Saving Humanity

Chapter Twenty-One: Children of the Night

Chapter Twenty-One: Children of the Night

Ian

It's so dark, we can barely see anything.

Still, we refuse to use our flashlight for fear of getting spotted. We wander around, almost blindly, the moon and the stars are our only source of light. The cold air seeps into our clothes, enveloping us in a tight, shuddering embrace. The road is wide enough for us to have a space to walk side by side, our arms touching each other. All of us are fighting the urge to stop for even just a moment to catch our breaths. The silence is defeaning. It promises fear, danger, and creatures lurking in the darkness.

The world is peaceful. But it never felt as terrifying as it is right now.

"Wala na 'yung mga sundalo," Felicity says, her voice shaking from the cold. "Siguro pwede na tayong humanap ng matutulugan ngayong gabi."

"No," Pauline disagrees. "We need to put as much distance from them to make sure that we're really safe. Let's walk a little more."

I agree with her. The soldiers had almost succeeded in capturing us two times in a row. We can't let them catch up to us again. With our exhausted bodies and mind, I doubt that we can manage to escape them for the third time.

My hand unconsciously drifts to my wounded arm. The pain doubles because of the extreme cold, but still I refuse to back down. I won't back down. Despite the pain that I'm feeling right now, I need to walk with my companions and make sure that we reach safety.

But where, exactly, is safety?

The world had completely gone to shit. Humanity has been divided into two sides: the ones with the extra-terrestrial beings, and the ones who are trying to defeat them.

Like us.

"Are you okay?" Felicity asks me. That's when I notice that my hand is still on my wounded arm.

I drop my hand and nod. She takes my hand, letting me know that she's beside me even though I can barely see her.

We trudge along, blind and cold, not daring to utter even a single word to save our strength and the remaining warmth in our bodies. Exhaustion is starting to creep into my bones, getting all the best of me. My steps start to falter and I struggle to keep up with my companions. My breathing shallows.

I look around in the dark, hearing the labored breaths of my companions. A howl echoes in the distance. Felicity's grip on my hand tightens, as if afraid that something might snatch and drag her into the night.

Maybe she's right. Now's the time to rest. The tracking device is already gone, anyway. Without it, I'm sure the soldiers will have a hell of a hard time finding us again.

"Pagod na tayong lahat," I whisper, loud enough for my companions to hear. "Let's find a place to rest. We'll continue our journey at dawn."

No one disagrees. We all know that we won't be safe here in the dead of the night without any shelter. Aside from the cold, there are wild animals lurking in the distance, which can pose as a huge danger to us. So it's best if we stop for the night and take some rest.

There's a catch, though. We're currently in the middle of a highway, and there are no establishments in the distance. It seems that we'll be walking for a little while more.

My wound is throbbing, and I grit my teeth to ease the pain. I wish I had taken some pain relievers with me before we left the convenience store earlier. My eyelids are drooping, and I have a feeling that I might collapse from exhaustion any moment from now.