Dystopia NoNanWriMo

CHAPTER 8 - AMY (Only part of it)

The impending doom of a wave causing her eyes to grow as wide as saucers. She grabbed my arm and began to swim towards the shore with me in tow, but it was too late. The wave was pulling our bodies back into its wake. Too strong for our struggling attempts to make it to shore.

I could hear my father screaming out our names and trying to run into the water to reach us, but it was too late. We were too far out to be reached in time. The board was wrenched from my grasp as the wave hit. The strength of the wave breaking me from my mother’s depserate grasp. Sweeping me forward as she propelled in the other direction. That is when the world went black. My mind slipping away silently as I was unable to cry out for the help I desperately needed.

I woke up in a white room. The sound of machines beeping and a slight pain in my head. I turned my head slightly. Wincing at the movement. My father was asleep in a chair nearby. His face far from peaceful. It was contorted as if in pain like something was replaying in his head. Something bad.

“Daddy?” I asked weakly.

His eyes shot open immediately. His body tensing as he saw me lying there. Eyes blinking in the bright light and staring back at him.

“Amy. You’re awake. I was getting worried.” He said carefully as he stood up and walked up to my bed. His hand gently touching my forehead affectionately.

“Where’s mama?” I asked.

He tensed at my question. I was confused. Why was my mom not in the room? Was she okay or was she in the hospital somewhere?

“Your mother is, well, she didn’t make it. The wave that hit you two propelled you towards the shore and your mother out to sea. She couldn’t handle the impact, and we found her later that day. Her funeral was yesterday.” He finally said.

I sat there in silence. Not comprehending at all what he had just said. My mind blanking out as I slipped back into unconsciousness. I could hear my father screaming out my name as the world faded back to black.

“Amy! Amy! Come on, please wake up!” A voice that was not my father’s said.

That is when my eyes opened and met Sam’s concerned expression. He had his hands on my arms as if he had been shaking me to try to get me awake. I watched as he let out a sigh of relief.

“What happened? Is something wrong?” I croaked out. My throat dry and my voice rough from sleep.

“You wouldn’t wake up. I’ve been trying for at least a half hour now. The Government officials are nearby scouting the woods, and I was going to move you to a less open area in case they tried to search here.” Sam explained.

I nodded. Knowing that is was best for me to be moved, but I also knew that the moving would be hard. Harder than I was expecting. The pain was beginning to come back, and I knew it would only worsen with movement.

Sam stood. I could tell by the way he looked that he did not want to move me as much as I did not want to move from the couch, but of course we had to be safe. Being safe is always better than being sorry.

“Ready?” Sam asked me.

I nodded as he stooped down to wrap my arm around his shoulders. Then I stood on my good leg. Sam held me firmly as I cried out in pain as I attempted to put weight on my injured leg. I buried my face in his shoulder for a moment as the pain subsided.

“It’s okay. Just breathe.” Sam whispered into my ear as I finally lifted my head. The pain was still there. A constant throb and reminder of what had happened, but it was bearable. Even more bearable than the sharp stabbing pain I had felt only moments ago.

“I’m ready. Let’s get this over with.” I mumbled to Sam.

Sam supported most of my weight as we hopped across the room and into an old bedroom at the end of the hallway. The windows had been boarded up. Courtesy of an abadoned house, but the room had always felt off. Maybe it was the broken boarded up windows letting in a cold chill, or maybe it was something else altogether, but I did not like the feeling. Dread began to pool into me and I tensed.

Sam stopped after I stopped abruptly. Concern filling his face.

“Are you okay? Is something wrong?” He asked.

“I-I’m fine. Really. Something just felt off about this room, but it’s probably just my inagination.” I brushed off. I did not want to worry him even more than he already was.

Sam did not look convinced at my answer, but he did not push. I was glad about that. I do not know what I would have said. So many things were running through my mind at the moment that I do not think I could even form a coherent thought Sam would be satisfied with.

Sam helped me to the edge of an old bed. It creaked beneath me as I collapsed onto it. Sam holding onto my arm until he was sure I was not about to sink to the ground lifeless and unable to get back up.

