Zelleager presents:
CROSS: BLOOD HORIZON
NEW YORK CITY – 9:30 PM
MANHATTAN
"LEO!!!" a boy shouted.
"LEON!" a girl yelled.
Slowly, Leo opened his eyes. He saw a man he recognized standing over him. Trying to sit up, he realized he was strapped down to a bed.
The room was icy cold, with about eight other kids also strapped to beds. A few dim lights flickered, but most of the room was dark. A couple of men in white coats moved quietly among them.
In front of him, a screen on the wall flickered with the words:
BLACKSPIRE
"Leo, are you alright?" asked another kid strapped to a bed. He had dark skin and dreadlocks, a mix of black and brown.
"Dez?" Leo whispered, recognizing him.
"RYAN, YOU ASSHOLE! DO YOU KNOW WHO MY FATHER IS?!" an Asian boy shouted, struggling against his straps.
"I'LL SUE ALL OF YOU PIECES OF SHIT!" he yelled, his voice echoing through the room.
At Ryan's nod, another man walked past Leo's bed toward the screaming kid. A loud metal clang rang out, followed by an eerie silence. Then a girl screamed. Soon, a whirring, engine-like sound filled the room, accompanied by heavy-duty fans.
Leo's heart raced. He struggled against his restraints, unable to see what was happening.
"You know what? Start the process," Ryan said impatiently.
The men in white coats moved efficiently toward the kids. Shouts of resistance were quickly cut off by metal clangs.
"RYAN, YOU MOTHERFU—" Dez's curse was abruptly silenced by the same metallic sound.
A white-coated figure approached Leo. Its face was hidden behind a white mask with black eye designs, the mouth bare and expressionless.
As the machine above him whirred, fans spinning, a strange image slowly crept into his mind… and then everything went white.
Leo gasped for air. He shot upright, panting, drenched in sweat.
Turning around, he saw Thomas, both hands ignited with flames, ready to strike, and Autumn, blade raised at Leo. Both froze for a moment—but recognizing him, they slowly lowered their guards.
"DUDE! WHAT THE FUCK?!" Thomas shouted.
Leo's mind reeled from the dream. He realized they were still in the forest, and daylight was breaking.
Roosters crowed, and birds chirped in the morning air.
Autumn stepped forward and placed a hand on his shoulder.
"Are you alright?" she asked, concern etched on her face.
"Autumn… does 'Cross' mean anything to you?" Leo asked.
After a long pause, she replied, "Now that you mention it, I remember seeing it somewhere…"
Leo frowned. "I'm starting to think we're here on purpose."
"Guys," Thomas interrupted, crouching near some bushes.
They followed his gaze and saw a village in the distance, its walls faint but clear.
"Good… now we can get the hell out of here," Leo muttered, leading the way.
By the time they reached it, the sun had fully risen, sparkling on dew-covered grass and trees.
"Halt! State your business in Harrow Ford!" shouted a guard atop the wooden walls.
The trio froze as two more guards emerged from the gate, weapons drawn.
"Business? We don't even know where the hell we are," Thomas said, looking at Leo for guidance.
"You don't know, but you came out of Grimveil Forest like a damn corpse," said a guard with a long scar over his eye.
"We don't mean any harm. We're just lost," Autumn added carefully.
"Well… continue being lost," the first guard snapped. "Waste of my time."
"WAIT!! THEY ARE JUST KIDS!" a woman shouted, clutching a basket as she ran toward the gate.
"How can you all be so cold?" the woman asked. "Look at them," she said.
The guards looked at the trio, some muttering remarks.
Mira took two quick steps forward and looked each of them in the face—Leo first, then Thomas, then Autumn. Leo's hands were still crusted with darkened blood;
Autumn's jaw trembled; Thomas smelled of smoke and rain.
"They look like my boy did the day he didn't come home," she said. For the first time in the crowd, a hush fell. "You think I don't know what fear looks like? I buried one son to a thing like that. I won't turn away more children because the world's cruel."
The captain (a broader man with a trimmed beard) stepped down from the palisade. "Mira, you can't just—"
"I'm not asking," she cut in. "I'm telling. Let them in. I'll take them to my house. I'll feed them, I'll put them to work—you can chain them to my hearth if you like, but they don't sleep outside on my watch."
A mumble ran through the guards. The captain looked at the three, then at Mira. He rubbed his jaw, then back at the crowd.
"All right," he said slowly and uncomfortably. "One house. One guard posted. If anything happens—if they bring danger to Harrow Ford—your neck, Mira."
Her reply was a single nod.
They were shepherded through the gate with two wary guards at their sides. Children in alleyways peeked out, and an old woman crossed herself. Mira's home smelled of broth and old wood. When she set down plates before Leo, Thomas, and Autumn, her hands shook only a little.
"You'll not leave until the council decides," the guard reminded them.
Mira met Leo's eyes. "You're safe here for now. But don't do anything stupid. Promise me."
Leo, still staring like a boy who'd smelled his own blood too many times, swallowed and nodded.
