I didn't always used to be hunted.

I used to be the hunter.

I used to track them down. I used to be the one sitting high in the helicopter, holding the gun. Or I was the one on the ground, racing after the wanted.

But that had all changed. I was the one being hunted now.

And it wasn't my fault.

But the agents chasing me didn't care about that. They only knew I had broken the rules, and that I had to pay.

I stumbled across the tree root snaking out, and rolled, trying to keep my precious cargo safe.

She was the reason why I was in this mess. She was the reason I was risking my life.

She was the most important thing.

I looked down at the infant in my arms, her face screwed up in distress. But she didn't cry.

She looked up at me, distressed, but I ignored it.

Or at least, I tried to ignore it. The guilt pricking my side was proof that my efforts were in vain.

Voices cracked through the chattering bugs, and I stumbled back to my feet, taking off again.

This baby had to get there safely. She could change the world as we know it. But to do that, she had to be safe.

I had to get her there safely.

So I took off, weaving through trees, the crunch and rustle of pine needles trailing after me, and only heartbeats behind, were the agents.

I had to keep her safe.

But the world seemed against me as I ran, branches reaching for my already tattered clothes, roots raising themselves to ensnare my legs.

I just had to keep running.

If I could lose them in the deep woods, they would run out of signal.

Agents can only last so long without signal, without a satellite whispering commands to them.

A bitter voice reminded me that I would need a signal as well, but I tried to ignore that as well.

I had gotten very good at ignoring things recently.

Ignoring the rules, when I took the child.

Ignoring my draining energy as I ran.

Ignoring the screams of Askri when she was hungry.

Ignoring the little voices in my head.

I wasn't supposed to have voices in my head.

I guess I had ignored that fact as well.

A stone caught me in the ankle, and there was a dreadful ripping noise, making me flinch.

When I sat back up, Askri was wailing pitifully, and I was staring at my foot.

Which was five feet away.

Hideous wires stuck out of it, sparking and sizzling, smoke rising up from it.

A similar situation was currently happening at my ankle, which was still attached.

Ignoring the sharp smell of smoke, I got up again, hobbling now. I could only make it so far, before I got caught, or worse.

But I walked. Or stumbled. Whatever you would choose to call it.

I didn't care.

I just had to keep her safe.

////////////

I think the agents had lost signal.

That meant I had also lost signal.

That also meant I could no longer pull up an internal map.*

Askri let out a soft whimper, and I pulled the child closer. I traced my fingers down the wires curved along her neck.

They had been so cruel, to do it to a child.

To a baby.

But now, she was like me.

She was like everyone else.

She was Nonorganic.

I placed a soft kiss to her skin, and she sighed. If the only thing I had left in me was to keep her safe, I would do it.

I just had to make it to Canada.

Canada was the only safe haven left, other than Australia. The robots hadn't taken over either of their countries yet, so for now, they were safety.

America was the first one taken over. Why? Dr. Theodore Budy had a grudge against the world, I suppose. His virus had spread quickly, taking over all of the bots in the country.

That's when people started going missing.

I ticked Askri closer, thinking of my older brother, Honas. He was one of the first to be taken. He had been returned, two months later, but he looked so different. For starters, he now had a metal arm.

And a prosthetic eye.

At fifteen years old, Honas changed from my older brother, to the main character in my nightmares.

I was seven at the time.

The takeover spread quickly, more and more people being brought back, "enhanced", as the bots liked to call it.

I got taken in for enhancement at twelve years old.

And now I was here, running from the very people who had created me.

Tucking Askri close, I resolved myself to at least make sure she made it there.

There couldn't be proof that humans could be made Nonorganic just after birth.

If there was, then nothing would stop the bots from trying to make more.

The kids would never stand a chance at running for freedom.

////////////////

Time passed.

Forests stretched forever.

The days grew slowly colder.

I grew ever tired from the incessant running.

Akri became despondent.

I would have been, too.

But here it was. Canada. With it's arching grey steel walls, and above that, the invisible barrier.

I just had to convince them to let me in.

Please just let us in.

Sneaking up to the wall, I could see people now, patrolling the top of the wall. They weren supposed to be looking for runaways, so they could take them in.

In Canada, everyone was safe.

I stepped out of the trees, hesitating. If the agents caught me in the short stretch to the wall, what would happen to me then?

What would happen to Askri?

I had to run. It had to be worth the risk.

So I bolted.

Helicopter blades.

They must have been waiting for me. They must have known. They were just waiting until I was right within reach, and then they could attack.

I wasn't going to let them.

The wall grew closer, but so did the helicopter. Above, I could see the people waving their arms about, pulling their guns out to shoot.

They were going to help!

Twenty feet.

The crack of rifles made Askri cry out, and I tucked her closer.

Fifteen feet.

Part of the wall seemed to be turning transparent, before shifting into the muted yellow of the sky barriers.

Ten feet.

People were yelling at me, but others were coming from the helicopter, landing just behind me.

Five feet.

The barrier became clear, and I streaked inside, flinching at the piercing alarm that sounded off as soon as my foot hit the inside of the room.

I stumbled to a stop, dropping to my knees, and then to the floor, turning onto my back.

But on my back, I could see them glaring down at me, eyes scouring over my crude wooden foot, my metal arm, the steel glinted out from by my neck.

I could see one of them point his gun at me. No, the gun was pointed at Askri.

"No Nonorganics allowed."

Crack.

///////////////////

Yay another prompt done! This one was interesting...

I'll try and do the third prompt as soon as possible, and then we can move to part two of the writing challenge!

Can't wait to see what all of you do!

/// just over 1200 words, about 40 minutes ///