I stopped the truck after two hours of driving in full speed. I have lost the army vehicles that followed us an hour ago but I wanted to be as safe as possible so I kept driving. I parked the truck inside a secluded warehouse. Honestly, I’ve stopped looking at road signs minutes after I drove away from the school and I destroyed the GPS so I had no idea where we were.897Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9epdr3hOUR
897Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIDlwtnBw46

But that was the least of our problems. The humans have just broken the treaty. Meaning, war would erupt and Reins would be on the run. Hiding for our lives. 

I could hear the others crying inside the truck. The two adults with them did their best to comfort them. But we all knew it was useless. No words would be able to comfort us. Especially those kids inside that truck since they would likely never see their family again because it would be too dangerous to come looking for them. All we could do was pray for each other.

897Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqgSJtvNORI
This was the first time I’ve ever been thankful that I was an orphan. With no family, I would not carry the burden of thinking that I abandoned them. At least, I had the comfort that my family would not experience the war.

897Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkn1fjMg6KV
“Katra,” a sweet voice brought me back to reality. “Katra dear, we can’t stay here.” 

897Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJV1C1cLDro
I looked besides me and saw my Chemistry teacher, Coleen, looking at me with sad eyes. It took my breathe to see her that way because she was the liveliest person I know of. To see that sadness replaced the twinkle in her eyes reminded me how dire our situation was.

897Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡobiqeEPGpd
I nodded at her and she took a step back as I jumped down from the truck. She put a hand on my back and led me to the side of the warehouse where old chairs were thrown aside. I took in the group, who from now on would be my family. The youngest of us was a ten year old boy. He was the only child amongst us.

897Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVA83stnw2c
The rest was ranging from thirteen to seventeen, and I was one of the oldest. There were 13 of us in total. Such a pitiful number of survivors from the school with the highest rate of Reins. There were six male among us and seven females, and no dry eyes.

897Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbbiEVwFckQ
Except for mine. 

897Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmRyksmQanK
They all looked lost. Like they were waiting to be awoken from a bad dream. But it wasn’t a dream. The humans have rallied against us. They have started a war.

897Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMbaoHsyffR
“We can’t stay here,” Coleen repeated.

897Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp4Sd32bPK7
“But where would we go!?” one girl cried. 

897Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT7usB1mohm
“I want to go home!” another one shouted.

897Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl4qNEK5XZR
“It’s not safe to go back,” Dr. Carly replied firmly, like she was also convincing herself of the position we are right now.

897Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYtDAUlIQDH
The young girls cried once more as silence filled our group. There was nothing to be done. What happened has happened and none of us could change that. But we can’t just stay here and wait for the army to find us. They would surely kill us at sight. 

897Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBjdAmPifN7
“Rest,” I said and all eyes looked at me. “There’s nothing to be done right now. We need our rest.”

897Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMEMtHBWvyX
They mumbled their agreements and I told them to sleep inside the truck and I would stay up to watch the surroundings as they rest. None have disagreed. We were all tired and lost to do anything but rest. Like a zombie, they made their way towards the truck.

897Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡROrjDChWuJ
Coleen had said she’ll stay up with me but I told her otherwise. She wanted to disagree but I stopped her when I said that the kids needed a parental figure so that they could sleep after all that has happened and obviously, it wasn’t me. Nodding, 897Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXwlInkzX2f
Coleen climbed up the truck and sang them a lullaby.

897Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvlm9I8aoy3
I ran up the warehouse’s rooftop because above I would be able to see if any army was near our hiding place. 

897Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡz2r7fgWFW0
I welcomed the fresh air as I sat near the edge of the rooftop with my feet dangling. Many things have happened and it all happened so fast that I wasn’t able to comprehend all of it. But right now, as silence filled my ears, and my adrenaline vanishing, my mind was filled with all the things I have witness and experience. And the feelings that I kept on hiding was unleashed and tears started streaming down my face and my heart constricted in pain.

897Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTZ5X9DmpJy
The fear in my kids’ eyes as we made our way out the school, the screams of people who needed help, the young scream of fright from my kids, and the blood that tainted the floor red kept on rewinding in my mind. I couldn’t stop crying. I couldn’t stop the tears from spilling. I couldn’t stop my heart from feeling like I’ve also died.

897Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ29CpN7XVFH
And worst of all, I couldn’t erase it all from my mind.

897Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW8gOGksU0F
I didn’t knew that I had fallen asleep. But it was already dawn when I had opened my eyes. I couldn’t believe that I had cried myself to sleep for the first time after my parents’ death.

897Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnEzUOL2wYu
Yawning, I stood up from the hard floor and my body felt stiff. So, I stretched my arms at each side then I turned around. My eyes grew in shock as I saw three army vehicles closing in on our location. With body stiff and all, I ran down to the truck. 

897Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKecEq1HqZh
I hit the side of the truck twice before jumping up to the driver seat. I quickly started it and in no time, I was maneuvering it out of the warehouse. Suddenly, the hard fabric, which was separating me and the others was ripped, opening a window-like between me and them.

897Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8AkYrvSkDK
“What’s happening?” Dr. Carly asked.

897Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0HPBIbYwhY
“They’re here!” I shouted as I looked at the side mirror and saw that they were on our tail. “Hold tight!” 

897Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJflfoMhBgF
Then, I made a sharp turn that lifted the left side of the truck up in the air but I pressed on the gas and the tires touched the road once more. I sneered at myself when I saw that I didn’t lose them. I would have easily escaped if I was actually running but it’s not like I can leave these people.

897Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPHKa7qJilD
“For pete sake!” I shouted at the people behind me. “We’re all Reins here somebody please tell me you have any ability that would help us right now!”

897Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMOfn1lpqJS
“But the treaty!” one answered me but I called him off.

897Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgZM4Q2v1vC
“There’s no more treaty! If you have the ability to shake them off our tail do it!”

897Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYWf0bQ5OoG
One man stood up. Steven, a classmate of mine in Math. He and I didn’t interact much but there’s no way I’d forget the man who almost beat me in exam. 

897Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3br7osLfXB
He faced the army vehicle and rubbed his hands together. I looked at the rear view mirror to see what he was doing. And when he opened his hands, a blinding light appeared and he pointed it to the vehicle and I was sure they would be blinded by 897Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAbHW2JpwEe
the light and pressing on the gas would mean their death. The first car crashed and blocked the road, making the road inaccessible. 

897Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHIlV1jd94c
They cheered when there were no more cars following us and I let go of the breath I didn’t knew I was holding. But I didn’t let go of the pedal. I needed to put as much distance between us and them. 

897Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrMvL0b0oha
It was afternoon when I finally managed to find another secluded place. I parked the truck and jumped down to stretch my body. I felt stiff and sore from the continuous exercise. Plus, I was hungry. Though, it wasn’t like we could just walk in inside a convenience store.

897Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXJ9r97a2aI
“I’m hungry,” the ten year old boy groaned. 

897Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡP1kNfXer0c
If I remember correctly, we passed by a small town five miles ago. I didn’t liked the idea forming in my mind. But we’re humans too. We needed to eat. So, with that thought in mind, I climbed up the truck bed.

897Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEdXUwrl0xC
“Gimme a bag,” I said. “I’m sure there’s one here,”

897Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAJjCU03RUf
Natasha, a sweet fourteen year old girl handed me one. I took it and smiled at her. I knew Natasha the moment she entered school. She was a very sweet girl and I would always find her in the library where I would spend my time so, we became friends.

897Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCgdz1Oywvw
“What are you planning?” Coleen asked.

897Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr0AxmbaZpO
“There’s a town five miles down. I’m sure they have food there.” 

897Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡa9ABgucTGE
“You’re stealing?” they all asked together.897Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy1D0kqTlRv