Emery Thompson's Story

The rough skin of her feet pounded against the ground, catching dead leaves and dry grass as she sped through the trees. She ignored the discomfort, focusing on shoving aside branches and undergrowth blocking her path instead. The wind her running created made the wide brimmed hat she wore to hide her skin useless as it flapped in the wind revealing her distorted, bark-like skin. Ragged breaths clawed their way up and down her esophagus, but she ignored the pain. Her mossy brown eyes raked through the tangled landscape for her objectives; they strained to find any hints of white among the vast green only broken up by the brown tree trunks. She knew her eyes would recognize the torturous white gowns of the institution the second she saw them.

"Where are you?" she wheezed under her breath as she stopped to lean against a tree, her skin almost blending in against the bark. Her breathing started to even as she surveyed the landscape while she rested, trying to use the pause to her advantage, but she found nothing. She didn't stay motionless for long. There was no time. The alters had escaped, but already they were being hunted. She had to find them before the hunters did. Not a minute had passed before her loose skirt was rustling against her legs as she once more sprinted through the forest in determination. She would find the other alters. She would save them.




"Come on, girl, you know where to go," Emery urged as he clung to the leash of his guide dog Rosie. The two of them weaved through the maze of trees, searching for the lost alters who had just managed to escape the institute. Despite the blur of color his world appeared to be Emery's feet moved with precision over the uneven forest floor. He and Rosie had made this trip many times in preparation for the day they would be making it in earnest: today.

Rosie's warm brown fur blended in with the forest floor, causing the plants to appear as if they were moving from a phantom wind. The only indication of Rosie's being there was her constant panting as she trudged before Emery, leading him to the part of the forest where the escaped alters would be wandering.

"Stay quiet, girl, don't scare them off." Emery reminded his four legged companion as a small yip bounced from the animal's jaws, indicating they were getting close. Emery's eyes squinted through the blur looking for the distinctive white of the institute gowns against the green of the forest, but he found nothing. He crossed the fingers of his free hand and sent out a pleading prayer begging the universe or whoever was listening for it not to be too late to save the other alters.

Just let us find them. He wished before focusing all his attention back on the search. Between he and Pomona he was sure they wouldn't fail.




Strands of white hair caught and stuck on the low hanging branches which reached out and clawed at Violet's face, trying to catch her the same way the scientists were. She knew they were already hunting her, but she wouldn't let them catch her. The instinct to escape was too strong. For years she'd been staring out the tiny barred window of her cell at the green leaves of the tree on the other side. Now she was surrounded by that green, and she wasn't going to give it up.

Her arms bore the proof of her trekk through the forest: covered in scratches and streams of blood, but the sight of it only inspired her. She was free. A multitude of emotions bubbled through her body, each of them fighting for her attention. Fear was almost always the most prevalent. Fear of getting caught, free of not knowing how to survive, fear of what this strange freedom would hold for her, but there was also joy. She couldn't help feeling ecstatic. She was free, finally free.

There were other alters who had escaped too. She'd seen them as she scaled the institute fence, but she hadn't stopped to help them or wait for them. Her most important objective was saving herself even if it meant the others would get captured again. After twenty two years in the institute Violet couldn't take it any longer. She had gotten out, and she wasn't going back.

Her heartbeat began to quicken as her feet took her closer to the institute, but still she found no alters.. Thoughts began to spin through her mind as she pressed on. She feared the alters had been captured before she and Emery could get to them. However, Silver had alerted them the moment the breech had occurred, unless the alters had been captured only moments after they had escaped there was no way she hadn't found them yet. Despite her doubts Pomona pressed forward, unwilling to give up her search. She wouldn't give up on these alters. They didn't deserve it.

A streak of white broke the monotony of the brown and green scene before her. It barreled right into her but backed away in fear a second later. Pomona looked down into the terrified face of a little girl dressed in a white-the institute's white gowns. Relief seeped into Pomona's veins as she looked down at the child. There was still hope. They hadn't been caught, but she could only imagine how frightened they all were. She could see the fear in this child's face as she tried to speak, begging Pomona not to hurt her and not to take her back. Careful not to make any quick movements to keep from scaring the child Pomona bent down and held out a hand to the little girl.

"Hey, hey, it's okay. I'm not going to hurt you. I'm like you. I'm from the institute. I escaped a long time ago. I'm here to help you. Tell me, are there others who got out?" The mottled green eyes were gentle as they looked at the little girl, willing the child to trust her.



Rosie's tale began to wag and she dragged Emery through the trees in a much less synchronized way than before. He didn't object. Instead he picked up his feet and matched her pace. She'd caught the scent of something, and he wasn't going to stop her. It could be one of the alters. The faster he found them the better.

