Chapter 5

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Twilight crept over the sky as the four children were rushed from the warmth of their beds. Rhea rummage through the closet to one shoe and her jacket, sleep irritated the corners of her eyes as she blinked through the haze of dreams, before she could find her second shoe her parents dragged her from the house. The Summer sun disappeared over the horizon while emergency lighting covered the streets with an insipid blue sheen. Her red hair fell in loose waves around her face stopping just above her shoulders. Sirens screamed through the settlement, her large green eyes quaking in the gloom. As the eldest she'd been instructed to carry her infant brother, he pulled at her scruffy sleepwear and wailed incessantly as she clutched him in her arms. Her parents lead the younger siblings through the streets, casting nervous glances around every corner. Luna stumbled as mother pulled her by the wrist, her dark hair bounced around her shoulders, a shimmer of deepest blue showing when the light caught it just so. She loped awkwardly through the street, still struggling to shake off the fog of dreams. Jake, Luna's twin, twitched nervously as they fled, his dark hair obscuring his blue eyes, the whites flashing bright when his head whipped left and right.

The family paused at a junction, the small frame of her father pressed flat against a brick wall, his short dark hair blended into the approaching night leaving a pale face suspended in the dark. Rhea cowered behind her mother, the sweet smell of her cinnamon perfume lingered, an attempt to mask the odour of chemicals from their work. Shouts of panic rose over the houses. Her father grabbed her by the collar forcing her to run, the delicate hands of a scientist trembled and scratched her skin as he grasped blindly. The infant in her arms wailed incessantly against the din of the sirens. A bolt of fire lanced up her leg, she tensed her muscles against the pain and stifled a cry. Broken glass crunched under her lone shoe, she began to weave a path delicately down the street, a stampede fought to escape from her chest, clouds gathered around her vision and threatened to engulf her vision. She weaved her way after her fading parents, shouts of panic drowned out by the shrieking sirens.

A ball of fire erupted over the rooftops, spewing a red blossom into the air. Pulsing layers of fire and smoke consumed each other as a red brilliance shimmered over the layer of cloud. She cried out as the shockwave ripples through her body and she stumbled to her knees. A thin river of crimson snaked down the street, a wave of renewed pain gripped her body from her temples to her toes. Move, Move, Run! She urged her body, her mind a prisoner in the ridged fresh tomb. Bent into a ball and squatting in the street she cowered from the monstrous red cloud that consumed the sky and the screaming pain sapping her strength. She wrapped around her crying brother and quaked in the red glow.

Unsteady hands swept under her as her father scooped her up and sprinted onwards. Groups of people joined them fleeing through the street. Two children she recognised, still in their sleepwear, the whites of their eyes wide and tinted red.

"What's happening?" her father asked a neighbour in a hushed voice.

"The garrison's fallen," he said with a quick glance at Rhea and the baby in his arms, "beasts are swarming the outskirts,"

Rhea's father nodded sharply and looked to her, "Don't worry lady, we'll be safe in the shelter, beasts can't get us there."

The pit of her stomach turned at the warble in his voice.

"There might be a hundred manifested out there tearing the soldiers to pieces." muttered an older boy, in his early teens. A quick slap from a parent made him run on in silence clutching his head.

"We'll be safe, I promise," her father repeated, gazing off into the distance.

Rhea peered up, his face was thin with strong cheekbones, a few days of stubble covered the lower half of his face. They rounded a corner and were confronted with a mass of people swarming towards them. The wave of bodies crashed around them as they struggled against the flow. Weeping faces flowed past Rhea and threatened to rip her from her father's grip. She wrapped her brother tight in her jacket and held him to her chest against the crush. The tiny person was a warm bundle of knees and elbows, flailing against her grip.

The pop of gunfire rang into the night, they turned to flee with the crowd. Panicked voices rose above the din as they were shepherded through the street.

"The centre shelter has been overrun, get to the market!"

"The tower is closer!"

"Closer to the perimeter, fool!"

The crowd scattered as quickly as it had appeared, people filtered down side streets and walkways, all convinced of they knew the quickest way to safety.

"Jake!" the cry pierced the dusk hard enough to shatter glass, "Jake where are you!" her mother was on her knees pressing Luna to her chest screaming into the gloom. "Jake! Please"-

Her father twisted manically darting from one footpath to the next shouting his name, the crack of gunfire still rang out, closer but less frequent. He lowered Rhea to the ground, she winced while stepping onto her bare foot. Her father ripped a strip of his shirt off and wrapped it tightly around her foot. Blood seeped slowly into the cotton bandage.

"I know your foot hurts lady, but I need you to take your mother and run to the tower." he spoke slowly, each word soaked with regret, "Can you be my hero? Look after your brother and sister, can you do that for me, be the hero for me?" moisture welled in the corner of his eyes as he spoke, Rhea's lips trembled, a tightness pulled at the edges of her cheeks and her throat threatened to close on her. She nodded deeply as he pulled her into a tight embrace. He turned to their mother and pulled her to her feet. They leaned in close as tears streamed down her mother's face, their foreheads touching. Rhea couldn't hear what was said over the sirens until her mother exploded at him, "No you won't, you liar!" she struck him in the chest, her long dark hair blowing in the wind. He pointed to Rhea standing alone in the gloom, clutching her baby brother. Rows of dark houses loomed over her on each side stretching off into the distance, cold blue light bathing the street.

He crouched to hug her sister, and shuffled Luna to where Rhea was waiting, "Start running girls, go as fast as you can, I'll find you in the shelter when I have your brother."

Her mother scooped up a hand from Rhea and Luna and ran down the street once more. There was no more gunfire, the night was filled with howls that sent a nauseating tingle down Rhea's spine. People were slumped in the streets. They rounded the last corner and the tower loomed ahead. An immense monolith of metal and concrete rising in defiance of the night sky, her mother paused as they approached the fortress.

"Where're the soldiers?" her mother gasped.

Rhea spotted a heap of people laying before the vast armoured doors, some in grey strike suits, many in their night clothes. Sparks rained down from the building, the soldier's father always pointed out were missing. They protect us he would say and encourage her to wave at the weapon emplacements. Mother began to back away slowly, the hand on Rhea's shoulder tightened till she thought she would cry out in pain. Dark shapes moved among the people, fur covered and slinking on four legs. Edging closer, hollow eyes glinting brightly with reflected blue light, Rhea backed away, the grip on her shoulder tight and forceful. Her mother stepped in front of Luna and Rhea, linking their hand behind her back.

"Run as fast as you can," said their mother turning to face them, tears making her red mottled cheeks, thick brown hair billowing in the wind. Rhea felt her sister's hand loosen as Luna made a step toward their mother who slowly backed away with a hand clenched over her mouth. Luna's free arm grasped at the air between them a muted whimper escaped her lips. Sound faded from the world around her, she gripped her sister's wrist tightly and swallowed the lump in her throat. Luna tugged miserably as their mother turned to scoop up something from a downed soldier. Rhea turned, swung her sister round and ran into the night.

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