“As much as I don’t want to leave you because I need to check on your leg, but I need to make sure the Government officials are far enough away that we’re safe for now.” He said as his eyes lingered on my injured leg.

“I’ll be fine for a few minutes. Go ahead and check.” I responded. I knew it was the only way he would leave me.

He nodded and walked out of the room. He lingered at the door for a moment. His concerned eyes meeting mine before he resigned and walked out. Shutting the door behind him and leaving me in darkness.

I could not even hear the rest of the world around me. It was as if I was alone to replay everything. That memory. The memory of the last day I saw my mom. That day that I had found out was the lowest point. At least until I had to say goodbye to my father the year before when I escaped the Government.

It felt like hours that I had waited in the room when I am sure it was only a few minutes. Sam eventually came back in. He looked tired. I wanted to ask why, but he did not act like he wanted to talk about what he had seen or whatever had happened while he had been away.

“I’m going to look at your leg. The dressing needs to be changed anyway.” Sam said as he sat on the ground in front of where my legs were dangling off the bed.

I nodded and shifted to a better position. Bracing myself for the pain that I knew would come. I knew this had to be done, but that did not make the pain of changing the dressing any easier to deal with.

I watched as Sam gently unwrapped the bandaging. It was a reusable ace wrap, so he neatly wrapped it together to use later. Then came the hardest part. Undressing the gauze and medical tape covering the wound. This is where it was going to hurt.

“I’m so sorry. This is really going to hurt.”

That was the only thing I heard him say because that was when the pain hit me like a tidal wave. Enveloping me in a field of red as I sat there trying my hardest not to cry out in pain or even pass out from it. Though crying out was more important. If the Govermnet was nearby, I could not give away our location. I had to be strong. I had to hold on to that ounce of hope that maybe we would outsmart the Government and do what they tried their hardest to avoid. And that was to survive.

Eventually the pain subsided as Sam helped me lean against the pillows in the bed. He dropped some pills into my mouth and held up a bottle of water for me to drink. I swallowed the pills and drank a little water gratefully. The coolness of the water soothing my parched mouth.

“Hey. Are you okay? You nearly passed out on me there.” He asked as he brushed a strand of hair out of my face.

I nodded. Words not coming to me. Not yet at least.

“Good. I’ll let you rest for now, but I’ll come back to check on you in a couple hours.” He said as he squeezed my hand before walking away and shutting the door again.

Sleep came easily. My body was exhausted from the pain, so I fell easily into a deep sleep. For now, at least.

Word Count: 1522

CHAPTER 9 - SAM

I knew it was going to be bad. I should have seen it coming a long time ago, but I was too naive. Too hopeful that everything would be okay. That was rarely ever the case in this world, and I knew it. I knew that I should have done more, and now I am probably too late. I thought I could do something for once, and? Guess what? It failed miserably. Worse than I could have ever imagined.

I should have known when Haylee came through that door with Amy slung around her arm that there was no stopping the infection from spreading. We were in an old house with no antiseptic in sight and no way to sterilize tools without the risk of smoke from a fire. The Govermnet was too close for comfort leaving us nothing to work with besides what we already have.

The minute I unwrapped the bandages and saw the pain that filled Amy's face I knew something had gone horribly wrong. Of course when I looked down I saw it. The wound was red and angry around the edges. Blood still flowing, but less than when I had first bandaged it. A sure sign that infection was blooming and if we did not find antibiotics fast? Well, she could die. Especially out here with no hospital within a hundred miles or more that would accept a bunch of teens running away from the control of the Government. No. We would just have to manage without or find a way to get the antibiotics Amy desperately needed.

I sat down on the couch and stared at the wall. Tempted to throw something to get my anger out, but I did not want to worry anyone. I had to deal with this myself. It was my fault that Amy could be dying as I sat on the couch feeling sorry for myself that I am not as good as I thought I was at dealing with medical issues.

