With eyes screwed shut and the palms of her hand pressed against either side of her cheeks, Emery conjured up an accurate map of the island in her head, highlighting routes that would prove useful to their objective. She needed to account for Aubrey's mom's conditions; there could be no harsh terrains, and elevation and obstructions should minimal. Due to their current dilemma, she also had to mark off ones that passed too closely to the town center and avoid any winding ones that would only slow them down. It took all of a second for her to pinpoint the perfect route—a mostly straightforward path that started across from Aubrey's house and cuts through the lake— but Aubrey had moved faster than her and he was already running home before she could tell him.

[b]"Hold up!"[/b] Emery broke into a sprint and beckoned for Isaac to follow them. As she ran, her steps were uneven and staggering, but the momentum kept her upright for the time being. She trailed after the blonde frenziedly, her mind a jumble of worries. What about the others who can't hide? What will the Crucible do to them? What if she, Isaac, and Aubrey get caught? There were so many things to consider, so many things that could go wrong. Somehow, part of her remained obstinately hopeful; after all, have you seen their mayor? Vladimir Maximus would never let anything happen to his people, and she believed there was hope so long as he and his Rift Hunters were standing. 

Emery arrived at Aubrey's house half a minute after he had. She waited for Isaac before she went inside, seeking solace in his presence. Isaac always seemed to know how to make things better; surely he can figure out how to help Aubrey out. [b]"How are we going to get Auntie Mel out?"[/b] she asked after she'd taken a moment to catch her breath. Her hands absently fiddled with her skirt, clenching and unclenching in order to calm herself. [b]"We need to take her to the alley past Nora's bar and go north from there. It's the safest way out of here."[/b]