The Forsaken

moving.”
    We slowly shoulder our packs and continue the journey.
    I try not to think about Liam as we hike. I know I’ll crumple in a heap at the side of the trail if I let my emotions overwhelm me. I compartmentalize my feelings, packing them away in the back of my mind until I can deal with them later. It’s a skill I learned after my parents got taken. A skill that all orphans must learn.
    I just focus on the gray zone. Getting past the mysterious barrier—if we even can—will only mark the beginning of my real journey. Inside the gray zone, I plan to seek any trace of my parents. I’ll leave the safety of the group if I have to. I’m glad I didn’t tell Gadya my secret; it’s best that no one knows my real motives. That way I won’t endanger anyone except myself.
    I feel a droplet on my forehead, and then another. Soon it’s raining lightly. I just keep hiking, and so do my companions.
    “There it is!” Sinxen finally yells as the trees start to thin. “The barrier!” He rushes forward.
    We follow him, stepping out of the trees into a clearing.
    “Crap,” Rika mutters despondently. Some of the hunters, including Markus, curse and throw down their packs.
    I don’t blame them. Before us looms the surreal, impenetrable barrier to the gray zone. I’m surprised by how massive it is—about sixty feet high, and at least several feet thick. It’s nearly translucent, and slightly pearly, like an oil slick. To me it looks like solidified water standing upright to form a huge monolithic wall. I’ve never seen anything like it before.
    Veidman strides right up to the barrier. I watch as he reaches out a hand and presses it against the surface. The rain makes the barrier easier to see, spattering off its edges, defining its shape.
    “You sure it’s safe to touch?” Sinxen calls out, sounding worried.
    “Why don’t you go find out for yourself?” Gadya snaps.
    I’m still watching Veidman. His hand remains on the barrier, fingers splayed. He’s pushing inward, gouging at the material.
    Rika and I slowly walk closer. She squints at it through the rain. “It looks kind of like jelly or something.”
    She’s right. Like quasi-transparent jelly.
    I’m almost there now. My feet make sloshing sounds with every step, because the rain has already filled my boots with water. I’ve taken my jacket out and put it on. I’m miserable, exhausted, and in mourning for Liam.
    I glance over at Veidman, who’s ten feet to my left. Gadya walks over to the other side of him with Markus and the remaining hunters.
    I watch Veidman’s hand slowly sink into the barrier. It doesn’t seem to be causing him any pain, but it looks like it’s taking a lot of strength. He’s leaning against the surface, using the force of his body to ram his hand inside.
    “It’s warm!” Rika exclaims. She’s placed her palm on it too. “I thought it’d be cold.”
    I reach out and graze it with my fingertips. It’s the temperature of freshly baked bread. Oddly pliable and organic.
    I push against it, and the material pushes back. It’s spongy, gelatinous. I realize it’s going to be hard to fight our way through this, but I suppose that’s why it’s an effective barrier. I rake it with my chipped fingernails, but I barely make any impact. Each indentation I create just gets filled back in by the strange substance.
    I look at Veidman. His fingers have formed a fist, and he’s got his hand most of the way inside now. “Ouch,” he suddenly mutters through clenched teeth. “Too much pressure.” He starts sliding his hand back out, but he’s stuck, as though the barrier is made of vertical quicksand. “Someone help me.”
    Sinxen and another hunter rush over and help him pull his arm out. The whole thing happens incredibly slowly, and everyone pauses to watch. Eventually, Veidman reclaims his hand. It’s bone white, all the blood having been forced out of it.
    “My fingers are numb,” he says, swinging his arm back and forth to get the circulation to return. We’re all looking at him for guidance, but none is forthcoming.
    “Move aside!” I suddenly hear Gadya yell. I look back over at her. She has walked off a little bit and is standing twenty paces behind us in the tree line. She raises her bow and arrow, about to fire at the barrier.
    Veidman holds up a hand. “Gadya, stop! We don’t know what we’re dealing with yet.”
    Although Veidman is clearly the leader, and I’ve never seen anyone disobey him,