I threw myself against the back of the couch. Slapping my hands over my face and groaning. Why did life have to be so hard? Why did everything have to go wrong when things were just getting better? I think it hurt more that I was helpless at the moment compared to not knowing what else there was to do.

That is when my impulse kicked in and I stood up. Running across the room and slamming the front door as I ran out.

I do not know what I was thinking as I ran into the woods that were only a short distance away. The Government had slipped my mind in my frantic attempt to get away from the world. Maybe I should just turn myself in now. Maybe that would be the best thing for everyone if I was gone. I was a burden now. A probable murderer as I could not save Amy. What had I done? I should have just turned myself in in the first place. Maybe then none of the bad things that had happened so far would have happened.

Was this what it was like to hit your breaking point? If it was not, I did not want to know what hitting the breaking point felt like. This was torture. Like a knife stabbing over and over agian as I tried to hold myself together.

I was supposed to be the calm one. The unbreakable one that held the group together and kept us from breaking off. We were better together, as we had said the year before, but now that seemed irrelevant. We had undergone so much since then that that promise was starting to fade. Starting to become something that could not be kept.

I slammed my fist into a tree. The pain bringing me back into reality as I breathed heavily from the rush of adrenaline I had experienced. I sat my head against the tree. My face dripping with sweat and my hair a mop in my eyes. I needed a hair cut. Badly. It had grown long in the past year, but that was the least of my problems. A haircut was simple. A reminder of my past life. Though right now was far from my past life. I was broken. Bruised. My fist bleeding slightly from the impact of the tree and the bark biting into my skin.

Memories played in my head. My mother’s face as I left her. Amy’s pain. Haylee’s haunted expression as she relived whatever she had witnessed before Amy and I had found her. Even Mike’s worry as he waited for the girls to get home. All of it hit hard. Harder than I had ever expected or felt before. What was happening to me?

That is when my legs gave out beneath me and I withered to the ground. Leaning against the tree in order to hold myself up. Sobs wracking my body. I had never actually cried like this before. Not even when I had said goodbye to my mother for probably the last time. She could be dead now and the last words I said to her were “I love you”. Three words I would probably never get to tell her again as she was probably dead by now. Dead because she had not turned in her son to the Government and given him the chance to live.

I sobbed because this was it. This was the point where I broke. I had lost everything that was part of my old life and my new life? Well, that was all coming to pieces as well. The world was falling all around me as I stood there unable to do a thing to stop it. I sank lower and lower into the ground. Even the tree now unable to hold me straight. My body slumped forward. Unable to hold itself as I ate dirt. Not a pleasant way to go down, but it is what it is. The tears finally stopped falling once my head hit the ground. It was as if all the tears had been dried up with the impact.

I sighed a broken sigh. The air escaping my lungs in a staggered gasp-like manner. I had nothing left in me. No fight, no will to survive, nothing. Was this how Haylee had felt when Mike, Amy, and I had met her. Was she shattered into so many different pieces that it was impossible to put her back together? Was that what I was becoming? Or had I already become shattered like glass? Broken into a million pieces and unable to be pieced back together? I sure hoped not. That would mean that there was no hope left for me. Not even an ounce.

That is when I heard it. The crunch of leaves beaneath heavy treaded boots. I scrambled to my feet. My senses now on high alert. Grief forgotten at the sound of danger. Whoever was in the woods was dangerous. I recognized that heavy tread. The Government. The Government was nearby. I had to get inside, but I could not. I was afraid that running for the house would cause enough commotion to blow our cover. Something none of us were ready for. Especially Amy. There was no way we could move her fast enough to get both her and ourselves away from the Government. I had to be careful. Otherwise we would all be in more danger than we already were at the moment.

I had to get out of the open. I was too close to the house. With my instinct finally kicked into overdrive, I ran for a cluster of bushes nearby and threw myself into them. Luckily they were not thorny. That would make explaining what happened hard to do as I could not and would not tell anyone about my breakdown. I had to keep myself looking like I was in high spirits just so all hope would not be lost for good.

