won't ever forgive him. Also, he's moving quickly and I'm tripping over my feet.

"Quickly now," says Gemimm. The urgency intensifies. 

The wind picks up, as does the rain. Previously we had only been recieving residue from the hurricanes in surrounding regions. Mars is in orbit now, so the storm heightens. 

The sky turns red. 

We're miles away from human civilization, but we can hear truck horns and sirens in the distance. 

I look at Carma, he looks back. The humans are panicking, the look says. We move faster through the brush. 

I remember as a child, our father would prophecize about this day. I never took him seriously, for I was in love with a human boy named Ichiro. I dreamt of a day where humanity could accept this side of the world. Alas, the wod had to end after all. 

The rain starts to pour. I suddenly realize that I'm frightened. 

The steeple of the temple comes into view, and I think, maybe there's still time. 

|"Gertrude, I tell you everything for a reason. I'm telling you now that your destiny is greater than that boy," said my father. 

|"He needs help, I need to help him," I protested. 

|"You're going to help the world." 

"Run."

"What?" I turn to my brother. 

"Run!" he yells, eyes going wide. 

What?

Five bodies start sprinting through the forest faster than humans ever could. We're running to save the world.