Run Faster | Teen Ink

Run Faster

March 6, 2017
By vealesad BRONZE, Ionia, Michigan
vealesad BRONZE, Ionia, Michigan
1 article 0 photos 0 comments

I was running so fast the trees around me blurred and my legs were numb. I lept over a fallen birch tree branch, the white and black bark flying as I scampered past it. Slowing, I c***ed my gun, then turned to look back at the wondrous tree house within which, fragments of my childhood still remained. I located the pine tree, the third one down, just left of the mini altar of blooming flowers and poison ivy, and grabbed the duffel bag from under. I unzipped the duffel and pulled out a old mason jar of water. The glass was fogging and the metal top held a thick layer of dust, like a marble countertop covered with flour after making a batch of homemade sugar cookies. I took a slow breath trying not to make much noise and put the mason jar back.
“Jake?” I whispered not even sure if I could hear myself.
“Jake?” a little louder now. My throat hoarse from running so much. Please, please tell me he followed through with the plan!  I thought.
The familiar sound of fallen leaves crackling and a dry twig popping made me whip my head around, so fast I got dizzy. A boy with golden brown hair and dark green eyes emerged from his cover in the trees. His muscular arms were littered with scratches and dirt from his run. His chest puffing to make himself look bigger, faster, and stronger. He was buff and good-looking, yes, but he was also my brother. The only one who I can trust, the only one who sticks with me, and the only one left.
He too, had his black heavy gun loaded and ready to shoot at any unwelcome visitors. I breathed a sigh of relief and walked towards him watching my step making sure not to step on sticks and branches as to not to make any sound. The gun I held was heavy and big. I didn't like carrying it, but Jake made me.
“To protect yourself!” he had said.
My hand was sweating as I put my gun back in it's holster not feeling the need for it’s use anymore.
“I think you should keep it with you just in case,” Jake said, eyeing me as I put it away and I sat on a log rolling my eyes.
“Jake, I'm with you and it still is with me. It's right here.” I gestured to my pocket.
He huffed and sat next to me on the log.
“I'm great thanks for asking,” I said glancing at him from the corner of my eye.
“How are you Carrie?” he asked rubbing his temples and squeezing his eyes shut. I could tell there was a headache forming behind his eyes. He's done that since we were little.
“I already answered that question. Stay with me here Jake.”
He turned his head to look at me. His pained eyes looking deep into mine, searching for the sadness that should be there. I refused to let him see that and looked away.
“Okay. I'm not great. I'm not great at all. I'm the polar opposite of that.”
I took a low shaky breath feeling defeated. A bead of sweat rolled down my temple and I wiped it away. Standing, I began to search through the duffel bag for a hair tie to keep my wavy long brown hair off my neck. My search was successful, and that was about the only good thing about my day. As I pulled my hot hair into a high messy pony tail, Jake eyed me cautious of my every move. I sat back down and started fidgeting with the duffel strap, unsure of what to do next. Jake got up swiftly with grace and started to walk in the opposite direction I came from when I made my escape. I should follow him just to be safe I thought, but he was back with a armful of birch wood before I could even stand.
“Firewood. Poppy used to tell me that it burned best because it was dry. We used to gather it when we went camping,.” Jake said wincing at the memory of our childhood.
I smiled, thinking of how we used camp by the river, the cold rushing water with fallen logs used as diving boards and sand bars to lounge on. But all of that was gone now.
“Yeah… That was fun,.” I said.
There was a lump in my throat dry and big as we sat in silence once more. I hate the silence. It’s dark and unwelcoming. It sent shivers down my back and I wrapped my arms around my waist so I could stop shaking. I must have been crying because Jake took his big hand and swiftly wiped a streak of salty water from my cheek.
“Look, I know you miss them, and I know we aren’t in the most comfortable situation, but what else were we supposed to do? We will make it I promise,.” he said his voice barely a whisper.
I swiped at the remaining tears and got up taking a sharp breath.
