Ethereal

2038

The four left through the back door, sprinting through the back yard as they headed towards the mountains. The father led them through the night, followed by the children behind him and the mother taking up the rear as they weaved back and forth through the trees. The father slowed to a walk as they came upon a creek, and waded knee-deep into the water to help his family cross. The only sound that could be heard was a slight rustle of the leaves and the occasional hoot of an owl. The family moved swiftly and silently through their neighborhood, sticking close to the shadows as they neared the edge of their sanctioned township.

The threat of being captured loomed over the parents as they fled, their eyes struggling to see through the darkness as they sought out their hidden enemies. The consequences of being caught were inescapable – and the prison they would be taken to would mean certain death. But to stay and risk being discovered by the rebels would bring them a fate worse than death itself.

They weren’t far from the foothills of the mountains. If they kept pace, they could make it before sunrise, and they would be free.

The father began to slow once he noticed the trees began to thin around them, offering less and less cover as they ventured further away from the township. Soon he stopped altogether, bringing his family to a halt behind him.

They had reached the edge of the woodlands, leaving nothing but flat fields of wheat and oat that surrounded them on all sides. The golden fields were dyed blue in the moonlight as the wind fluttered over them in soft waves. About a mile or so beyond sat the edge of the mountains. The father turned back around to his wife and children.

“We’re going to have to run for it,” he told them.

“Wait,” said the girl, pulling on her brother’s sleeve she turned him around to face her. “take this.” She held out the blue marble in the palm of her hand. The boy gave her an inquisitive look before his eyes widened, recognizing the small ball of glass. He gingerly plucked it out of her hand as if it were a precious jewel.

“Where did you find it?” he said, running a finger down its smooth surface.

“It wasn’t lost.” She said. Her brother gave her a knowing look, and while her confession probably would have led to a full-fledged argument, there was no time.

The mother laid a soft hand on the girl’s shoulder, her eyes gentle as the father stared out at the dark horizon. The moon didn’t give off enough light to allow him to see that which lied in wait within the fields. The boy pocketed the marble before turning back to his father, the family silent as they waited. Their father slowly lifted his arm, raising up three fingers above his head. He ticked them off one by one, until it was just his fist hanging up in the air, but by then they were all rushing forward through the field, headed for the mountains.