Slowly the sky in the East flushed and brightened, and purple clouds skimmed the horizon as the crimson sun began to ascend the sky. A sharp, icy wind began to blow from the north, stirring the trees and swirling the smoke and cinders from the dormant fire onto Neo, who was laying outstretched by the campfire, hair ruffled and mouth open.

Neo gasped in his sleep, and immediately began to sit up and cough, screwing up his eyes to block out the smoke. Once he had pushed himself away from the fire and rubbed the ash from his eyes, he looked at the circle of sleepers around the fire and saw that Trista was gone, as was Nick.

The chilly wind waved the tree boughs and he shivered, pushed himself up and walked a bit into the surrounding woods, the brisk chill of the morning clearing his thoughts, and began calling Trista softly and searching the surrounding area for the white dress that she had worn to the ill-fated wedding, which now seemed a distant, painful memory.

His thoughts were suddenly drawn to Lee, Christie, Jasmine, and the others who had been at the doomed wedding. His stomach twisted and a hard lump rose in his throat as the torturous possibilities of what could be happening to them flickered across his vision.

When they had been invited to the wedding, shouldn't he have been more cautious from the beginning? Hadn't the former hybrids even been told to avoid gathering together because of possible conspiracies against them? Shouldn't he have stepped out against the agents of his enemy instead of cowering under a bench while his friends and yet more innocent children been taken to God knows where? In fact, shouldn't he have tried to stop his father from the beginning instead of following him, and even helping him, like a blind fool?

Until now, it had been a while since he had thought hard about his father, who, now that he had escaped, could very well be violating and mutilating his friends at this very moment, while he wandered about in this godforsaken forest.

Neo ran his hand through his dark, disheveled hair and swallowed hard. He knew now that he could not go another month, maybe not even another week without facing him anymore. A day he had thought would never come.

After the Facility, painful memories had always haunted him. They froze him in terror whenever he saw an animal trapped in a cage or when he seemed to glimpse a pair of slanted eyes in a crowd that he could never really find again.

He had hidden his fear and horrific memories from his young, intelligent daughter and sometimes, when the pain was too much, couldn't even bring himself to confide in Laura.

Sometimes, in the years following Mr. Black's imprisonment, he had tried to make himself believe that his father didn't exist anymore, that he was forever free of him, that he was now beyond his father's clinging grasp, like so many lawyers, counselors, and friends had assured him.

But, as much as Neo wanted it; he always knew it wasn't true.

Even if Neo hid himself in the deepest, remote forest he could find, he knew that his father's eye would never leave him. Neo knew his father too well to delude himself into believing that he would give up his dark, well-conceived plans and, above all, his hatred for Neo and Laura and what they had done to him. He shuddered to think what he would do if he discovered that Trista existed, born with powers, no less.

Neo shook his head, clearing it. He had been following a trampled path for some time and had seen nothing. Neo tried to temper the oncoming panic he felt by the thought that she might have gone to take a walk or get more firewood. But why was Nick missing as well? He walked faster.

As he walked, he saw some grass and undergrowth that had been broken and some branches that had been pushed aside, and followed them. The orange-brown carpet of leaves crackled softly under his feet as he looked over his shoulder and could just make out their campsite. When he looked forward again, he glimpsed a flash of white through the dark, stolid trees, and ran for it.

"Trista?" He called, pushing past the trees until he found her, lying in a pale, crumpled heap on the ground.

Neo knelt beside Trista and lifted her into a sitting position, leaning her against a large tree, fearfully watching for her breathing and rubbing her palm between his hands.

Trista stirred and groaned as if waking up from sleep. "What hurts, Trista?" Neo held her face and brushed away some debris that had stuck to her cheek, and she flinched back from his touch, grimacing.

"What . . . what happened?" Her eyes fluttered open, and she gasped. "Nick! He left and - He said that - Dad." Her eyes were wide open now, and filled with urgency. She gripped her father's arm.

"Dad, listen to me. You have to go. Don't worry about me. Nick left and - He was on the phone with someone who knew about us. He told them where we were going and that my ankle was sprained. I tried to follow him. But . . . The weird thing is -"

"Trista, can you walk?" Neo said, his face grim.

She stood up shakily and found if she favored her left leg, which still ached from the sprain, she could hobble along. "Yes, I think so, but-"

Neo pointed the way to the dying campfire.

"Trista, camp is right there. Can you see the embers? Go and wake your mother, and tell her to wait there for me. I'll be back as soon as I can, after I find that," He set his jaw and shook his head bitterly. "Traitor. I can't believe I trusted him." His eyes darkened with anger and something else Trista couldn't place.

Trista ran her hands through her hair and tried to think straight. Her father had taken on a distant and stormy look, and he was searching the ground around him, as if he had lost something.

Then she remembered.

"But, Dad, I saw that Nick headed West, and he told the people on the phone that we were going -"

Neo walked away from her and gestured to a small trail through the undergrowth. "Did he go this way?"

Trista nodded. "I tried to follow him, but . . . I guess I passed out." Trista glanced towards the rising sun. "Dad, he told them we were going West, and then walked that way, but we've only been going East. Do you think . . ."

Trista looked back. Her father was gone.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Hi, guys! I hope you liked this chapter, and I pray that you can find some peace and rest during these hard times. Also, if you ever need to talk, my PMs are open.
Love you guys!

_pure_imagination_