heavenward | n.scatorccio

The forest seemed endless, a labyrinth of shadows and whispers that macerated on Julianna from every direction. She clenched her machete in one hand, her knuckles white as she looked at her friends sprawled across the forest floor.

Julianna sucked in a sharp breath. Get them out, one by one. You don't have a choice.

Lottie was closest, still on her knees, muttering incoherently to something only she could see. Her hands clawed at the dirt like she was digging for something buried there. Her voice came in soft fragments, rising and falling like a broken melody.

"I'm sorry...I'll-... we should have listened... should have..."

Julianna dropped to her knees beside her, gripping her arm. "Lottie," she said firmly, though her voice wavered under the weight of panic. "You need to come with me. You're not safe here."

Lottie's head snapped up, her pupils blown wide. "They'll kill you too," she whispered, her voice trembling. "They'll make you see. It's all waiting for you."

Julianna shook her head, refusing to let those words settle in her chest. "No one's killing anyone," she snapped. "Come on." She hauled Lottie to her feet, the girl stumbling as Julianna practically dragged her through the underbrush.

Every few feet, Lottie fought her, digging her heels into the dirt or crying out like something invisible was clawing at her. But Julianna pressed on, her machete slashing through branches as the woods grew denser and darker. She didn't stop until they reached the edge of the forest, where the air suddenly felt lighter, less manipulating.

Lottie collapsed onto the ground, her breaths ragged. Her wide eyes flickered back to clarity, like fog lifting from a glass pane.

"What... what happened?" she croaked, her voice hoarse.

Julianna crouched in front of her, brushing the sweat from her own forehead. "You were—" She stopped herself. "It's the air. You're okay now, but stay here. You can't go back in."

Lottie's face twisted in confusion. "What do you mean? You're not going alone, are you?"

Julianna stood, her shoulders squared. "We don't have a choice." She turned back toward the forest, her heart pounding as she walked back into the unsettling environment.

The whispers grew louder as she found Jackie curled against a tree, her nails scratching deep into her arms. Blood beaded along the fresh cuts, but Jackie didn't seem to notice, her lips moving in frantic whispers.

"They'll come for me," she murmured. "They always come for me. I can hear them. It's so loud—it's so loud."

Julianna knelt beside her, grabbing her wrists to stop her nails from making further incisions. "Jackie, listen to me," she said, her voice urgent. "You're not alone. I'm here."

Jackie flinched, her gaze darting to Julianna with wide, terrified eyes. "Why are you here?" she whispered. "You'll just watch, won't you? Watch them take me. That's what you all do."

Julianna gritted her teeth, her chest tightening as she pulled Jackie to her feet. "Come on," she said, more forcefully this time. "You're not staying here."

Jackie fought her, clawing at her arm, screaming as if Julianna were dragging her to her death. Her voice was raw and broken, sobs punctuating her cries.

"You can't save me!" Jackie wailed.

"What am i doing right now then?," Julianna muttered, half to herself, as she practically carried Jackie through the trees. Her arms burned, her legs ached, but she didn't stop until they reached the border.

The moment they crossed, Jackie collapsed, her screams fading into quiet gasps. Julianna laid her down next to Lottie, who reached out to steady her.

"Stay here," Julianna said again, her voice hard. She didn't wait for a response.

Then she tried Jeff. He was pacing in circles when she found him, muttering to himself and running his hands through his hair so hard it looked like he might tear it out.

"I should've gone back," he was saying, over and over. "Should've stayed. Should've stopped it." He stopped suddenly, his hands falling to his sides as he stared at the ground. "It's too late now, isn't it? It's all gone."

"Jeff." Julianna approached slowly, her heart aching at the sight of her brother unraveling. "You're okay. It's me. You're okay."

He turned to her, his face streaked with tears. "You don't understand," he said, his voice cracking. "You don't get it."

Julianna stepped closer, gripping his shoulders. "Stop it," she said firmly. "You're still here, just—come with me—"

Jeff let out a choked laugh, his eyes unfocused. "Still here? Look around, Jules. None of this is real. None of it. You're not even real."

She felt her throat tighten, but she forced the panic down. "I'm real," she said, her voice softening. "And I need you to trust me."

It took everything in her to drag him back to the border, his legs barely moving as he stumbled after her. When they finally broke free of the forest, he collapsed beside Lottie and Jackie, clutching his head in his hands.

Julianna went back again and again, each trip worse than the last. She found Shauna banging her head against a tree, Javi crying, Misty screaming into the void, and Natalie gripping her crossbow so tightly her knuckles were white.

She dragged them all out, one by one, her arms shaking and her breaths ragged by the time she finally collapsed beside them.

The others sat in a dazed silence, their expressions blank as they processed what had happened. Julianna sat apart from them, her knees pulled to her chest, her machete still clutched tightly in her hand.

Her heart was pounding, her body trembling as she stared back at the dark woods.