“I need some air, I’ll be back in like, five minutes,.” I said raising brushing the dirt and bark from my pants.
“Please, be careful. I don’t want to lose you too-”
“Jake. Not right now. I’ll be careful. See you in five,.” I said cutting Jake off before he could send me into another crying frenzy.
I took my gun so Jake wouldn’t scold me about it later. I mustered up the best smile I could for him, avoiding his eyes, and got one last glance before I walked to the creek near by our little fire of pain and distress.
I kicked leaves, and thought about what we ran from, and what the heck we were supposed to do next. I thought too much and delivered myself into a crying fit. I sobbed until my breaths were dry and I was 95% sure I had no liquid left in my body. I kicked leaves some more and as I was about to leave. A soft russell of the dry October leaves stopped me dead in my tracks.
“Jake, I told you not to follow me! I’m 16 years old I-” A sharp pain hit my shoulder that sent me down to my hands and knees.
I hadn’t gotten bitten, or cut, my skin hadn’t been impaled with a bullet at speed the naked eye couldn’t catch, but I had been shot with a dart. One that was supposed to knock me straight out with no pain. But I fought it. I refused to let it take me without a fight. I didn’t focus on the pain that was ripping through my body, instead I focused on my reason to fight, my reason why I couldn’t let them win. His face flashed across my mind and I panicked picking my lead arms off the ground, trying to get up and get to him.
“Jake,” his name barely a whisper across my lips.
His name danced around in the cool subtle wind mocking me. I couldn’t focus and my vision was turning white and brighter. So bright it burned my eyes. I closed them to try to soothe the pain. Someone opened my eyes again and I groaned willing my body to push them away, and to get up and run. I couldn’t move though. My body refused.

     ***
I woke in a bright room with bright lights, and a white dress on. At first I thought I was in some sort of wedding, the white fluffy material pressing against my skin. But I realized I was laying down on a table with bright lights. The dull pain on my shoulder made me struggle against the restraints that held my arms and legs against the cold silver medical table. I realized I couldn’t move and gave up closing my eyes again. The “wedding dress” was only a play of my stupid imagination. I was actually in a white hospital gown.
A door opened making me jolt awake from my dreamless almost sleep. A huge man stormed into the white room and turned started silently scolding at a small girl with her blonde hair pulled into a tight bun on the top of her head.
“I told you that we needed to let her sleep first Angelica!” He whisper yelled at the small girl.
She flinch away playing with the gemstones on the rim of her black glasses. Sticking out against her pale skin.
“James, she did. She’s been sleeping for two 2 weeks.”
Two weeks! I thought. But what about Jake? Did they just leave them out there? He has to be worried sick- No, he probably is sick. Or maybe it was too late and he was- I forced the thought out of my mind. He couldn’t be dead. I wasn’t going to allow that. I shifted trying to get a better view of the man- or James. When I moved, they both turned to me. James snarling, and Angelica squealing and running towards me her small heels clicking against the white tile floor.
“So,how do you feel Carathine?” She asked smiling a fake smile.
“Where am I?” I asked cringing at my official name.
Angelica pursed her lips. She started fidgeting and pushed up her glasses touching the gemstones again.
“How about you save your questions for later? I think that would be best.” she said her melodic voice soothing my panic.
“Now, how do you feel?” she asked.
Her smile tightened and her eyes were trying to say something, but I couldn’t read them.
“I’m fine. Can I walk please?. I think that would make me feel even better.”
I said glancing at James behind Angelica. We made awkward eye contact and I looked away quickly becoming more and more uncomfortable.
“Sure! You can try to walk around if you’d like!” She said pleading me to do something I didn’t know what with her blue eyes.
“Okay,” I said sitting up and ripping the cords out of my hands and arms.
“Let's go. James you can leave now, I’ve got this under control. You might want to go check on Cathy, I heard she was sick… She is on kitchen duty.” She said casually.
James eyes widened, but he tried to play it off by clearing his throat.
“I suppose… Just don’t do anything stupid okay?” He said already walking in the opposite direction.
