out of the way Neema sprinted through the foliage of the forest as the trees became more and more dense. At the realisation that they were soon approaching the river, she prompted Caillum to run ahead. The weight of Jana had begun to take a toll on Neema's already weak body, as she found she could no longer run as fast. Her mouth was dry and her throat burned, but she was faring better than a lot of other people.

Slowing to a fast walk, Neema's heart swelled when she saw the boats waiting at the shores edge. Walking towards the boats with her hand on her heart and trying to suck in large gulps full of air. Neema found her brother and ushered him onto one of the boats, sighing as she adjusted herself in the seat. There weren't many people who were on her boat, just two of the village hunters and another five or six other people. Even though she wasn't bothered to count she knew that half the village population wasn't present. Letting out another sigh she peered down at the bundle in her arms, realising that all the motion must have woken the little one from her deep slumber.

Believing that she was safe for now Neema took in the sight of the world outside the caves. It had been years since she had last seen the rich green of trees, or the clear blue of rushing water. Tears welled in her eyes at the thought of swimming in a stream on a summer's day like humans used to do back when they were free. She could only imagine what it would be like to laugh freely with the sun beating down on her back. She could almost visualise the sight of her little brother kicking at the water with that troublesome look on his face. The one she rarely saw anymore. Little Jana would be on the bank with her probably picking at the grass and flowers, too cautious to venture near the water by herself.

The sounds of raised voices shook Neema out of her musings. Stephen stood by the edge of the shore arguing with what appeared to be his wife, her hands waving in quick, angry gestures.

"We can't afford to wait any longer! Why make us all suffer the possibility of being caught cause we have to wait! It's not fair Stephen!!" She cried.

"Mary, do you hear yourself? You're asking me to leave innocent people to the fate of being caught! I never thought you to be so selfish and cruel" Stephen bellowed in outrage his face scrunching up in anger and disgust at the notion. Stephen seemed to have had a change of heart about leaving people behind and Neema couldn't fathom what the reason could have been.

"Cruel?" she whispered, tears streaming down her cheeks as her face turned pink "CRUEL? No what you're doing is cruel, this wait is unbearable. We have freedom in our grasp and you make us wait like... Like sitting ducks". Mary had become frantic in her bid to get him to leave.

"What do you expect us to do when the wolves come, how are YOU going to help us, huh? Are you going to fight? You in your old age won't stand a chance and neither will we!! Don't be foolish Stephen, let us go" she pleaded to her husband, but Neema could see from where she was that Stephen was set in his ways.

"Please Stephen" Mary pleaded "We'll leave some boats for them if they make it, please be reasonable" she continued to rant in an attempt to dissuade her husband from staying.

Neema whole heartedly agreed with what Mary was saying, why make them all suffer when they had nearly made it to safety. She knew it was selfish of her to not care about the other people, but she feared what would happen to her siblings if they were caught more. She figured it was survival of the fittest when it came to these things, some people weren't just as adaptive as the others. Though she wanted to wait for Victus she knew that he would probably be one of the last people to leave the cave. It was in his nature to care for people, to place people before himself. Neema couldn't be so selfless, she had her siblings to think of.

Stephens arm flung out as he backhanded his wife to the floor, his eyes had narrowed as spittle flew from his mouth.

"NO, Mary I can't do it! If they come, they come for us all" deadpanned Stephen as he shook his head in conviction.

The silence in the clearing after Stephens reprimand was abruptly disrupted by the dry heaves of Mary. She threw herself at his feet pleading for him to change his mind but Stephen was too far gone to hold any sympathy for his wife. Kicking her hands from around his legs he turned his back on his wife and strode into the forest to urge people to run quickly onto the boats.

Neema was not shocked by his actions, and neither was anyone else. Too many times had men struck out to hit women, women who were theirs and not theirs. It was the way of this village and Neema hated them more for it. What a world she lived in. A woman's worth was so little in both societies. At least in one she could be afforded more than being just a breeding machine. This life was the lesser of two evils, but the more she thought on it the less she believed it.

Waiting patiently Neema began singing a lullaby to her siblings, giving them promises of safety and love

"Cares you know not,

Therefore, sleep,

While over you a watch I'll keep.

Sleep,

Pretty darling,

Do not cry,

And I will sing a lullaby." She softly hummed, her voice carrying out into the morning sky.

As her last note was finished a stream of villagers came charging towards the boats clambering inside as they tried to set sail but where refused by Stephen and his followers. The sun rose higher in the sky, and the sweltering heat beat down on their shoulders but still they sat, waiting.

More people came filtering out of the forest and still they sat there, tempting the devil to come and find them. As if hearing their call, the last members of the village came running through the trees. Their faces filled with relief and victory, but on their heels were the sentinel wolves, their jaws openly snarling. At the sight of their enemies Stephen began shouting for the boats to take sail. As his words began to penetrate the confused minds of the people, wolves began pounding out of the bushes and attacking the boats. Gripping people in their jagged jaws and dragging them to shore. The village hunters fought back their muscles rippling with the strain to protect the people, but their puny human strength was nothing compared to the feral beasts. Still they fought on.