I got lucky. The Government officials walked close to where I had been only moments before. Though they were deep in their conversation, they would have surely seen me. It was too open on an area to not. I listened intently to their conversation. Hoping that I could at least pick up a little valuable information. Though, any information was valuable lately. It had been a long time since the four of us had seen other people, so we were very outdated as far as information.

“What do you mean? We’ve checked this woods countless times. Surely we would’ve found someone by now.” One of the officials said. He sounded bored. Like he was tired of whatever he was doing.

“I know, but you know what the boss said. We can’t stop until we at least find something. There’s got to be kids in here. It’s too secluded. A perfect place to hide. Now finding them is the hard part. I saw a house a short distance back. Looked abadoned. Maybe we should check it out tomorrow.” The other official responded.

I froze in my place. The old house. As in the house we were taking refuge in. Why? Why did this have to happen now? We had been able to stay away from the Government for awhile, and now this? Somehow we have to get everything and go before daybreak. With the light fading fast, there was no way this was manageable. How were we going to pull this off with Amy injured and far from fit to travel?

The moment they were too far away to hear me, I ran for the house. I had to warn the others. We had to get up and get moving and fast. With the sun beginning to set, there would be little time between now and daybreak to leave. Plus we had to find somewhere else to stay. That was another major problem. It had taken ages for us to find this house in the first place. How long would it take us to find another temporary residence. I hoped soon. Amy would not survive a long and hard walk.

I burst through the door without a care in the world if the Government officials heard me. I was frantic and not thinking. Not caring whether or not the whole world heard me. All that was running through my head was this: escape.

That is when Mike walked out of the kitchen. Confusion on his face. Haylee opened the door to her room and had a silimar expression on her face.

“What’s wrong, Sam? Did something happen?” Mike asked. Concern lacing his voice as he exchanged a glance with Haylee.

“There’s no time. Meet me in the old room in the back. Amy’s in there. I have something to tell you.” I said breathlessly.

There was nothing else to say. The two of them made their way towards the back of the house where Amy was. Whispering quietly to each other. I felt bad for not explaining anything, but I had to get my act together. Taking a deep breath, I finally followed them into the room.

I closed the door behind me. Amy must have awoken at my slamming of the door or maybe Haylee and Mike had woken her. Either way, I felt bad. She needed rest, but this was more important at the moment. It was a matter of life or death.

“I’m sorry for bothering you guys, but this is important. I was outside in the woods just moments ago and came across two Government officials. Apparently they’re checking the woods for people like us and they’re going to be here in the morning. Which means we have to get out of here. I’d suggest packing everything now and leaving within the next hour. Night is falling fast and we don’t have much time.” I explained. I did not realize I was not even breathing until I let out a huge breath once I finshed.

Their faces said enough. Terror. Sadness. Confusion. I did not blame them. I felt the same. We all felt it. What were we going to do? Where were we going to go now?

Word Count: 2037

Leaving. We were leaving. I had no words to express at that. What was going on? What else had Sam heard or seen outside? What was he even doing outside? Questions filled my mind as I stood there. I only allowed myself a quick glance in Haylee’s direction to see if she was thinking the same as me. She was. Where would we go? Amy was in no shape to move. Even I could see that just by the look on her face. She was in pain. A pain far greater than any of us could imagine. What were we going to do?

I sighed. Rubbing my hand over my face. Unsure of what there was to say, but I knew I had to at least say something.

“So what now? We just pack up and get going? What about Amy? She’s in no shape to travel even a short about of distance.” I commented.

I watched as Sam sighed. His shoulders drooping lower in defeat. His head down. As if he had already run my question through his mind and did not have an asnwer.

“I don’t know. All I do know is that we don’t have time for this. I’m going to get ready to get out of here, but it’s up to you if you want to be caught by the Government or not.” Sam snapped as he stormed out of the room. Leaving the rest of us speechless.

“Well, I didn’t expect that out of him.” I heard Haylee mutter next to me.

