Mansion in the Forest

Kiss Me, Lexi

Walking and running hasn't been a problem for them, but there seems to be a difference at this moment. All of them were injured, starving, exhausted and thirsty.

Siena could barely take a step, she's super tired and her cuts around her bodies are having the effect in her body that's making her having difficulty breathing.

Iris was the same, but she's still holding on to the little chance when Jisu said that they were near the exit. She's helping Siena while Denver is helping her.

Blake shook his head and finally decided to help them too, he grabbed Siena's arm and he wrapped it around his neck. "Ride in." He offered.

"T-thank you." Siena said weakly and she let the guy carry her in a piggyback ride.

"Right there!" Jisu yelled when she finally saw the arrow mark she carved about in the tree. When they reached the hill with a weird sculpture, she led them again and finally saw the starting point of the path. "This is it." She sighed in relief.

They all stopped for a moment, taking a quick rest, now that they found the exit, there's no need to rush, especially when they could see some streetlight not too far from their spot.

"Wow, that monster really taught you the way, huh?" Chantelle commented in between catching her breaths.

"Yeah, I think she likes me."

"Ew." They all shrieked but playfully.

"Okay now, listen guys. Once we stepped out from this place, I promised you that we will never go back in here again." Lexi tells them.

"Of course, who would've liked to go back in here?" Iris scoffed.

"We should go—."

"Wait." Jazen stopped them, she picked up herself to stand up on her feet and walked towards Lexi. "I'm not sure what's waiting for us outside this place, but I want to leave something in this place that we could always remember in our lives."

"I'm not going to watch you guys have s*x in here." Blake shook his head and looked at Jazen and Lexi disgustingly.

"We're not going to have s*x, stupid homophobic asshole!" Jazen hissed at her and looked back at Lexi. "I want to—."

"Stop." Trevor interrupted whatever Jazen wanted to say. "Can we just go?"

"Come on buddy, let us have their moment, after all, Jazen did a lot to save us." Jisu wrapped her arm around Trevor and ushered him along with them.

Lexi was just confused looking at Jazen. "What's going on, babe?" She asked.

"Kiss me."

"What?"

"Kiss me, Lexi. That's all I want to experience with you just in case we don't make it after we leave this place." Jazen with all seriousness in her face says that Lexi knows she's not kidding or making fun of her.

"Jazen, you know that—." Lexi didn't have the chance to continue her words when Jazen clutched her shirt and pulled her and slammed their lips together. It was just for two point seconds before Jazen pulled away.

"I know, I just felt that this might be our last chance to do this." She said and gave Lexi another chaste kiss. "I love you, Lex."

"I l-love—." Jazen put her index finger to stop Lexi saying the magical three words.

"Please don't say that. It might be hard for me to leave this place if you say those words to me." Jazen said, her eyes were soft and filled with sadness that Lexi didn't know where they came from.

She should be happy because finally, they are free—not totally safe, but still.

Lexi held her gaze, staring directly in her eyes. Then she removed Jazen's hand slowly. "What's wrong, Jazen?" She asked.

"I'm bound to marry someone."

Lexi felt her heart sink on that revelation. All this time, her girlfriend was bound to marry someone that is not her. But Jazen said that she wanted to go far from here and marry Lexi and have a bunch of kids.

"What happened to your plans for the both of us?" Lexi asked, confused.

"That was my dream, the dream that I will never fulfill because once my parents see me, they will continue the arranged marriage with their business partner's son."

"Okay, that is some news." Trevor commented, he didn't want to intervene, but even if there's a part of him that he doesn't like Jazen to end up with his best friend. He still wants Lexi to be happy with the person she cared for and the one she loves. "We can still fulfill that dream of yours."

"How?" Jazen asked, though she felt a bit of hope, but she knows that it's impossible.

"Just like what you've said. Live somewhere far from here." Trevor pointed it out. That was the right choice if Jazen wanted to be with Lexi and not marry some stranger, but the cons is, she has to leave her parents.