"Where are they, Rosie. Show me!" he encouraged. Her tail wagged in response and her pace quickened even more. When she skidded to a halt it was so quick Emery almost fell on top of her, unable to stop in time. He caught and steadied himself as Rosie gave a few purposeful sniffs at the bush she stood in front of. Her wet nose wriggled it's way through the branches until it found a tuft of pink hair which she proceeded to lick. After a few more licks to the face of the owner of the pink hair she turned and sat down, looking at Emery with triumph. She had found what he had been looking for.

"Good girl," he murmured and gave her a pat before turning his attention to the bush behind her. "If someone's in there please don't be afraid. I'm here to help you. I'm from the institution too, like you, but I escaped a long time ago. I want to help if you'll let me." Emery stood very still, waiting for a response to come from the bush and hoping Rosie had not frightened it's occupant too much.



The sound of rustling sent Violet ducking behind a tree. Just as she disappeared from sight she saw a streak of pink whiz past then vanish into the green forest as fast as it had come. Unable to move from fear she stayed squatted behind her tree wondering if the streak of pink had been friend or foe. She couldn't be sure, and she couldn't be sure if they had truly gone, so she stayed in her hiding spot until she could be sure it was safe.

However, the forest filled once more with the sound of rustling. All the muscles in Violet's body tensed and she cursed the institute for causing her white hair. It could be the cause of her getting captured. It didn't blend into the green landscape at all. Crossing her fingers with one hand and holding onto her hair with the other to keep it from blowing around, she watched as a man and a dog traipsed through the forest before her. She tasted blood in her mouth after a few seconds and she realized she had been biting down on her lip to keep herself from letting out a moan of fear.

Neither man nor dog paid her any mind. They seemed to be too intent on their objective. Both of them rushed past her without even the slightest notice of her presence, but she could not feel full relief because only feet away they halted before a bush near where the pink blur had disappeared. She wondered if they were in pursuit of whatever the pink had been. She did not care as long as they did not find her.

Alexander stiffened when he heard footsteps approach. A warm slobbery tongue went across his cheek. He'd wince internally seeing as he thought he had hidden himself completely. He heard a man's voice, hearing him clearly, he'd hesitantly come from underneath the bush. His blue eyes looked at the thing that licked him. It was like one of the creatures they had back at the institute.

"Hi...." He'd say hesitantly once more, expecting for the guy to lie to him and put him in cuffs, take him back to the institute. He'd look carefully waiting for more people to come, but none did. "You...used to be one of them too?" He'd ask pointing to his uniform he wore. He'd look over the man, though he couldn't see much. Alex's voice would sound hesitant, but casual as he tried to talk to the man.

The small hand slid into Pomona's and the woman's heart melted just at little at the realization that this poor little girl had been stuck in the institution all her life. The rough finger's closed around the child's just enough to provide comfort. She gave the child her full attention as she listened, taking in every word the little girl said.

"Let's go help the other's shall we?" asked Pomona once the child had finished speaking. Without the little girl's permission the woman leaned forward and scooped the child into her arms and began walking forward. The child looked tired, and Pomona didn't have time for her to wait for her.

"We're going to look after you now, little tiger," Pomona assured her, giving the child's nose a light and playful tap. With the little girl in her arms Pomona jogged back through the forest in the direction the little girl had come; her eyes were alert for any signs of other alters. Her pace slowed when she heard trees being ripped from the ground. On instinct she set the little girl down behind a bush.

"Stay here," she instructed then turned to investigate what was going on. When she stepped around the trunk of a large tree the scene before her caused her to leap into action without thinking. She recognized the faces of three terrified alters. Two of them were standing together off to the side while a tree fell on top of another who was dressed in a guard's uniform, but she knew he wasn't a guard because of his unnatural stature. She bounded forward, barreling into the alter who was about to be hit by a tree and managed to knock him to the ground just out of reach of the tree.

Together they fell to the ground where she lay with the wind knocked out of her and the forest spinning above her.

"What....wh....what were y...you...think....th...thinking?" she gasped from where she lay, directing her speech at the two alters still standing.



Emery's heart flew when a blur of white climbed from the bush in front of Rosie. A smile coaxed it's way onto the man's lips and he did his best to look friendly and non-threatening. Emery needed this alter to trust him if he was going to save him. Rosie sat nuzzling the arm of the alter, happy she had succeeded in her job.

"I was. I escaped with two other alters, and we've been watching the institute ever since in hopes more of you would escape. We want to help you and get you away from here. Do you know if any other alters managed to escape?...I'm Emery by the way, and this is Rosie." Emery patted the head of Rosie before holding out his hand to the blur of white in greeting.

"Oh, and it might be important for you to know that I'm mostly blind. I can't really see you."