I nodded in agreement. Sam never snapped. He was always the calm one. The voice of reason in chaos. Something must have happened outside. Something bad. I wanted to go out there and ask, but something within me asked if that would be a good idea. We could not risk losing Sam. If we broke apart, none of us would survive. We needed each other. Depended on each other.

“Well, I guess I’m going to get packed. I’ll come find you when it’s time to go.” I commented as I walked out of the room. Following the path Sam had gone until I came to the door of the room we shared. I could hear Sam in there. At least, I thought it was Sam. A crash came from inside along with the pounding of a wall. That is when I opened the door. Not ready to face the chaos within, but also knowing I had to face it eventually.

Sam stood in the middle of the room breathing heavily and slightly stooped. His hair was a mess as sweat rolled down his forehead. A broken piece of furniture splintered into pieces sat nearby. That must have been the source of the crash against the wall.

His fist was bleeding. Not badly, but I knew it must have been painful. Though it was as if he did not even notice. His mind found elsewhere. Maybe far from this world. He had not even acknowledged my presence. That was a sure sign that something was wrong. Very wrong.

“Hey, Sam, are you okay? What happened in here?” I asked.

That was when he snapped out of whatever daze he had placed himself in and finally stood. Brushing his mop of hair out of his face and finally noticing his bleeding nuckles. He let out a frustrated sigh and picked up an old rag on the floor before he wrapped it around his nuckles.

“I’m fine.” He said gruffly as he turned his back and began rummaging through the clothes and items strewn across the floor.

“Come on. I know you aren’t. What happened outside?” I asked.

I knew pushing him at this moment would end badly, but this was no time to tread carefully. This was a time to bring the group back together and face our threat together instead of alone.

“Alright. Fine. I’ll tell you as long as you promise not to tell the girls.” He finally turned around. His eyes bloodshot.

“I promise. You can trust me.”

“Well, I honestly thought everything was okay. That Amy's leg would heal swiftly, and we would at least have another month or two here before we had to move on. Now Amy’s leg is getting worse and I’m afraid she’s going to need antibiotics, and on top of all this now we have to leave. What am I going to do?”

I watched as he grabbed his hair with his hands. Tousling it up as he paced. There were no words I could say at the moment to calm him. That was his thing. All I could do was stand there and watch as Sam fell apart before me. What could I do? Comfort him? No. That would not end well. Leave the room? Definitely no. Who knows what he would do without me with him to stop it. That left only one option.

“Hey, Sam. Calm down. Nothing’s going to get better if you fall apart like this. Get your act together. If we have to leave before nightfall, we have to gather supplies.” I said firmly.

He stopped pacing and froze midstep. His face downcast, but he began to work instead of pace. A good sign that maybe he would actually listen instead of waste his time pacing across the room and feeling sorry for himself.

I stooped down to pick a stray shirt off the floor and laid it on the bed. Taking a quick glance around the room, I saw a duffel bag thrown in a corner nearby. Picking it up, I began to stuff clothes into it. Who knew when our next chance would be to get more? Especially if we were to be on the run again.

Sam must have had the same idea as he began to follow suit. This time actually stuffing the last few pieces of clothing on the floor into the duffel bag. The job was easier with the two of us stuffing clothes, and we were only done within a couple minutes.

I watched as Sam let out a long sigh. He slapped his hand on his forehead and brushed his hair back for it to only flop back onto his forehead.

“Feel better?” I asked.

He shook his head. “No, but I think I can manage now. Thanks.”

I shrugged it off. “It’s nothing. You’ve done the same for me in the past. I thought I’d finally return the favor.”

Sam laughed a small laugh at that. At least he laughed. Though it was far from his amused laugh, it was still a laugh. A step in the right direction of bringing him off the edge of the cliff he was ready to hurl himself down.

I clapped a hand on his shoulder. “Come on. Let’s go see if the girls need help.”

He nodded and followed me out of the room, but when I turned for the door to Haylee’s shared room with Amy, Sam walked towards the closed door of the room Amy was in at the moment. He was probably getting the medical supplies packed, but a feeling of dread crept up my insides of leaving him alone. What would happen if he went crazy again around Amy? She was too weak to stop him and there would be no one there to help.