Angelica smiled and started to walk faster, her grip tightening on my arm.
“Okay… See ya later! Here’s the deal Carrie. Can I call you that?”
“Umm.. sure-”
“Okay cool, Carrie. So we are going to get you some fresh clothes, lots of food and water and a safety bag then you have to promise me that you’ll get away. You’ll run.” She said spinning towards me and looking in my eyes. Glancing from them only once.
“What’s going on?” I asked completely at loss for any words, let alone actions.
“Just promise. You and Jake are the only ones left.” She said tightening her grip again.
“Okay, I promise!” I said.
“Then let’s go. Quickly, before he notices,” she said breaking into a light jog.
We walked into another white room, but there was orange and black backpacks stuffed to the brim with food, water, survival kits, and clothes. Angelica shuffled into the room and shut the door and the vibrant white lights off.
I stopped and stuck my arms out immediately trying to feel my way around. I eventually gave up and let my eyes adjust after I stumbled over a backpack. Angelica moved swiftly and grabbed a bag, extra food, and clothes just as she said. I didn’t understand why she was helping me so I sat down and watched her bustle around.
“Why are you doing this?” I asked.
She looked up her crystal blue eyes wild and frantic.
“I’m helping you. Doing you a favor. You have no idea what they planned to do with you because you and Jake are so dif-”
“You know about Jake?” I asked my heart sinking down to my cold toes.
I stood suddenly my heart pounding. Only then did I realize that I towered over Angelica.
“Well, yes. He is quite alright I can assure you. But you guys are so different from the rest I’m surprised they haven’t killed both of you yet.” She said fumbling some more and tripping when she crossed the room to get yet another thing and shove it into the bag.
I couldn’t begin imagine how heavy that bag was going to be when I ran. It would be like running with a bag full of twenty pound weights like I used to during track seasons with my dad. My lips began to quiver, but before the hot tears could spill over the rim, I wiped them away. Angelica was watching me as I wiped my eyes, so I tried to play it off, and act as if I was rubbing my face.
“Are you ready?” She asked.
Her even voice was quiet and almost miserable as she handed me a pair of black jeans, a white cotton shirt, and a leather jacket.
“I suppose…” I said looking down.
I gratefully took the backpack and the clothes and changed quickly.
“Everything you will need is in there. We will go out the back so you better hurry.” She said rearranging stuff so it looked natural in the fluorescent room.
We walked to the door and she opened it walking quickly to the south wing as I read on a sign. I moved quickly the black combat boots squeaking against the tile floor. We weaved through the halls, reaching a door that might as well have been bolted shut, the cold metal locked with four different passcodes. Angelica opened the door easily and quickly and looked at me. She was crying.
“Well, this is it. Jake is a couple miles west. He tried to follow once he heard you scream. Good luck my love.”
I had so many questions for her some as stupid as “I screamed?” and some as absurd as “Can’t you come with me?” I didn’t want her to stay here, and she could be of great use to Jake and I as a doctor or whatever she was. Some of my questions were really stupid, like “Why did you call me ‘your love’”. But before I could even ask, she closed the door and locked it. Just like that she was gone. I turned west and hurried down the metal stairs, the sun bright in my face and the hard gravel beneath my feet. I braced myself and took a deep breath listening to the sound of my breathing.
I bounced up to my toes, adjusted the backpack and started. I was running again from the same thing trying to reach Jake. A strange sense of déjá vu rushed over me and I pushed myself harder desperate to close the distance between Jake and I.
I was running for what seemed like three miles before I slowed to a stop. I closed my eyes and listened for something. For anything. A small rustle behind me made me quickly turn only to feel a fountain of blood overcome my hand. I looked down then looked up in horror. Jake stood there in a defensive pose and then his face paled.
“Carrie? Is that you? Oh my gosh! I’m so sorry! Hurry up come with me we have to get you fixed up.” He said looking embarrassed.
“Jake?” I said my voice cracking.
