The Begging for Help
Lyra lying still on the ground hurt my eyes.
The red mark on her chest showed how
strong and cold the government was. I felt so
sad but also angry. They hurt one of our old
and wise people. And Finn's empty smile, the
light gone from his eyes, was scary. He was
one of us, but he stood with them.
The smell of fear and Lyra's
blood was in the air.
The armored figures moved calmly, their
weapons still humming. I knew I couldn't fight
them now, not when I was sad and shocked.
My body told me to run, to hide in the forest.
But seeing Finn, his free spirit trapped, kept
me there. This wasn't just about us anymore.
It was about who we were.
"What… what did you do to him?" I asked, my
voice shaking.
The figure who talked before moved his head
a little. "He is… helping us. He knows it's
better to do what we say."
Do what we say. Lyra was scared of this too.
They weren't just controlling us; they were
making us think it was good for us.
The scary thought that our own
people could be turned against us was even
worse.
I knew I couldn't fight them now. But I also
couldn't stay and become another empty-eyed
puppet. A risky idea came to me, making my
stomach hurt.
Officer Jax.
Just saying his name felt bad. The human
officer who watched our land looked at us like
he didn't like us. He was the last person I
wanted to ask for help. But the scary truth I
found, the proof that something big and bad
was happening… maybe, just maybe, it would
make him believe me.
I fought with myself. Trust a human? After
hiding and being scared of them for so long?
It felt like I was hurting my own people. But
what else could I do? Our group was slowly
being made into slaves, their minds cloudy,
their will gone. Lyra was hurt, maybe dying.
We didn't have much time.
I was so desperate that I had to
do something I was scared of.
"Let me go," I said, trying to sound strong. "I
won't cause trouble."
The armored figures looked at each other.
"That's not for you to decide, Elara," one of
them said.
But in that short time, I saw my chance. My
fear was strong, but I had little hope. I
changed. It hurt my bones and muscles
moved. Lyra's small house didn't have much
room, but it was enough. I roared and jumped
past them, breaking through the wall and into
the night.
The forest felt good, the familiar smells
calming me even though I was scared. I could
hear their heavy steps behind me, the
humming of their weapons. They would be
faster and stronger in that form. But I knew
these woods. I had run here since I was little.
My body just wanted to live and
protect my people. That was stronger than my
fear.
I ran as fast as I could, the picture of Lyra and
Finn in my mind. The trees went by quickly,
the moonlight on the ground. I could hear
them behind me, running through the bushes,
their heavy breathing in the quiet night.
Finally, I reached the edge of our land, the line
between our world and theirs. The human
world. The place of Officer Jax.
I didn't want to cross. It felt like going into
danger that was even worse than what I was
running from. But I had no other choice.
The smell of humans, sharp and
new, went into my nose.
Changing back to my human form felt strange
after being a wolf. I was weak now, not safe.
My clothes were ripped and dirty from
running. My heart beat fast in my chest in the
quiet human night.
Jax usually drove by the old road near the
border around this time. It was a small
chance, but I had to take it.
Hiding behind the trees, I waited, feeling very
worried. The sounds of the forest were gone,
replaced by the far-off sound of cars and the
weak light of human homes. It felt wrong.
Every minute felt like a long
time, and I was scared of being found.
Then, I saw them. The lights of a car coming
through the dark. Jax's car.
I held my breath. This was it. I couldn't go
back.
As the car got closer, I stepped out of the
shadows, my hands up. The lights hurt my
eyes for a moment. The car stopped quickly.
I could see Jax in the car, sitting straight. I
almost felt that he didn't trust me.
He rolled down the window, his face hard in
the weak light. "What the hell… Elara?" His
voice was surprised and angry. "What are you
doing out here? You know you can't cross the
border."
My voice shook as I talked fast. "Officer Jax,
you have to believe me. Something bad is
happening. It's about the chips… the
government… they're not just watching us."
Jax looked at me closely. "Get back to your
land, Elara. I don't want trouble."
"No, you don't understand," I begged, taking a
step closer. "They're controlling us. They're
changing how we act. Lyra… they hurt Lyra.
And Finn… Finn's eyes… they're empty."
Thinking about Finn's empty
eyes made me speak urgently.
Jax still didn't believe me, his hand near his
gun. "Controlling you? That's crazy."
"I have proof," I said, my heart beating fast
with a little hope. "I got some data from a
broken machine. It talks about changing
signals… changing behavior…" The words felt
weak compared to how scary it really was.
Jax's face didn't change. "Data? What are you
even talking about?"
The sound of heavy steps behind me made
me feel cold. They had followed me.
"They're here," I gasped, turning back to the
forest. "They're coming for me."
Two figures in dark armor came out of the
trees, their weapons up. Jax looked surprised.
"What the…" he started, his hand finally going
to his gun.
Seeing the armored figures
suddenly made him stop not believing me.
"Officer Jax, you have to help me," I begged,
turning back to him. "This is bigger than you
think. It's not just about us. If they can do this
to us…"
Before I could finish, one of the armored
figures shot something. It hit Jax's car, and
sparks flew.
Jax swore and bent down. "Get in the car,
Elara!" he yelled, his voice urgent.
I didn't want to, but I moved towards the car.
Trusting him felt like jumping into the dark.
But I had nowhere else to go.
As I reached for the door, the third figure
came out of the trees. Finn. His eyes were still
empty, but he was smiling that scary, fake
smile. In his hand, he held a weapon like the
others.
"Elara," Finn said, his voice flat. "Come with
us. It's for the best."
Seeing Finn, my friend, standing
against me with a weapon, his mind gone,
was terrible.
Jax looked at Finn, his surprise turning into
fear. "That's… that's Finn. I've seen him
around."
"They've taken him," I whispered, feeling
hopeless. "They've taken all of them."
Finn raised his weapon, pointing it right at me.
The blue light at the end glowed.
Jax looked from Finn's weapon to
my scared face. He had to choose. His choice
could decide what happened to my people –
and maybe to him too. Would he finally
believe me, or would he not trust me until it
was it too late? Finn's weapon hummed louder,
and I knew my begging for help might not
work.