//------------------------------//
// Friend from the Ruins  
// Story: The Story of the Star 
// by MysticMelodie 
//------------------------------//

	Scarlet spun on her heels, sprinting down a side street, yanking her brother by his backpack. Mark stumbled a few steps, righting himself to sprint next to her.
“What are we going to do now?” His tone was panicked, his face showing that loud and clear.
“Run!” Scarlet held onto a look of determination. “We run until we lose it, or until we can run no more.”
“Are you crazy?!”
“Maybe.”
“Star, one of these days, you are going to get us killed!”
“Already in the process of doing that.” The two rounded a corner. After a few minutes, they slowed to a stop, the telltale sounds of rumbling missing.
“Did.. did it ever even give chase.
“I don’t know, Mark.” It took a few seconds, but they both let out a relieved breath that neither had known they had been holding. Mark looked at Scarlet who locked eyes with him. The moment their eyes met, they both burst out into joyous laughter. In silent agreement, they began to jog down the street that they were now on.
New York had once been a bustling place, never any empty street in the city, never quiet. Now all that remained was what had been left behind when it had been evacuated after a huge storm had hit the metropolis, burning up one end and crumpling the other. Even the famous Statue of Liberty had not survived, being washed out to sea.
The two siblings ran down one of the many streets, no idea of what street it may have been. The few signs that were still eligible had been tossed from their places and onto the streets.
After hours of running, Mark finally spoke up. “So, we going to stop and get some food?”
Scarlet laughed “Sure. Probably should find something canned.”
“Or Twinkies,” Mark smirked. “You know they never go bad”
Gagging, Scarlet continued down the street. “Come on, lets go find a grocery store in all this rubble.”
They didn’t get very much farther before a person stepped out of one of the alleyways. Unlike the man in black armor who had changed into a scaly beast, this was a person they both knew, one who they hadn't seen since leaving for their home town.
“Jenny?!” Both Mark and Scarlet starred as Jenny turned to them. With straight dark brown hair pulled back into a tight ponytail and emerald green eyes, she look as though she didn’t belong in the rundown ruins of the city.
“Mark? Scarlet? I thought-” she look at the two, realizing what had happened “Ah, ok, so no more visiting home, eh?”
Scarlet glared at Jenny, only then realizing how scuffed up and dirty she herself looked in her beat up jeans, blue jacket, and pale blue shirt. Not to mention her hair, was a mess. Even mark looked better than her at the moment, having found a fresh pair of pants in the shop they had looked through. Honestly, she didn't care for yoga pants very much and had chosen to skip out on them.
“Ya, it was definitely cut short. But hey, it’s good to see you safe, Sweetie.” Mark scooped Jenny up, kissing her. Setting her back down, He asks the question that was on both his, and his sisters minds. “So what are you doing here, oh fiancée of mine?”
Jenny shook her head. “Same thing as you, I’m afraid. Got run out of town by a giant beast of sorts.”
"Wait, how do you know about that thing?" Scarlet was frowning, her brow bunched up in thought. "Has it been attacking other towns as well?"
With a nod, Jenny turned to look at her fiance's sister. "It has been attacking small towns, completely wiping them out. The reports have all been the same  as to what it looks like, but no one has been able to predict it's movements as of yet"
"I guess that explains that," Marks expression matched that of his siblings. "But it doesn't explain why it is now in new york."
"Well, two Fishers and a Hunter should be able to figure that out." Jenny motions for the two to follow her. "Now come on, I know a safe place we can stay."
Scarlet turned to look behind her as she followed Jenny and her brother. As nice as it was that they had found Jenny and now knew she was safe, Scarlet couldn't help but feel as if it was all wrong. None of them should be there, in the ruins of a once bustling metropolis.