She wrapped a faded shawl around him as if she could stitch him back together with thread and soup. Outside, the wooden gate closed with a solid, suspicious thump; inside, the small fire burned steady and human.
"You all look so dirty," she said.
With that, she led them to her "bathroom." There was a large basin in there, and on the wall was a polished silver plate which acted as her mirror.
She then got a pail to fetch water from a nearby stream.
After that, she laid down one of her dresses for Mira and some clothes from her son for the two boys.
They all showered one after the other, and now it was Leo's turn.
When he got in the basin, he poured water on himself and watched as the dirt fell off, coloring the settling water.
He washed his hair, which had a lot of dirt and a few bugs.
After stepping out of the basin completely dry, he couldn't help but notice his reflection in the polished silver plate.
It seemed his dirty skin earlier hadn't highlighted how much of a clown Leo looked like.
His hair was almost shoulder-length and very messy.
His face had a few stubborn strands of hair under his chin, and a few over his mouth.
He ran his hands over his face, half amused, half annoyed.
Soon he tried on the clothes he got from Mira.
He had on a simple tunic, slightly loose, a belt at the waist to hold small things, and simple wool trousers.
He walked out of the washing area to the kitchen.
When he rounded the corner, he saw Thomas and Mira eating some warm porridge.
Thomas, busy eating the porridge, looked at Leo for a split second. Then he had to look again and started laughing. Even Autumn laughed a bit.
Leo took a seat in front of the third porridge bowl and dug in instantly.
"Where's Mira?" Leo asked.
"She went out to collect corn," Thomas replied.
Leo nodded before continuing to eat and drink.
After a while, they heard the front door open.
"Mom, I'm home," a boy about their age called out as he stepped into the house. He had short, bright orange hair and dark eyes.
He walked around the house for a bit.
"MOM!?" he shouted, reaching the kitchen area, now face-to-face with the trio.
A tense silence followed as everyone reacted in shock.
"Uh, hey?" Autumn said awkwardly.
The boy pulled a knife from his pouch belt and aimed it at them.
"WHO THE HELL ARE YOU!!" he shouted.
"Who the hell are you?" Thomas redirected.
"WHAT? THIS IS MY HOUSE!!" the boy shouted again.
Autumn slowly stood up, hands raised so he could see.
"Hey, we don't mean any harm. Um, Mira—you know Mira, right?"
"That's my mom," the boy said.
"We are in a tough spot, so she offered to take care of us," Autumn added reassuringly.
"What?" the boy asked, confused.
"I thought she said her son was dead?"
Thomas asked.
Suddenly, Autumn stabbed her elbow into Thomas's side—he winced.
The boy slowly lowered his blade.
"He is… my brother is dead," he said, looking down for a few seconds before looking up again.
"Sounds like my mom…" he muttered, putting the knife back in his pouch.
"Sorry about my behavior earlier," he said, scratching the back of his head.
"I'm Frederic."
"Autumn," she said with a warm smile.
"I'm Thomas," he said, giving a reassuring grin.
"Leo," he said, and everyone's gaze fell on him.
After that, everyone sat about the place, awaiting Mira.
Later in the evening, Mira arrived with corn and started making dinner. She explained to the group that the council would arrive in two days to decide if they would stay or get the help they needed.
They then had dinner: boiled corn, loaves of bread, and fish. The air was filled with a sweet smell, and everyone gathered around the table.
After that, they went to bed. The boys slept in Frederic's room, and Autumn stayed in Mira's room.
Frederic got some spare mats and gave them to the trio.
Leo dropped his near a corner, Thomas was in another corner closer to Frederic's bed.
"So… what's your story?" Frederic asked, sitting up.
"You wouldn't believe a thing I say," Leo said, looking up at the ceiling.
"Try me. I've seen some things too," Frederic said.
Just then, a faint glow could be seen under Frederic's shirt.
"What's that?" Thomas asked, sitting up.
"Oh, this?" Frederic took off a small necklace from around his neck. It had a stone with a small rune carved on it.
"Found this yesterday in the fields… looks valuable, so I'm gonna sell it," he said, playing with it.
"It's never glowed before, though," he added.
Thomas peered at it with keen interest. Suddenly, Frederic put it back around his neck.
"If this goes missing tomorrow, I'm coming for your head," he said.
Thomas lay back down. "I have no use for such things."
Silence filled the room as everyone drifted off to sleep. The only thing visible was the bright moon shining beneath the curtains… and the necklace glowing brighter.
It was early in the morning when a loud scream echoed from nearby houses.
Startled, Thomas jumped up along with the boys.
"What the hell was that?" Leo asked, flipping off his mat, heart pounding.
A few more shouts could be heard from the village as screams grew louder and more frequent.
The boys went to the living room and saw Mira and Autumn, alarmed and frightened.
"Mom, what's happening?" Frederic asked.
Before she could answer, a loud bang rattled the door.
"Mira!?" someone shouted.
Mira opened the door, and they saw a man holding a pitchfork.
"It's the Wilsons—come quickly!" he said abruptly before running off.
Mira ran out of the house, leaving her slippers behind, following the man.
The End