"That's the only choice you have Jazen, take it or leave it." Jisu agreed to Trevor.

"Okay then. Let's do that." Jazen nodded her head in certainty of her answer. It will be much better to be with Lexi than obey her parents and marry someone that she didn't even know who it was.

"Aight! Let's go!" Denver cheered as he picked up Iris from the ground and all of them continued their journey to the exit, but they are still halfway to the end of the path when Blake stopped.

"What's wrong?" Siena asked, tilting her head to see the reason why the man carrying her stopped walking and retreated back four steps.

"They blocked the way." He whispered, calling everyone's attention and he motioned his hand to look at the vehicles surrounding the area.

"What the hell?" Lexi mumbled under her breath.

There were vehicles around, armed men and some people that they couldn't identify.

"Are they here to kill us?" Chantelle asked, fear crawled up into her body upon seeing men with rifles and artillery vehicles.

"We can't exit here." Lexi said, slowly retreating back with the rest of them.

"Now what?" Denver sighed, losing hope that they could still exit without being shot by those armed men.

"We should find another way out."

"Or call Sakura and ask for her help. Tell her that we have Herlie." Jisu suggested.

Herlie looked up to her with confused eyes, she doesn't have any idea who Sakura is and what does it have to do with her.

"Who is she?" The kid asked innocently.

"Your sister." Lexi answered, not wanting to make another lie since she doesn't want the kid to get confused. "Let's go around and see if we can find another way out."

They all walked around, hiding and crouching so the new enemies outside wouldn't see them.

The armed men were working for NSA and they were assigned to guard the forest, they were also told to shoot everyone on the list that was given to them, which is the teenagers, once they come out.

They were listed as the enemy of the state, their faces are scattered everywhere, news, social outlets, even in every tabloid. Their crime? Treason.

The government made that up so people would think that they are betraying the country so once they see one of the teenager's faces, they have to call the emergency hotline and report it immediately.

Their parents got a threat from the government that if they tried to help them, they could also be arrested and have a case for helping the criminals. That's how powerful their government is. They can control everyone. Law, people, and everything.

"They are everywhere." Denver hissed past through his teeth as he put Iris down carefully.

"I already informed Sakura, I'm just waiting for her to—." Lexi stopped and she turned her head hastily behind her. She heard twigs snapping, leaves rustling and footsteps. "Quick, hide!" She whispered to them and they ran quickly, looking for a place to hide.

They found a big banyan tree, it has lush leaves that they can hide, so they quickly work together to climb and hide. They could hear the footsteps coming closer from where they're hiding.

"Look around, we can't let those kids escape again!" A man's voice blasted in the forest, then there were men running and searching around, carrying each one a rifle. "We have to find them, don't stop looking!" He yelled again. He was about to walk when Lexi's phone vibrated. The teenagers quickly hide themselves, making sure that the man won't see them.

The guy looked up, then he used his flashlight to see what's up there but he didn't see anything, so he continued on his way. As soon as he left, Lexi looked at her phone and smiled when she saw Sakura's message.

"She's going to help us escape." Lexi whispered to them. They all cheered silently but Denver couldn't help but to cry and he accidentally sobbed a bit loud, so Iris had to cover his mouth.

They heard the footsteps come back, but this time, it was not alone. There were a lot of footsteps surrounding the tree.

"I know you kids are there." The guy earlier said, flicking on the flashlight right into Lexi's face. "Found you." He smirked and motioned his men to start shooting them. But just before everyone could pull the trigger, gunshots showered around the whole forest, the armed men dropped one by one.

When all of the armed men were dead, a woman stepped out from the dark along with the shooters, then she looked up, looking straight into Lexi's eyes. Then she smiled.

"Hi Lex." She greeted, smiling with all ears.

"Sakura." Lexi mumbled.

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