Trouble is like the light of the land as it always seems to find me. Even as I run and cower, it creeps around the nearest corner to paralyze me in its grip. In the Scalded, trouble knows no bounds and is forever on the prowl.

Much like the hunters.

The half dozen angry men fueled by fear go forth and terminate anything that threatens their status quo. Last week, the creatures of the night were also on the prowl and dwindled the hunters down from eight to two.

Standing behind the thick tree that has become twisted and distorted along with the rest of the vegetation within the scalded radius, its abundant needle-like leaves puffed in a delicate rotund of separate patches, concealing me in its rich shadow.

My thin frame, dark complexion, and big, kinky hair mimicked a forest tree. I lengthened my spine, aiming to stand as tall and still as them, allowing a faint waft of ricocheted breath to blow the isolated smooth strands of hair at the nape of my neck.

Footsteps approached and I held my breath when flashlight beams swept past me. Although the darkness hid the hunter's weapons and firearms, memory allowed me to see them vividly as they carried them in their palms, ready to shoot or strike.

The closer they moved, the longer I held my breath. Closer still, so close the smell of rancid liquor permeated off of them and threatened to catch in my throat whenever I inhaled. My eyes closed as the light swept over me from right to left. My heart thumped violently at the thought of being caught in their sights like trouble.

I opened my eyes only to lock them on the set of eyes belonging to one of the men. Fair skin, thick facial hair, and a dark cap. His eyes widened in shock. Fear stunned me in place.

Out of my periphery, a misshaped dark form snatched my attention from a distance and the hunter snapped his gaze to the figure. The crackling of freshly broken branches startled the hunters, stopping them in their tracks.

"Is that one of 'em?" One of the men raised his firearm in the direction of the noise.

The stink of scorched sugar singed my nostrils and the awareness that I was too late sunk in. I lowered my lids just as the nearby man's scream ascended through and above the forest trees along with his body that accompanied it.

The other hunters retreated the way they came, clamoring and shouting as they scurried like nocturnal insects caught in a spontaneous ray of light.

The sweet yet offensive odor grew stronger, and the sound of raking gravel grew louder and closer, only to pass me and retreat after the men. The tearing of thick, luscious roots as the massive claws pulled them from the soil and snapped them in half resonated through the night.

Still, as the men called out in fear, pleading for their lives, I refused to bear witness. I refused to see a repeat of the carnage that had been burned into my memory since day one.

The poor doctors, nurses, patients ... people.

The bubbling inky goo that almost instantly turned meat and bone into ooze—that caused grown men to cry out for their mama's, that forced the whites of their eyes to show even in the blackest of nights. No, I squeezed my eyes shut, remained motionless and waited for what seemed like forever until the agonizing screams and the putrid smell dissipated.

I used to believe they were hallucinations and that they couldn't harm anyone, but ever since witnessing their destruction with my very own eyes, the creatures become more real than reality itself.

With the thought in my mind, I stepped from behind the tree, allowing my eyes to adjust to the moonlit surroundings. Moving farther from the edge and into the center of the scorched radius was my objective. I would take the familiar route between the twisted band of trees to get there.

As I took my first step, a large blade swiped the trunk of the tree next to me spilling its pitch-black sap. I gasped at the gleaming metal, turning my gaze to meet the hunter it belonged to.

He whistled loud enough to startle me and my unprepared eardrums. "I've got one of them over here!" he called to the remaining crew. The anger in his eyes was apparent, prompting me to run. Through the dense trunks of the inky forest and its copious vine-like growths. It branches beat my body as I hurried through, heart racing, breathes panting, feet battering the root-covered ground.

The booted footsteps matched mine as they approached from behind. I made a sharp right turn only to face the tall dark figure impending ahead, the sound of huge heavy claws scraping the gravel as they uprooted the vine-like growths stopped me in my tracks.

I closed my eyes, hoping and wishing to survive the encounter as the figure scraped passed. Only the intense smell of rotten candy and the gurgling sounds of viscous liquid offended my senses. In no time the hunter's screams pierced the night, only fading as the searing liquid consumed him.

Without looking back, I moved along the transformed forest to return to my destination, home. The old, dilapidated hospital at the center of the scalded and overgrown radius.

I rushed into the double doors, latching the sturdy wooden plank between the door handles. I continued to run past the reception area and toward the hall with the familiar room, losing my footing and falling on my chest long before getting there.

Without hesitation, I hugged my legs to my chest held tight. Eyes closed, I envisioned an old, boxy television set, like the ancient ones in the recreation center in the west wing. I imagined nothing but pixilated snow on the screen and the white noise it emanated.

My breathing grew steady and my heart rate slowed. Eventually there was nothing but me and my television screen, surrounded by utter darkness that seemed to be a blessing than a curse. I slowly opened my eyes to the same darkness, but the welcoming kind. The kind that threatened to soothe me to sleep.

Knoques was the only place that felt safe for me after the event. The only place I knew. Ironically, everything beyond the scalded radius although normal was now foreign and unsafe.

The sign that announced Knoques Institution had been covered in an inky growth much like the building itself and everything else abandoned to the Scalded. The closer to ground zero I was the denser and more fibrous the mysterious vegetation grew.

However, like a good piece of asparagus, the delicate and consumable parts were furthest from the root, and in this case further from the center of the radius. And the consumable plants thrive with copious nutrients during the moonlit nights, which influenced my regular trips to the edge of the radius where the occasional scientific researcher or inquisitive adventurer lurked, curious enough to come near the quarantined site but smart enough not to step foot beyond the barrier of the metamorphosed forest.

Just the thought of the vegetation caused my mouth to water, but I refused to put myself in danger to scratch that itch.

The silence in the room was interrupted by the crunching of glass in the distance. I turned my head to see a figure climb through the window at the far of end of the room. The moonlight bounced from the stark white hair and the thin body as they slipped in through the broken and undressed window to the old, shattered glass beneath.

"Get out," I demanded. "Don't come any closer or you'll regret it." My voice cracked but I stood and maintained my strength, certain that I had a chance in case they tried anything nefarious.

"It's alright." The person sat near the glass and rested their back against the wall, not bothered by the dull shards. Their hair was short except for a part on the side that covered one eye. "Just in need of shelter. Alright?"

"Alright?" I huffed, lowering my voice to a threatening growl. "Didn't I tell you earlier to leave me be? Did you follow me?"

"The crazies are out there. I just need a place to hide until they're gone. Alright?" Their voice was an odd mix of high-pitched but husky, as if they were attempting to alter it and make it deeper.

I nodded. "Stay there. Ok? No, funny business."

"No funny business," they agreed, nearly out of breath.

We stared at each other through the silence and darkness. I sensed their fear and made damn sure to discipline mine.

~~~

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