“Carrie, come on, I may or may not have accidentally stabbed you come with me.”
“Jake.”
He stopped fumbling with the medical pack and looked up at me.
“What?” I ran to him and wrapped my arms around his neck, then quickly stepped away because the movement sent jolts of pain up my arm.
I winced. He looked at me apologetically before setting me down on a rock.
“Yeah sorry.” He looked down and got to work stitching me up.
I looked away so I didn’t have to watch the needle and thread impale my skin eight more times only to close a bigger wound.
His eyes focused and his breathing was even and calm. I watched him instead of my arm flinching occasionally. When he finished he put the supplies away and sat next to me.
“Sorry I scared you.” I said looking at the cross of each stitch.
“Sorry I stabbed you. I thought you were one of them. Do you know how much pain you put me through? I was worried sick,” he said looking directly into my eyes.
“Yes. I know. And I’m sorry. It’s not like I was having fun in a dreamless sleep for two weeks worried about you and wondering if I'd ever get to see your face again. I’ll be glad to have you know, that I was shot with a sleep dart and they brought me to their lair, ran tests on me for God knows what, and I was forced to run twenty miles to try to get back to you! All to get welcomed back with a knife in my arm. It’s been a great couple weeks for me too.” I huffed.
I sat back and tried to catch my breath. It felt as if I hadn’t had time to breath in years. The cold air burned my lungs and throat as it flew in and out of my body in short heaves.
“Carrie-”
“No Jake. You have to understand. I know what the place looks like, I know the halls, and I know people there. Angelica helped me, James seemed to be-”
“You met people there? And they helped YOU?” He said, exaggerating the word “you” and looking at me with wide eyes.
A small smile was twitching at the corners of his mouth, and I had to bite down on my tongue not to laugh at his stupid smile.
“Umm… offensive,” I said lightly putting my uninjured arm on my chest.
We both laughed the heavy atmosphere lifting off my shoulders. I hadn’t laughed in a long time. Especially since the stupid army invaded America and took over everything, killing people as they pleased, running tests to make a sort of disease they could spread for pure fun. There was a moment of silence, but it wasn’t uncomfortable silence. It was nice. Like the quiet you want for sleeping after a long day at work or school. Jake was the one to break the nice silence with words  I was dreading.
“Carrie, you said you know the place, and you know people,”
“Jake it was the heat of the moment, I only know where it is, and I know one person. Angelica. She helped me get out. There is one more person, James, he was strange. I don’t think he would have been willing to help me. He looked like a important person though. And I think Angelica was like the head doctor or something. I think…. I think they wanted me to join them. Jake we could go there and try to stop them,” I said.
Jake always thought things through more thoroughly than I did, so I wasn’t surprised when I looked at him and his face was twisted into a thinking position. His brow furrowed and he looked back at me.
“Carrie, are you sure you want to do that? I mean it can be pretty dangerous.” He said.
“Yes, I’m willing to do that.” I replied nodding my head.
“Okay. I think we should wait a couple days just to make sure you’re alright with your arm and all that.” he said guiltily gesturing towards my arm.
“I’m fine. Let’s just sleep or something, then we leave tomorrow.” I said digging in my backpack for something for us to lay on.
There was a sleeping bag, so we unzipped it and spread it on the leaves, and slept on our makeshift bed.
     ***

The sound of leaves filled my ears as we silently stalked through the woods, making our way back to the big building where I was taken three weeks earlier. I skimmed the woods occasionally waiting for any visitors who decided to sneak up on us show their camouflaged faces. Otherwise the crunch of leaves and twigs, it was silent. No birds came out to chirp and sing their protective songs, no wild animals came to hunt for their young, just us. Walking a endless walk to the WD Headquarters.
WD stands for “World Dominators” It’s a stupid name, but the group is a bunch of teen-middleaged men and women trying to get their government in place, and they do so by killing, kidnapping, and destroying everything. So many people have died in only a month, that it was on occasion that you would find anyone alive, living , breathing, and actually free. Everyone runs from the WD, but Jake and I, we must be brainless, because we are walking straight towards it.
