The Marks

A/N- All belongs to Kelly Armstrong!

First Chapter!

FOUR MONTHS LATER!

Derek's POV

We returned to the broken down Bank but nothing was left we started the way they went we might go off track as well. I looked around at my siblings and the others before sighing,

"We'll find them it's only a few months later."

"Four." Tori muttered and I sighed, "how are we ever going to find them!" I sighed shrugging my shoulder I had no idea.

"Maybe we could follow a trail?" Simon offered I shook my head the trail was long gone by now and Chloe was too good to leave one unless. I turned and ran to the closest tree in the direction she took four side slashes like a bears claw marks were in the tree and I smiled,

"Genius!" I said starting straight from that tree it connected with another and the claw marks on this one were straight I looked left and started that way I passed ten trees to reach the next,

"Whoa!" Simon replied and I smiled,

"She left a trail."

"Maybe she knew you'd come for her." Tori offered and I shook my head,

"If you get lost of they had to split up they could loop back to the tree." I told them and Tori nodded,

"Or she thought you'd come back for her." I snorted rolling my eyes but I couldn't help but hope just a little what if she really did want me to come after her. The day got longer and longer as we followed the claw marks I knew we weren't close hell we weren't near close but it was enough for me this was closer then we were. Every step brought me closer to her and that's what kept me going,

"Derek can we rest?" I shook my head and continued no resting until we found her,

"Derek we won't find her in one day."

"We'll stop at the next campsite." I told them and Tori groaned,

"We already passed four which makes up four days ahead."

"Walk Tori." I replied and kept going an hour or so later we hit the next one and I could smell their lingering scents how was it possible they had four months to get away. We wandered the clearing and searched for any signs that they were near Simon waved us over and I studied the tree trunk at the very bottom it was carved ruins marked into the tree and Simon smiled,

"It's backwards." He whispered and I studied it, "T-O-D-A-Y." He spelled up the letters going up followed by a line for a space,

"Today Chloe was worse. We didn't even get three hours before the coughing started. I'm scared." Tori whispered,

"What if someone finds that?" Simon asked and I shrugged,

"They only know a name Simon it should be fine."

"Hey one over here too!" Liam yelled and we walked over looking at it,

"Night turns into days it's been three nights here and she can't move, can't eat or drink she'll die soon if she doesn't. We need it." I read and Liam shrugged,

"Weird maybe there's more." I nodded and walked to another tree,

"Derek this one is next it's got three slashes that one had one so maybe it's the note order," Tori said, "Day turns to night and day again three days have passed, she eats now and we keep her hydrated but it's hard without Chloe we just have a Rae to hunt and it's hard for her too. Water is far away to get and we've got Chloe bundled but we need to keep moving. We need that drug."

"What drug?"

"Doesn't say."

"Liz wrote these." Simon muttered running his fingers over the writing, "Another day gone. No word from the others Chloe's given up now said that maybe they hadn't the brains for the marks I just hope they get here. She's weaker now doesn't talk and Rae is getting a fever it might be up to me soon. She's addicted."

"So Chloe's sick from a drug?" Tori offered and I shrugged,

"It said she's addicted." Simon replied, "addicted to what?"

"The drug they keep mentioning they need it." I whispered, "but what kind of drug would you need."

"Who knows you have the next one?"

"Yeah." I replied, "we're packing up now heading out Chloe's worse probably won't get far but if we get far enough we can build a house or something to live in. I'm scared. Rae's better now but she's as scared as I am here fire isn't working and it scares her more then it should. Chloe raised the dead again last night but it was worse this time she couldn't tell them to stop and they hurt her bad before she released their souls. Were leaving soon and she's eating breakfast you can tell every swallow hurts but she sends up reassuring smiles that don't reassure us. Rae says that we just have to pray she'll be okay."

"Wow." Simon whispered, "we should keep going see if we can find them." I nodded starting to the right I found the last tree and bee-lined for the next,

"Do you think their close?" Tori asked,

"By the sound of it I'll say yes it didn't sound like Chloe was doing well." I sighed thinking about the feisty girl I'd met at the foster home months ago. Was she still alive. The question hummed in my brain as I walked I froze as someone screamed spinning around I noticed Simon was missing and there was a hole where he'd stood running to the edge we stared down 9-10 feet and he looked up,

"What the hell!" He screamed and I shrugged, "get me out!"

"Derek!" I looked up to see Tori hanging in a net squashed with her was Liam I started to them when the ground under me gave way and I found myself in a hole similar to Simon's,

"Sorry guys looks like were caught." I whispered. Was it the wrong idea to go looking for them?

A/N- Was it good?