“The window is opening.”
Corrie grunted in acknowledgment. Stretching leisurely he stood up and surveyed the area. They had packed the camp up at dawn; the clock had been ticking down all week. Finally, they were about to move on from this hellhole. He pulled the inhibitor out of the ground and stuffed the device into one of the bags.
“She is still alive; scanners are showing her moving through the countryside.”
Corrie turned suddenly facing Elsha, “How is the Rex?” He turned away as he spoke, pulling one of the packs onto his back and cinching the ties up.
“She is doing well, still on the girl’s heels.” She surveyed the pad, finding the best route to the portal opening.
“Amazing she has lasted this long.”
“Not for much longer, do you have the Renovator ready?”
“Yes, but we have bigger problems. The Renovator only has a few charges left. Might only have enough for the Rex, much less for the the beast and the girl.”
“So we bring her back, renovate her there.”
Corrie stopped and glared at his new partner, how long had she been one of the timeless? She knew so much but at times like these, she showed her complete lack of understanding.
“Refugee law, we take her back she is bound to the blade.”
“Would that be so bad?” Elsha asked as she pushed her way through the bushes. “We could use some more people to contain the breaches. She is resourceful, we need more people like her.”
“The agency does need more people, but we don’t know how adding more would affect the ripples. The renovator stills the timeline, but all of us stuck outside of time excites the ripples more. Some days I wonder if we should turn the renovators on the city itself. Maybe the timeline would correct itself.”
“Or without us there get infinitely worse.”
“Yeah, there is that.”
“The jump point is through these trees, time to go.”
She tripped the signal and a portal opened in front of them. The world rippled around them, they were still too close to the last incursion. Before he had the chance to yell for her to stop, Elsha had leapt through the hole in space and time. She was carrying the bag with the spare portaler too. Cursing under his breath he jumped through.
The thing was still chasing her. She hurried through the bushes, skirting fields, and jumping ditches. The thing was getting closer, she heard the branches breaking as the giant lizard followed her scent. She watched out of the corner of her eye as the creature’s scaly head poked out of the trees on the other side of a ravine, watching her.
She prayed the ditch would be too deep to cross and turned away, sprinting into the bushes. The creature roared, jumping into the ravine and racing up the other side.
Avery was already well into the woods, grateful for once that her mother had forced her to participate in track and soccer. The beast was fast, but couldn’t keep up with her over longer distances. If the creature had caught her on a flat field she would have been done for.
The attacks were getting more predictable, the creature would have to rest after that last sprint then would follow her scent. In four or five hours the beast would catch up again, and she would have to flee. Passing an expansive lake she stood at the side considering. Water scatters smells, right? She thought, it probably can’t swim, I should swim across. At least the swim would give me some breathing room, give me time to take more than an hour or two nap.
Walking up to the water’s edge she stared into the mirror-like surface, she barely recognized her reflection. Her bright red hair was matted and dull. Her face was burnt almost to the color of her hair. The stupid pink sundress was ripped and torn. If this kept up the dress was liable to wear right off of her. Her skin was covered in mud and dust.
Something rumbled in the trees, snapping Avery out of her daze. A shimmer appeared, she scooted back. The ripple followed her forcing her towards the water’s edge. She turned and dove in, swimming hard. She skimmed the water, racing the waves to the other shore. The water rippled in weird ways as she crossed. She glimpsed giant shadows diving in the waters beneath her.
She clambered out on the other side, exhausted. She sat down on the water’s edge trying to catch her breath. Something burst out of the water; teeth, and claws clambering at her. Avery kicked out, pushing herself off of the creature’s face as it bit at her.
She screamed as the creature heaved, throwing her across the beach and into the bushes. The beast roared, pulling itself out of the water. Advancing on where she lay stunned by the fall, the creature let out another roar. A resounding roar floated out from across the water, the water monster stopped, looking around. Sniffing at the air the creature seemed unsure of itself, it lunged back into the water.
Avery turned and ran into the woods, what have I done to deserve this she thought.
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Cadence 