Jake pulled up short to an opening in the trees. There was a little mini building that I hadn’t noticed before when I was running. It was a WD building, but it wasn’t the main building. There were four men standing outside the building keeping watch, and five more in the building working on big elaborate computers. I looked at Jake horrorstruck and I tilted my head towards the nine men. He nodded, raised his gun, lowered it, and smiled a dark smile. It wasn’t even a smile. I shook my head and got myself ready to fight, but before we could charge, Jake stepped out into the opening, and I knew his plan. Acting.
“Hello, gentlemen, I understand you are a -major- part of the WD World Domination?” He said emphasizing the word major.
The men didn't respond. Just looked blankly at Jake. They didn't load their guns, didn't even lift it to aim at us.
“Okay, well, we need to cross here and then we’ll be out of your hair. So if you'll just let us pass quietly, that would be great,” he said c***ing his head to the right so that I would follow him. I walked out of the woods keeping my head down, their eyes following me as I walked.
I thought of things that could very well happen. Like they could recognize me as the girl who they had in their hands, who escaped them. “The only one left” as Angelica had said. Although I still didn't know what she meant.
I walked quickly keeping my head down. I focused on putting one foot in front of the other so I wouldn't trip and make matters worse.
“Hey, wait!”
“Go!! Come on Carrie run!” Jake screamed as one of the men got a quick glance at my face.
Once more I was running for my life from the same people for the same reasons. I pushed my already cold and numb legs to go faster, and to push a greater distance between myself and the men. Jake of course was way ahead of me his strong legs going so fast I couldn't keep up with him.
He only once tripped on a stump, his speed decreasing once to gain balance then he was off again. I looked back and found that the men weren't chasing anymore so I slowed my pace and called for Jake.
“Jake! Slow down they're gone!” I willed my voice to travel to his ears over
the picking up wind and darkening sky. “Jake!” I tried again. 
He kept going. He couldn't hear me. We were going to be separated. I looked around me making a full circle. There were trees, and leaves, but otherwise darkness and nothing else. I panicked and started breathing in big heaves. I needed to calm down but I couldn't stop myself from thinking of what next.
Instead of stopping, I dug  through my bag looking-praying for a flashlight so I could find Jake. As determined and stubborn I was, and although it was getting dark, I continued to search after I pulled out half of the bags continents.  My fingers tracing the cotton shirts and denim jeans. I traced another medical pack-or maybe it was the same one Jake had used on my arm earlier. I didn't know and it didn't matter. All that mattered is that I had to keep moving and find Jake. I flicked the flashlight on and aimed at around me. I could still see without it but I was clumsy enough and I didn't want to risk tripping over stumps. I walked for hours before my legs turned to jello and my fingers were about to fall off. I knew I had to stop when I hoped my legs were orange jello because orange jello was my favorite. I slumped down and didn't even bother to lay out the sleeping bag before I was out cold.         
  ***
When I woke, there was a little boy, who couldn't be older than seven standing over me his dirty face twisted into a puzzled look. I sat up immediately and returned the stare. He had brown curly hair and bright green eyes. He sat back and studied my expression.
“Hello,” I said hesitantly. “Umm, I'm Carrie. What's your name?”
He looked at me uninterested in responding to my question. His focus was on my bag and the granola bar and water bottle in it’s side pocket. I followed his gaze and reached to take it out. He immediately moved back and started scrambling to get away. I held my hands up and hesitantly handed him the water and granola. He took it and unwrapped it. He nibbled and then started scarfing it down like he hadn't seen food in weeks. Looking at his figure, he probably hadn't.
“You know, maybe you should come with me to find my brother. His name is Jake, he's nice. Like me.  We can help you. Just follow me.” I said holding my hand out to him.
He looked at me, his dirty face troubled as he wiped the water from his lips. I noticed the bottle was empty and the granola was gone. I smiled, but he looked down almost as if he was sheepish of eating my food and drinking my water. I took the water bottle and put it in my bag, but left the granola wrapper. As I stood, he stood too and took my hand and we began to walk to Jake.
