I follow them into the shed and saw the hydroponics and small garden spots, all under a green shade cloth, still holding some seedlings and heavily overgrown plants, as well as a lot of dead ones.

“There’s mint!” Silver exclaims excitedly.

But I couldn’t help but still peer back out the door and Ghost was probably the same. The smell of stale water and fertiliser wasn’t helping either but Silver didn’t seem to mind it at all.

“Something’s wrong, isn’t there?” was the first thing Shadow had said this entire trip.

I look down to him and then back out the door. “…I don’t know.”

Paranoia was making me feel really on edge and I’m not liking how there was only one exit/entrance into this place right now. My ears were ringing in the silence… I got out and still felt like something was watching us…

I notice that there was a small office space to the right of the entrance of the cloth roofed shed and wanting to take my mind of the bone-weary paranoia seeping back into me, I walk on in and see if there was anything interesting in there. It held a long desk, some computers and a badly written log of plant records. Most of which were about the growth speeds and the expected batch from each plant. They were looking into crossbreeding mint species. But were also filling out some orders for other herbs like anise and meadowsweet. Most of which was probably dead or buried under the mint.

I grab the crossbreeding log and give it Silver who was more than happy enough to flick through and identify the different plants. She was quick, grabbing a few plants and back out into the jungle in a matter of minutes. In that span of time, Crow had caught up and was talking quietly to his brother, both of them frowning but ultimately not saying much back to us.

“Something up?” Shadow glares at them, probably a bit on edge himself.

“Nothing really. Crow just said that Bass might have caught sight of Bailey skulking around not too far from the train station…”

“And that it’s too quiet, even for here. Usually there’s at least birds flying around. But today…” Crow adds with a shrug. They still talk between each other as we wait for Silver and co to move onto the next spot.

She walks back off the path and into the forest undergrowth itself. Shadow and I follow behind as Ghost was caught up in chatting with the other four. I was caught up in my thoughts, wondering where the best place would be to go to find the campus map, hoping to find the medical faculty. I notice a sudden steep drop that we had to half slide down onto the lower part that lead towards a natural forming ridge amongst the ferns that blanketed the entire section that Silver was walking through already. We are getting a bit too far for my liking away from the people that know the place better than us…

Something white in a tree catches my attention…a plastic milk carton? I frown…why would there be something like that hanging around? For birds? I see a few more in the tops of other trees.

An odd noise came from the front of us which completely stops my train of thought. Heading towards the small ridge’s top, we all lay on our stomach to peak over the edge, down to a drop that lead back onto the path but what we see on that path got an audible gasp escaping from Shadow's lips. His eyes wide as he took in the scene.

Standing there was a blue haired kid, probably a few years younger than me, he was dressed up in a suit and a crazy twisted smile plastered across his face. Behind him was a ute that was running, classical music becoming louder from its speakers and a total of about eight others, all dressed in dark clothing, mostly hoodies to obscure their faces, were watching the path in front of them. But there were several people bound and gagged with duct tape, their arms pulled and pinned awkwardly to their backs, all of them kneeling down like they were about to face an execution.

“Jewels,” Shadow’s whisper was barely audible. “Jewels!” his body tenses as he prepares to climb the ridge, almost exposing our position. My hand shoots out before I could think, pulling him back down and he start squirming. “Let me go! That’s my sister down there! She’s-she’s-”

“Go get the others!’ I snap back at him harshly. I’ve never seen him like this and he was about to do something reckless.

“Bu-”

“We’ll stay and keep a look out, ok?

“But-”

“We won’t leave her alone,” Silver grabs him by the face, forcing to look away and into her eyes. “Just go and get Ghost, ok?”

But I could still feel some resistance from him and I snap him with harsh reality, "Just what are you going to do? Storm in there and save them? How many are there of you compared to how many are there of them?"

Hesitating, his eyes wandered over the edge.

"Exactly. Now go tell Ghost," Silver spins him around and pushes him along.

He runs like the devil is on his heels.

Silver quickly turns back to face the group once again, “Just what are planning blue-haired boy?"

Perching closely to the edge, we both duck our heads down enough as they only stood about fifteen meters from us.

"Oh Gho-ost," The blue-haired boy sings out with a childish grin across his face. "I know you're up there somewhere. Come out come out wherever you are. I've even brought you some of your little friends along with me just so that they can witness our heart-felt reunion. You remember Jewels, right? I brought her along especially for you oh and of course for her little brother as well."

I grit my teeth and fight the urge to jump out at them and strangle him. He was loud enough the I knew that Ghost could hear him, the music even became a little louder. This was his mess and we all just got caught in the trap.