I brushed off the feeling anyway and opened the door to Haylee’s room. There she was. Her back to the door as she sat on her bed staring at the wall. A haunted look playing across her face as if she was reliving a bad memory. I would not be surprised if that was the case. Though no matter how hard I try to reach out to her and let her know that people care about her, that I care about her, she pushes it all away.

I walked slowly and quietly up to her. Placing my hand gently on her shoulder so as to not scare her. She tensed at the weight of my hand on her shoulder. That is when my nerves took over again. What would she do? Was she going to burst and run out never to be seen again? Or was she going to relax and sit there still?

She chose what I had least expected from her. After a moment her tense body relaxed as she leaned into my hand. As if whatever fight that was left in her had been removed with the bat of an eye. I listened as she let out a sigh. A long, deep sigh that sounded defeated. That alone worried me. What was in her head? What could I do to help stop the pain of her past?

“How are you holding up?” I settled on asking her.

“I’m fine.” She whispered so quietly that my ears strained to hear her voice.

I knew she was far from fine. Though of course she would never admit that. She was the kind of girl that did not let her weakness show. She was strong. A girl that everyone should look up to. I sure did. She had somehow managed to survive this long with the painful memories of something that had happened to her family, and yet she never succumbed to that. She stayed living and breathing. For now, at least. I worry every day that something will happen to her and I will be useless to stop it. All I would be able to do was watch as she lost everything all over again. My dreams plagued me with the idea of losing any of them. I do not think I would survive if I knew I could have at least tried to stop what had happened.

“You all packed?” I asked her.

She nodded.

“Let’s get ready to go then.”

I lifted my hand off her shoulder and grabbed the duffle bag I noticed sitting on the floor at the edge of the bed. I glanced back to make sure she had followed suit, and was surprised to find her standing right behind me. Ready to go, but I knew from the look on her face that she was far from thrilled.

I had to turn around. Otherwise I would stay in that room forever. Or, at least try to. I grabbed my own duffle bag on the way out. Checking the room where Amy and Sam were. The door was open. Someone in the time it had taken me to check on Haylee, Sam and Amy had managed to get up and out of the room to wait for us next to the door in the living room. Either I had spent more time than I had first thought with Haylee or they were just faster. The latter was probably the case which surprised me more. The day was just full of surprises.

“All ready to go?” Sam asked. A frown upon his face as he glanced at Amy to make sure she was secure.

Haylee and I nodded. “As ready as I’ll ever be. Let’s get going before it gets too dark. Then maybe we’ll find somewhere decent to stop tonight.”

Sam nodded and opened the door. Assisting the limping Amy before stepping out himself. Haylee went next. Her steps hesitant, but at least she was taking them. Then I followed suit. Only stopping for one last look at the home that had housed us for the past few months. It was sad to leave it. With its old creaking floors and occasional updrafts. It had been the closest thing to a home I had had in the past year.

After only one last glance I turned away. Knowing deep down I would never see it again. The world was too against kids like us to allow that. Who knows if the house would be in existence after tomorrow. The Government officials are ruthless. They do not care about an old house that could house stowaways. That meant they would most likely destroy it. It was abadoned anyway.

I shook my head. I could not look back again. I had to move forward. It was one of the only thing I could do now.

Word Count: 2034

CHAPTER 11 - HAYLEE

The temperature was dropping drastically as the sun went down, but I barely even noticed. I did not even notice the look of concern crossing Mike’s face as he quickly glanced in my direction. All I could think about was that dream from earlier that day. Why after a year of being on the run had it come back up? What was happening to me? I had done all I could do push those memories into the deepest part of my mind that never saw the light of day, yet there it was back in broad daylight. The ghosts of their screams filling my ears.

I wanted to slap my hands over my own ears and scream for the voices to go away for good, but I knew it was no use. If anything the voices would just get louder. Penetrating. Unbearable.

