Sophia’s POV
The river glistening before us, I, and my friends had come to the spot where police said Henry jumped into the water and we don’t come without a purpose. Abigail, and mom are in the hospital with Erica, It is said that she is breathing, but hasn’t opened her eyes. Dad had traveled to work in a new zoo in another country. We are here to find Henry, although people hadn’t believed that he didn’t shoot Erica, I believe, and I still love him.
“Oh my God,” Lucy said, as we saw the large flowing river.
“How could Henry jumped in without thinking twice?” Bella asked.
I sighed. “He can swim.”
Lucy looked at me. “Can he survive it?”
“I don’t think so,” Bella replied.
Lucy looked at me. “Do you still love him?”
I sighed and gazed at the water.
“Sophia still loves him,” Lucy said, “I guess.”
I noticed someone walking in the bush, I looked back and I saw Benjamin, Erica’s boyfriend, holding four torches. He once vowed to find and to kill Henry in my presence, but why’s he here? “Ben, what are you doing here?”
“To follow you guys,” he said, “I miss him too.”
“I knew your intention,” I said.
“To kill him?” he asked, “I don’t mean what I said then”
“Really?”
“Yes,” he said, and walked near us, gazing at the water, and then he looked at me. “Henry can’t shoot Erica.”
“Sure,” Lucy said, “Where can he be now?”
“Is there a house near this river?’
Benjamin gazed at the large river with widened eyes. “Not near, but far from here.”
“We need a boat,” Lucy said.
“We can walk there,” he said.
“Which way?” I asked.
“I know the way,” he said, “we can get there through this forest.”
“Oh my God,” Lucy said, “we would walk there?”
“A thousand miles begin with a step,” Bella said, “We should try our best.”
“Follow me,” Benjamin said, as he leads the way into the forest.
The killer, wear a mask, hiding in one of the trees, following them, but they didn’t know. He wants to know where Henry hideouts too. Sophia noticed someone following them, but she didn’t see anyone and thought maybe the winds are whirling the trees.
“Wow,” Lucy said, “I haven’t seen this kind of bird in my life.”
“Has seen it so many times,” Bella said
“What’s its name?” Sophia asked Bella.
“Hawk.”
Everyone laughed and Benjamin say, “Is that a hawk?”
“Bella loves to lie,” Lucy said
Sophia couldn’t stop laughing for a while, and after a minute, they were all silent, and then walked in silence, while the Shooter is hiding amid the trees, following them.
“Would we get there before night?” Lucy asked
“Don’t you see torches in my hands,” Benjamin said.
And everyone laughed again, except Lucy.
“Lucy is too fearful,” Bella said.
“Maybe she should go back home,” Benjamin said.
“She shouldn’t,” Sophia said, “We would soon get there.”
“What the fuck,” Lucy said, “Ben, is saying nonsense.”
Benjamin looked back at her.
“What?” she said, “You want to fight me? Can you beat me?”
“Mind what you say here,” Benjamin said.
“C’mon guys,” Bella said, “this is not the right time to fight.”
Not long longer, a lion roared and they stopped, looking around the forest, in fear.
Lucy whispered, “It’s a lion.”
They were astonished to see tears dropping from Bella’s eyes.
“Ssshhh,” Benjamin said.
The lion roared again, but this time, the roaring came nearer and nearer.
“We should run,” Sophia shouted.
And they were all scared to their pants, they flee, splitting now and then, into different parts. The Shooter to runs.
Everyone gets lost, they all lost themselves. Lucy stopped somewhere and hid huge trees breathing hard and regretting that she followed them. She brought out a bottle of water from her backpack. She heard something strange disturbing the forest, she bends down to look what it is and see Bella running with tears on her face. “Bella,” she called.
“Oh dear,” Bella said and darted to her.
“How was it?” Lucy said, “Fun?” She put the bottle on her mouth, gulping.
Bella looked at her. “It’s hell. Give me water.”
Lucy laughed. “I thought you said I fear too much?”
“Please just give me water quickly.”
“Check my bag.”
Bella brought another bottle of water out of Lucy’s bag and drank, looking tired. And not long after, they heard steps.
“What is that?” Bella asked. “Did you-”
“Ssshhh,” Lucy said and motioned her to bend down.
They saw Benjamin walking slowly, looking back, bending down, crying. Lucy laughed silently, and Bella called him near.
“So, you can cry,” Lucy said.
“Keep shut,” he said, “better be careful.”
“Where is Sophia?” Bella asked.
“She would be running,” Lucy said, “I guess.”
“Stop joking,” Bella said
“We must find her,” Benjamin said.
“To where?” Bella asked.
They look at each other when they saw someone running, with a mask on his face. Suddenly, he stopped, putting a pistol into his pocket, and then brought out a phone. He speaks to someone through the phone, “Mission failed. Lion attack. I shoot her. She died. Really? She’s breathing in the hospital? In the same forest. Bring helicopter. Yea. Yea.” He then put the phone back in his pocket and darted away.
Bella looked at Benjamin. “Did you hear what he just says?”
“He shoots Erica,” Benjamin said.
“Oh my God,” Lucy said.
“Sophia must know this,” Benjamin said.
“People must know this too,” Bella said.
“Who will believe the truth?” Lucy asked.
After a moment of silence passed. Benjamin break the silence, “We should find Sophia”
“To where?” Bella asked.
“Anywhere,” Benjamin said.
They walked searching for Sophia, passing tree after tree. “Sophia,” Bella called aloud.
“Shhhh,” Benjamin said.
“Sophia,” Lucy shouted more.
Benjamin looked at her with a bad face. “Lucy, warn yourself.”
“Sophia, where are you,” Lucy shouted again.
Sophia’s voice was heard, “Here I am.”
They stooped and look around for a while.
“Where exactly?” Lucy shouted.
Sophia’s voice was heard again, “Look up.”
They looked up and saw Sophia who’s drinking water on the tree, they laughed.
“Come down quick,” Benjamin said.
“I’m not coming down,” Sophia said.
“We want to tell you a secret,” Bella said.
“I know it already. I heard the man calling, right from here, from here.”