Just how did they know we were going to be here?

I struggle to keep my emotions under control. I do not enjoy being a rabbit caught in a trap intended for the fox. I frown as the blue-haired boy continues and I see Silver clenching her fists so hard that her knuckles were turning white.

"I hope you're not seriously considering ignoring me. I mean you did leave these poor poor people behind," his mocking tone was even beginning to irritate me. "All the while you ran away."

We had to wait for the others. There was no way for us to get the jump on them. The spaces between the trees were too far and unless we belly crawled over, the ferns were too low to sneak through. Even if we did, there was no way to move without disturbing the ferns and their attention was fully on the forest in front of them.

The sky was greying, becoming darker and a clap of thunder echoes above us, sending tremors through the dirt and moss we are laying on.

Shit.

"You know, I'm getting bored," Blue-boy continued to talk to the air, " and you know what happens when I get bored. I become very imaginative. Should I make them cry out and you listen to them? Ah what should I do? Break their bones? Cut up their faces? Or should we just rape them in front of you? That should bring back memories."

Hearing an enraged growl behind us, my head whirrs around to see Ghost running at full speed with full blown tunnel visioned rage.

Silver jumps out to try and stop him, "Stop! He's only aggravating you!"

But her words fell on deaf ears as Shadow, Ghost, Dragon and Bulldog charge down towards them, completely lost to any rationality.

"Men are idiots," Silver mutters beside me, pulling herself up to try and catch up.

"Silent!" Ghost roars, stopping dead in front of the unsurprised blue-boy who has pulled on a girl with unevenly cut black hair to her feet in one hand and a dagger in the other.

"Ah there you are my old friend. Just like old times, wouldn't you agree? You know…Viper is still pretty angry that you left," Silent licks the side of Jewels face. She trembles in disgust. A small noise escape from her taped mouth.

"Let.Them.Go." Ghost's voice was strained with anger and hatred. There was no way we could try and reason with him now.

"Nah. Viper said to make sure you feel as much pain as possible after your betrayed us."

"Betrayal? How could I not betray you!?"

"We seek unification. You did too once."

"Not through violence! Not like this!"

Shrugging Silent walks to be in front of the forest once again. The very barrier between us and the path. "I'm not here to discuss things Ghost. You betrayed the Trinity. Even though you were once one of us, you won’t get any forgiveness. But Viper still loves you like a brother and could never kill you. So instead he wanted to attack everyone you hold dear. First I'll start with Jewels," walking back up to her, he caresses her face. "It's been fun but I'm afraid this is just how it is." As he touches the corner of the duct tape, ripping it away she didn't hesitate to scream out, "Run Ghost! Rose is-" her voice ended, choking in surprise.

I froze, my mind going blank as I witness Silent bring the dagger, he was playing with, across her neck quickly and deeply across her throat. Blood spurting from the wide gash as her eyes widened with fear, dropping to her feet, unable to stop the blood flow with her hands still tied.

Shadow lets out a scream of agony, watching his sister die.

I feel either Crow or Skull pull on me and I was suddenly free enough from the shock to move forward. But my sight only saw more and more of the plastic bottles in the trees.

Ghost was now close to Silent.

I frown, no birds. These also look way too new and…whole to be seed holders. The lids are still on.

Silent watches in glee with blood splattered across his face as Ghost approaches, "Should you really be concerning yourself with me when you left poor little Rose behind?"

Ghost stopped in his tracks.

"I have to say, it's quite a cute little thing you've got set up. A little log cabin in the forest. Children running around…aw."

Ghost whirls around on his heel, heading back towards the mountains. The others following, except Shadow who was running straight for Silent, murder in his eyes.

Wait!- I run full speed towards them, trying to get to them in time, “Silver, it’s!-”

Quicksilver skidded to a stop, running at top speed to get to Ghost, pushing him to the ground, "It's a trap-"

A roar of bright light, heat and flame erupted around us, sending multiple shockwaves as the makeshift bombs light up the glasshouse. Dirt, rock, wood and glass sprays out from what feels like all directions as my hearing is completely gone and I feel fire burning my skin and awkwardly fall backwards from the shockwave, the back of my head hitting something hard. I lay on the ground in a daze. All I can smell is fire, plastic, fuel and blood. The agony was dull behind the shock as spots of light flares my vision and I could still hear the fucking music play, becoming softer, like it was moving away, all the while I hear Silent laughing his fucking head off. But nausea was surfacing, and I could barely keep my eyes open long enough to see someone trying to help me up before it all turns dark.