So here I was. Following as Sam and Amy led the way to wherever we were going. If there was anywhere to even go anymore. Maybe it would be better just to give ourselves up and give up the fight. What was the point in always trying to run away when we all know we can not escape fate forever? Why delay it? Why delay the pain and anguish we will experience anyway? I have no answer.

That was when the sound came. A low groaning at first that strected into a crash. The sound pierced the air with a low rumbling now recognizable. A motor. Not just any motor. The motor of a car. I could not even remmeber the last time I had seen a moving car nor heard one. These areas were deserted. Evacuated due to what the Government said were high levels of radiation when everyone sensible would know that was not true. There were no nuclear plants for thousands of miles. That left one reason. There were other kids like us hiding out here.

Where they were or if there were more kids left to find I do not know. Part of me wishes that there was at least someone else out in this wilderness going through something similar to us, but the sensible and real side of me says the complete opposite. For all we knew, we were most likely the last kids in this country not under the control or influence of the Government and their lies.

“Wow. If looks could kill, that would be a killing stare. You okay?” Mike gently nudged my shoulder with his own.

The jolt brought me out of my stupor and nearly made me forget what I had been thinking about only moments before.

Before I could respond, the sound of another crash filled the air as the grumbling engine grew closer. A panicked look crossed Sam’s face as he and Amy communicated a plan without words. That was another thing. After spending a year together in close quarters, we had all learned enough about each other to hold silent conversations. A valuable aspect in dangerous situations when words could not be spoken.

Sam looked back. The answer was obvious. We were too out in the open. We had to find cover. And fast. Otherwise whatever motor engine that was from would catch us and all our fates would be sealed. A fate none of us wanted.

The question was clear. Where were we to go? There was no underbrush and the trees were tall enough to offer little to no protection from the impending doom. The only option we had left was to run. We all must have come to the same conclusion at the same time.

Out of the corner of my eye I saw Sam give a curt nod and glance at Amy who also nodded. Then he looked in my direction. All I could do was nod. The words I wanted to say stuck in my throat. I wanted to tell him this was a bad idea. That Amy would never survive even a short distance of running. What if she collapsed and we had to carry her? Then we would never make it to safety.

Of course playing it safe was never an option in life-threatening situations. We began to run. Slowly at first as if to test the pace, then the speed quickened. My body flowing with adrenaline as we got faster. All my senses focused on one thing. Making. It. Out. Alive.

The groaning of the engine grew louder. It was close. It was now or never to duck for cover. Up ahead, there was a small cluster of bushes. Barely enough for two people to fit into, but I knew we had to make it work. Of course nothing could be smooth sailing when running from the Government. It was then that Amy let out a cry of pain. An anguished call that tore through me. I nearly stopped dead in my tracks.

I slowed my pace and stopped. Taking a moment to catch my breath as I looked in horror at what had happened. Amy and Sam had fallen behind on our run, so I had not seen it happen. There Amy was. Collapsed on the ground in a heap while clutching her leg. Something was terribly wrong.

“Go without me. . . please. There’s no way I can make it.” I strained to hear Amy say.

Sam shook his head. “There’s no way we’re leaving you.”

I watched as Sam crouched down and wrapped one of her arms around his shoulders. Mike followed suit with her other arm.

“Okay. On the count of three. Sorry, Amy, but this is going to hurt.” Sam said.

“Ready?” Mike asked.

Amy nodded.

“Alright. One.”

Amy let out a deep breath.

“Two.”

My fists clenched as my heart raced.

“Three.”

Sam and Mike used all the strength they had to lift Amy’s body off the ground. I watched as tears welled in her eyes from the pain. I could not watch. It was all too much to handle. I turned my back. Shutting my eyes so I did not see the pain in Amy’s eyes. That pain was too familiar. Etched into my mind for as long as I lived and beyond.

The look of raw pain upon Amy’s face reminded of my mother’s face right before the Government official attacked her. It was something I knew I would never forget. All she had done was protect me and this is what came out of it. Maybe that was why I refused to be caught. I carried the legacy of my family’s sacrifice upon my shoulders. A heavy, nearly impossible burden to carry.