Neema caught a glimpse of someone crumbling to the floor smothered in blood, thinking it was Victus she stood from her seat only to realise it was an older man who was smaller in stature. Realising that they were under a full attack, she turned to the leader of her boat and urged him to start paddling but he was pounced on and the oar viciously ripped from his hands and snapped in half. The man who seemed a few years her senior toppled into the water and was further pushed down by the heavy weight of the wolf.

Neema jumped into action, pushing Jana around onto her back she grabbed her brother's wrist and made a mad dash for some shrubbery towards the side of the river. Attempting to make a break through the trees. Running past a young boy with long blonde hair who was screaming a blood curdling sound as he was dragged by a half man half beast towards the forest. The beast's long claws drawing blood from the frail boy's arms.

Tears streamed down his face as he tried to rip his arm free but the wolf merely bared his teeth at the young boy and yanked his arms harder, causing a sharp snap to be heard. Amongst the other sounds of screaming and sobbing. The day was filled with a hue of red, blood littering the floor as wolves and half man half wolf attacked the innocent people.

She could not see Victus inside the carnage but she knew he would take care of himself in a way she could not. Not with Jana strapped across her back and Caillum clinging to her arms.

She ran past screaming people, as she made her way through the bushes, her arms pumping fast as she ran away from he bloody scene. Her head flicking back to make sure no one was following them as she dragged her brother slightly behind her so she would catch the brunt of any attack. Her parents had prepared her for moments like this but over a year of not practicing and two young kids clinging to her made fighting back an impossible feat.

"Where do you think you are going" came a growling voice as she slid to a halt. Her head twisted and turned trying to find where the voice came from but all she could see where trees. Turning back around to the way she was running she fell head first into the chest of a half man half beast.

The black wolf stood on its hind legs as its long arms dropped to its waist, claws released and ready for battle. Neema stumbled backwards as she tucked Caillum behind her, her eyes not moving from the blood red eyes of the black wolf.

His nose was pointed in the air as he scented Caillum's fear, but not Neema's. A horrific smile graced his lips causing his teeth to protrude from his mouth. Blood dribbled from his mouth and coated his fur red. Chunks of flesh lingered in his large canines as his beady eyes gazed at her. Neema could only imagine all those innocent humans he had ripped to shreds and bathed in their blood.

"If you fight I will hurt you but if you come willingly and you will be spared" he rumbled out. Neema was sure she heard him mumble the words 'for now' under his breath but she couldn't be sure, eyeing the beast dubiously, she knew when to concede defeat and now was that time.

Blood pumped through her veins urging her to fight him, claw at him, rip him apart, but her brain cautioned her, made her see reason. What good would fighting this wolf do but to place her siblings at risk and possibly end in her death.

She could fight but there was no way she could take on this wolf, not if she wanted to live and she needed to live, not for herself but for her brother and sister because who else would protect them from the demons who came clawing from the deepest depths of hell to take their bodies.

Placing her trembling hands into those of her smaller brother Neema followed behind the wolf, she could see that he was disappointed by her actions. He wanted a reason to gurgle down her blood, to feast on her flesh, she only too glad that she had heeded his warning.

Trailing behind him she made her way back through the tress she had escaped through, until they reached back to the river. Blood spatters turned the green grass red and villagers were being carried and dragged onto winged apparatus. Machinery, that was long and lithe but cool and metallic, wings flew above its head as the grey body hovered from the ground. Some were stagnant whilst others had already taken flight. The long bodies filled to the brim with crying bloody people.

The black wolf shoved Neema towards one of the emptier machines, the body was partially off the ground as if it would take off any minute. Neema hesitated for a second, a second too long, the wolfs unsheathed claws dug into the soft skin of her neck as he placed his free paw on Caillum's shoulder. A subtle reminder.

"Now is not the time to change your mind" he snarled in her ear as he reapplied more pressure to the already opening skin. His hot mouldy breath crackled along her ear and made her skin shiver in revulsion. He smelt like rotten carcasses as he slit along the back of her neck with one claw.

"If I have to, I will bring you back in pieces."

His voice quivered with the promise of death, it was enough to get her moving.

Lifting her brother onto the helicopter first she then gripped the pole at the side and climbed in after him. Neema scurried to the back of the helicopter just as it took off. Quickly untying Jana from her back she placed her on her lap and gave her a quick perusal. Deeming her fine she turned to her despondent brother to make sure he was fine. When she was sure they were both unmarked she leaned back on the walls and gripped them both to her chest. The three of them gazing out into the sun rise as the helicopter hovered across the sky.