Violet listened to the two men near her speaking. The one in the bush was an alter like her. She could tell by the white shift he wore which was identical to hers, but she didn't reveal herself even when Emery asked if other alters had escaped. She had no idea if she could trust this man. For all she knew he could be one of the scientists disguised to come and collect them. She didn't want to take that chance.

Her mind changed when she heard the man with the dog say he was blind. Something about that weakness made her muscles relax and gave her the urge to creep out from where she was hiding. He had told the other alter he had been one of them once and wanted to help them. He was looking for all the escaped alters which meant he was looking for her too.

As she crouched in her hiding place Violet contemplated the dangers of trusting this man she had never met. She could either trust him and potentially get taken back to the institute or rely on her instincts in a world she didn't understand. After a few moments of contemplation Violet stepped out from her hiding place. She figured she would be safer going with the blind man than relying on her very minimal amount of knowledge about the world around her. If she did get into trouble Violet felt she was capable enough to escape from a blind man.

"I'm one of the escaped alters too," she announced in a clear voice void of fear. She might be willing to trust him, but she wasn't ready to let him know how frightened she really was.

Taking a deep breath Alexander nodded. He was kind of sad that the man couldn't hardly see him, but maybe that was a good thing. "I... I'm Alexander... people call me Alex." He'd murmur to the guy. Shaking his hand he'd give a shrug. "Unfortunately I wouldn't know... I was more focused on getting me out... If you understand my meaning."

He'd explain dropping his hand. It wasn't that he didn't care if anyone escaped, but he was put through hell... so he didn't really care if anyone else did or not. He wanted to be free first. "So... where are the others that escaped with you?" He'd ask Emery as if this were a casual conversation. Normally Alexander didn't act like this....but he was hesitant and scared, like any other teenager who was escaping or running away.

As Pomona walked toward the stream her ears picked up a high pitched screeching noise. She gave a small flinch then spun around, still clutching the little girl, to find numerous members of the group gripping their ears and falling to the ground. The feeling of anger beginning to mount in her belly made Pomona's lips purse into a tight line. She glanced around to see if she could find the source fo the noise, but she saw nothing. Panicked she lurched forward and grabbed the arm of the girl who had fallen to the ground first. With one arm Pomona pulled the girl to her feet while the other was still clutching the child tightly to her.

"I'm sorry. I know it hurts, but we have to go. The faster we move the faster we get away from that noise and the faster it will stop hurting you. Someone help the other two. We have to go now." Pomona did her best to support the girl as she did her best to continue leading the group away from the source of danger.

"Come on everyone, as fast as you can."



"It's nice to meet you Alex," Emery smiled at the nervous boy, "one of the others who escaped with me is in the forest finding other alters. The other one is at home keeping watch and will alert us if anything major goes wrong. Come on, we don't have much time." Emery turned to indicate to Rosie it was time to leave, but before he could she tugged him forward. For a moment he was confused as to where she was going, but then a blur of white caught his eye, and he realized another alter had appeared. She confirmed this when she announced she was one of the escaped alters too.

"Then you are welcome to come with us. I'm going to take you both somewhere safe where the hunters can't find you." Emery could tell this alter was on edge. Her voice sounded rigid, and she didn't move toward him as she spoke. "We better get moving. Let's go home, Rosie" Emery gave Rosie's back a small pat, and she pulled her attention away from Violet and to the path. With her tail wagging the began leading the way through the undergrowth toward him. Emery walked behind her, occasionally glancing back to see if the other two alters were following him.



The man with the dog invited her to come along with him and the other alter. The idea of following him made her body tense and her desire to flee mount to a level she almost could not ignore. But she had revealed herself to him. The dog had her sent. She didn't think there was a way out now. Plus he was offering her safety, something which was paramount if she wanted to stay away from the institute.

After a moment of hesitation Violet took a step toward Emery and within seconds she was trotting to catch up with him. The idea of safety was too appealing. No matter how afraid she was, the want to be safe blocked out everything else. This man seemed nice enough and nothing in her brain warned her not to trust him.

"Are you coming?" she stopped for a moment and turned to look at the other alter with the pink hair. If she was going to trust Emery she would at least feel a little better knowing she wasn't the only alter who had been rescued.

Alex would dutifully follow along, glad to be in the hands of safety. Of course he was talking about the dog... he wasn't sure Emery could do anything. Seeing the woman he didn't want to look timid or scared. He was after all, a man, and who cared for a scared timid man? Snorting he'd give his best smirk (in the face of danger) and trot happily, his pink hair bouncing behind him. The scent of roses soon would follow. He had the grace of a fox, and the cockiness too.

"Seems we got a fun night ahead of us... it's just getting started." He'd say confidently to no one in particular. Just trying to make casual conversation, and keep people amused. That was something he was good at, was amusement.