“Come on. Not much farther and you can rest. You’ve got this.” I heard Sam’s voice behind me and that was when body kicked into gear. My legs walking towards where we were to take cover as my mind kept wandering back to the pain on Amy’s face. No matter how much I wanted that memory to disappear.

We made our way to the bush quickly. After losing that short amount of time saving Amy, we were running against the clock. A clock ticking faster and faster every second. At least, that was what it felt like. Though I knew that was not the case.

The bush was small, and with four people? Well, it became much smaller. It was all we had with no time left to find another place that probably did not exist. That meant one thing. A very tight squeeze in a small amount of space with a girl that could barely walk. Sounds great. Right?

No. It is the opposite of great. I guess when you are on the run ‘personal space’ becomes a figment of imagination. A way of the past that disappeared the moment something bad happened or the world changed.

I ducked my head into my chest. Feeling Mike’s warm breath against my neck. He was breathing heavily most likely from the run. I just hoped the engine was loud enough to cover it. Even the snapping of a twig underfoot could ruin everything when the world was dead silent around you. Just waiting for the perfect moment to pounce.

We made it to the bush just in time. It was shortly after that the engine passed by. The crashing noise heard earlier coming from the engine backfiring. An array of words escaped a deep voiced man’s lips as he cut the engine. The woods falling to silence with the engine off.

“Come on. Come on! Why does everything go wrong when we’re on a time crunch! John, get out here!” The deep voiced man yelled.

I took the moment that the man was distracted to steal a quick glance over the bush. A large army green vehicle that almost looked like an army jeep sat there. It looked old, but not worn down like I had expected. It’s tires were brand new, but the paint was chipping on the edges of it.

The man was burly with strong arms and salt and pepper hair cropped close to his head, but not shaved. His eyes were a cold piercing blue as he yanked the hood of the vehicle open then walking to the passenger seat where I guessed whoever John was sitting. He banged on the window, and I quickly forced myself down as he looked in the direction of the bush. All I could hope was that he had not seen me. What had I been thinking?

I heard heavy boots hit the ground and a door slam shut. Another man who I guessed was John. I took another risky peek above the bushes. My curiosity getting the better of me as I wanted to know who the mysterious John was.

John was young. From just looking at him, I guessed he was around 25 with light brown sunbleached hair and gray eyes. He would have been handsome if it weren’t for the Government uniform and sour look upon his face as he walked around the vehicle where the older man was standing.

“What do you want? You know we’re in a hurry.” The younger man, John, said with annoyance in his voice.

I frowned. That voice. I had heard that voice before. I was sure of it. Who was this man?

“It’s acting up again. I think the engine’s overheating.” The older man said.

I watched as John walked over to the front of the vehicle and open the hood with a loud grunt. He then stuck his head inside and began fiddling with the motor. Whatever he was doing obviously did not work as he let out a exasperated sigh before shutting the hood.

“What now?” The older man asked gruffly.

“I don’t know. Someone fiddled with the intake. Looks like we’ll have to drive slowly through here or walk until we can get it fixed.”

“Great. Just another problem to add to our growing list. Any news from the others yet? Have they found anyone?”

“No.”

“Well, that means we still have time. Let’s get this baby up and running again.”

“Fine. Whatever.”

That was when everything went bad. John by chance took one look in the direction of the bushes. We locked eyes only for a moment before I felt Mike dragging me down and covered his hand over my mouth. Smart move. Otherwise I would have screamed.

“What are you waiting on? Is something there in the bushes?”

“I don’t know. I swear I saw eyes, but they’re gone now. Probably just a hallucination from the lack of sleep the past couple days.” John said.

I let out a breath I did not even realize I was holding the second the vehicle drove off out of range of hearing or seeing us. We had done it. We had survived our first encounter with the Government after leaving the old house for good. Though I was far from happy. Something was wrong. I knew that man named John. His voice. His voice was so familiar, but who was he and why was he out in the middle of the woods working for the Government?

Word Count: 2021