No one said a word for a long time.

She wiped her face and stood, looking at the group. "We're moving," she said, her voice hoarse but steady. "We're not staying here."

And without another word, they got to their feet.

The young light of the sun stretched lazily across the sky, as if reluctant to rise, painting the Blue Ridge Mountains in muted gold and violet hues. They had walked the entire night, no one wanting stop in fear of losing control again. The forest gave way to rocky terrain, and the group stood near the edge of a cliff. From here, the view sprawled out before them—an endless expanse of trees and valleys shrouded in a thin, ghostly mist. Julianna's chest still ached from dragging everyone out of the hallucination zone.

Natalie leaned against a boulder, her crossbow slung over her shoulder, looking out into the distance. "It's pretty," she murmured, though her voice was flat.

"Pretty's not going to keep us alive," Shauna muttered, pulling her shotgun closer to her chest. She glanced at the others, her lips pursed. "What's the plan now?"

Misty, still cradling her fire axe, piped up, "Well, according to the map..." She fumbled with it, unfolding the paper in jerky motions. "We're here." She jabbed a finger at a spot on the crinkled surface. "And this—" her finger traced a line heading west—"leads to a radio tower."

"A radio tower?" Javi perked up, the exhaustion in his eyes giving way to a flicker of hope. "You think it still works?"

Lottie, sitting cross-legged on the ground, her dagger resting across her lap, tilted her head. "It's a long shot. But maybe we could... I don't know, find someone? Signal someone?" Her voice was tentative, like she was afraid to hope too much.

The radio had been useless for days, the connection lost in that desolate place. They could only hope the others were holding up alright.

Jackie, who had been unusually quiet since they left the forest, crossed her lightly scratched arms. "And what if it doesn't work? We'll just waste time and energy getting there for nothing."

"It's on the way to Kansas City," Jeff pointed out, his voice surprisingly steady. "Even if it doesn't work, it's not like we're going out of our way." He glanced at Julianna, who was leaning on her machete for support. "Right, Jules?"

Julianna nodded, wiping sweat from her brow. Her arms felt like they'd been pulled from their sockets, but she wasn't about to let anyone see how drained she was. "Yeah. If it's on the way, we might as well check it out. Better than doing nothing."

Misty's eyes lit up, and she clapped her hands together. "Exactly! I mean, worst case scenario, we get some cardio in, right?"

"Cardio?" Natalie gave her a look, her mouth twitching in the ghost of a smile. "Misty, we're not training for a 5K. We're trying not to die."

"Well, cardio is important for survival," Misty said brightly, completely unbothered by Natalie's sarcasm. She folded the map with a flourish, tucking it into her bag.

Jackie groaned, pinching the bridge of her nose. "Great. Another hike. Exactly what I wanted after almost losing my mind in those woods."

"I don't think your mind's been intact for a while," Natalie quipped, earning a snort from Jeff.

"Real mature, Nat." Jackie glared, but there was no real venom behind it.

Julianna looked between them, feeling a pang of something—maybe relief, maybe exhaustion. They were still standing. They were still joking.

Jeff stretched, rolling his shoulders. "Alright, then. Let's move. I need somewhere to lie down, we've been walking for hours."

"Agreed," Shauna said, adjusting her shotgun strap. "Let's get this over with."

They started walking, following the faint trail that would eventually lead them to the radio tower. A few days off maybe, but they would get there. The air grew cooler as the sun rose higher.

After a while, Misty, still holding her fire axe, fell into step beside Julianna. "If that tower does work, we could send out a signal. Maybe we'd finally get a reply, that would be great, you know, since it's been ages."

"Yeah, amazing," Julianna said absently, her eyes scanning the treeline for any signs of movement.

Misty tilted her head, studying her, eyebrows furrowed in concentration. "You okay? You look... tense."

"I just dragged all of you out of some nightmare zone where you were losing your minds," Julianna said, glancing at her, her lips lifting up at the corners. "Tense doesn't even begin to cover it."

Misty blinked, then grinned. "Well, good thing you're so strong and dependable—I mean, we'd probably all be dead without you."

Julianna sighed. "Thanks, Misty."

Behind them, Natalie was walking with Javi, who was trying to mimic the way she held her crossbow. "No, you hold it like this," Natalie said, demonstrating. "If you're gonna shoot a runner, you need to aim higher. Otherwise, it'll just—"

"Bounce off their head?" Javi guessed, grinning.

Natalie smirked. "Exactly."

"Hey!" Misty called over her shoulder. "No crossbow practice while we're walking! Safety first!"

"Safety?" Natalie scoffed, rolling her eyes. "You're the one who almost took us all out back there with your driving."

"That was one time!" Misty protested, clutching her axe dramatically.

Julianna shook her head, a wide smile tugging at her lips despite the ache in her chest. Somewhere out there, Kansas City was waiting. Whether it held salvation or just another nightmare, none of them knew.