Hollow Moon (BoyxBoy)

Chapter Twelve

T/N: Hey, been a while...

-----------------------------------------

Chapter Twelve

We walked through the dense forest in an equally dead silence. There was no noise. Not even a bird. We could only hear our steps through the leaf-litter and damp soil, or the occasional stick breaking underneath us. This eerie silence was unnatural and just screamed horror stories of murderers picking spots to leave their victims to rot.

Cat didn't look back at all and walked at a faster pace on purpose, probably in a half-assed attempt to lose us. I was curious about the consequence if Moon had failed to make it in time for this deadline and half wondered if Cat would attempt this by leading us in circles. But it also felt like we were being watched.

We could actually be literally attacked at any moment from all sides. It was incredibly dangerous to put our faith into this girl to lead us in the correct direction. I stare up at Shadow before tapping him on the shoulder to gain his attention and pull him towards the back and asked quietly, "You know how to get to the meeting spot?"

Shadow looked towards Cat for a moment before nodding, "We won't get lost and Cat will lead us there, even with the attitude. She won't risk upsetting Ghost."

So...her hissy fit was probably a reaction to things not going the way she thinks Ghost wanted...and a twisted ideal standard that she has towards Ghost and what she thinks is expected of her.

"...What is Cat's role?" I probe him. She was too proud and "in-charge" not to have a 'position' in Ghost's band.

"She was always OCD with lists so she's usually in charge of supplies and rationing."

So she's all about numbers. Why did Ghost choose her to escort us? Maybe she's the most dispensable...nah someone who can keep track of supplies needed to run their group wouldn't be easy to chuck out...maybe she's just irritating, and they needed a break, I thought sardonically as we came across an official track that wasn't too bad to follow. A sign indicated that we still had another kilometre to go before we reached the lookout. The track was suddenly steeper with heaps of stairs leading directly upwards, too far past the trees to make out any sort of progress towards the top.

As we climbed the never-ending staircase, I saw a fence at the very top with a permanent gap, which would be the entrance to the outlook. Cat had strayed far enough away that she soon went through the entrance and disappeared from sight. Despite my burning carves, I only thought for the worst as we got closer, getting ready to bolt. Walking through the break in the fence, I saw an open and overgrown picnic area. The trees have grown so that they were threatening the fence and the small block of public toilets that were just beside the entrance as we passed it. The ground was a mess of overgrown grass, shrubs and climbing vines all vying for space in the mud and leaf-litter in the mostly shaded grounds that was a good fifty-metres by fifty metre clearing.But no so-called group waiting for us. Unless they were invisible. With that thought, my ears picked up a shuffle in the branches above us and to the side from the toilet block. 

 I immediately step to the side before palm striking something solid in the chest and moving my foot at the last second to trip it backwards to the ground and I was ready to strike again. The others weren't as keyed in to the surprise as Jaguar was grabbed from behind, her neck secured in a headlock, her face was turning red with the pressure and I guess a little bit humiliated. She was too shocked to resist. River was pinned to the ground, someone holding his arm behind him in such a way that a little pressure would dislocate his shoulder. Reaper had escaped her attacker, pushing the girl into the mud that had let out a surprised and pained shout as Reaper didn't think about twisting her heel into the shoulder, looking around for the next attacker before laying eyes on Moon and froze.