For about a half hour we walked silently. I slowed my pace to match his, and he was still silent. I talked to him, asked him questions like,”What is your name?” ,”How old are you?” and “Where is your family?”, but I only got silence in return. He stopped, and I looked down at him and saw him for real for the first time.
He had tan skin caked in mud, cuts, and scrapes. He was bleeding in several spots, and his tiny face was pulled up into a grimaced expression. His feet were blistered  and bleeding, and his arms and legs literally were as thin as twigs. I felt bad for making him walk in his condition, and I set him on a soft spot on the ground and made sure it wouldn’t just put him in more pain. I wrapped his feet in bandages, and cleaned his arms and legs, wiped his face till the mud was only a thin layer, and then took band-aids and placed them gently on the more severe scrapes and scratches. Instead of making him walk some more, we took a short break and had a mini “lunch” which consisted of granola, dried peaches, and warm water.
I still didn’t want to make him walk again, so I just slung his light body over my shoulders, and continued walking. We walked for almost three miles before he said something. I stopped dead in my tracks and leaned my head back so I could hear him better.
“What?” I asked.
“Kendall. My name is Kendall. I’m six years old, and my family is dead. My mommy, daddy, and my elder sister Kiera are all dead. Thank you for helping me. I’ve been on my own for a while now.” He said his voice quiet.
This kid -Kendall may have been six years old, but he talked as if he were sixteen, and was attending Hale, or Harvard for college. I craned my head to look at him my eyes wide. I noticed my mouth hung open and I quickly shut it.
“Well, Kendall, it’s nice to meet you. I hope we can become close, and help each other survive through our situations.”
“As do I.” He said his tiny voice growing more confident as he got more and more comfortable on my back.
I was still amazed at Kendall's ability to speak, and how he uses his words when we came to another opening in the woods. I slowed and turned to Kendall.
“Do you think you could walk for a little? Or would it make your feet hurt.” I asked sure for a response this time now that Kendall was talking and comfortable.
“I believe so, surely, they will be sore, but I can manage.” He said, putting much thought into his words as they came slowly out of his unsure mouth.
I smiled and set him down, and immediately, my back pain began to ease at the extra weight being taken off of it. We found a safe spot for my bag to be placed without it being found by anyone besides us, and Jake, of course. We then walked to the back entrance where I ran from this place weeks ago. We walked up the metal stairs, and approached the door.I took a deep breath and glanced down at Kendall. He held my hand with his left, and fidgeted with the other.
“We can do this, Kendall, I promise,” I said to him.
He looked up at me and I gave him a reassuring smile to ease his nerves although my own pulsed violently through my veins. With that, I opened the metal door.
Large men looked up at us and smirked deeply as they recognized me, but their eyes were confused as they drifted from me to Kendall who clung to my side like a rubber band that wasn’t ready to snap just yet. I took a gulp and I recognized some of the faces from the mini camp Jake and myself stumbled upon. Only two faces really stood out to me though.
James with a knife and a leather belt in his hands, soaked with fresh and dry blood, and Jake who was tied to a rail, and his back bare with dark red blood running down his sides and into a puddle at his knees a soft drip raising from the silence as his blood ran a steady stream. James was the first to break the silence and he started walking toward me swinging his makeshift whip sending a trail of Jake’s blood across my cheek and just up the bridge of my nose.
“Well, well, well.. What do we have here?” he asked snickering, “Looks like homegirl decided to come back.”
“What did you do?” I asked James keeping my eyes locked on Jake.
James looked over at Jake laughed a cold hard laugh and looked back to me.
“Oh him? Wait wait wait… Are you guys a thing? Well.. I’m sorry, I truly am. Do you accept my apology.” The way he said it, I knew it wasn’t an apology, or even a question, but it was a statement, that I had no other choice than to accept it without question.
“He’s my brother, I accept. No harm done. Do you happen to know where Anglica is?  I understand you know her well?” I asked keeping my voice steady.
“Oh Angelica? You see, she made a mistake, so… You know what- Jefferson! Show our guests what they are seeking, then we can have some fun.”
A tall dark skinned man walked forward without saying one word and walked down the only dimly lit hall in the entire building.
     ***
The stench was the thing that caught my attention. I strained my eyes to try to make out the mangled shape on the ground. I held my breath willing my eyes to see. When my eyes adjusted to the dark room, I saw the dark shape was a body, and the stench was blood. Lots of blood. Angelica was dead. Her lifeless body was mangled in an odd shape among other bodies. I forgot how to breath, and panicked scanning my eyes around the room for someone to turn and tell me that this was all a joke and there was nothing wrong. I willed myself to wake from this horrid nightmare where bad things happened and wouldn’t stop until you woke.  I even pinched my arm hard twice. James appeared behind me his hot breath against my ear.
“Yeah, she was okay, but she broke the rules when she helped you out. She can’t do that. She was actually supposed to kill you. That was her assignment. But, she helped you, so I’m gonna have to take over her assignment.” He said his low voice thick with a evil accent.
As quick as I could, I picked up Kendall and started running. We ran down a maze of hallways, room and doors streaming past us. My feet thudding and breath loud in the abandoned halls. I looked back to see if James was behind us but he wasn’t. I turned to start running again and ran into someone tall and shirtless. It was Jake, his back open and bleeding.
I breathed a sigh of relief and we hugged briefly before we stepped into a dark room. I didn’t bother to turn the lights on, that would give up our location. Instead I leaned against the door and focused on breathing steadily. Jake reached into his back pocket and pulled out sort of gun. I don’t know what kind of gun, but it was smaller than a handgun, and gave off an electric buzz.
“What is that?” I asked trying to keep my voice even.
“It’s a sort of gun I guess. But they all revolve around that James guy you know, he’s in charge of everything, so  anyone will take a bullet for him. But, they don’t like him. We could get people on our side, and we can fight against them, but we need to make our intentions clear. If we aim at James, and maybe say something quick about anyone who wants to join us join now while we are shooting , and then we have a revolution, and we could-”
“Jake! Slow down. Let’s start with something simple okay? Like get more guns and get out of the room. Then I can say something.”
“Okay. Let’s go then.”
We walked out of the room. Slowly sure not to make much noise to alert anyone of our intentions. We successfully made our way around and got two more guns. We ran around to the front of the building, knowing that it was opposite of where most of the guards stood waiting for James, Jake, and myself to return. I looked at him, unsure of what was about what we were going to turn out to be.
“Jake, let's just make a escape instead. It’ll be easier. We can take a car or something, we’ve got a better chance if we do that anyways.” I said surprised of what was even coming out of my mouth.
He considered my offer for a solid thirty seconds before he looked back at me with a uneven tone in his voice.
“Well, I suppose you’re right. We might have to hurt a few though, to get past.” He said.
“I know.”
“Okay, we have to find some keys or something.”
“All keys are already in the ignition, all we need to do is go out a door or two.” I said nodding my head.
“Oh. Well, this way.” Jake said leading towards the west wing doors.
We jogged a ways before something grabbed my arm yanking my back. I screamed and Jake turned and punched the man in the gut, and I turned to kick his feet out from under him. We opened the doors and checked each car to see how full the gas tanks were. The fullest one was little over three quarters full and we jumped in.
I only turned once to see the big building a blur of windows and bullet holes. We drove fast. Away to start over with new responsibilities like Kendall, and living longer. At least for a change, I wasn’t running from them, I was driving, faster than fast and further than what I could ever do running.
We never thought of another reason to go back to that heartbreaking place. I never even understood why we did that. But on the way, I found Kendall who continues to grow each day, and is like our own brother. I don’t understand why we do half the things we do, but we know we have to live in the moment. I decided there is one thing I never want to do again. Run.



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