dandelions || 𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘩𝘰 (COMPLETED)

ii - run girl run

RUN GIRL RUN
-
"because it gets so hard to breathe."

• • •

SHE LOOKED AROUND, observing the unknown location she'd been unwillingly thrown into. if the sunlight hadn't been blinding before, it certainly was now.

squinting as she stepped away from the metal container, her vision cleared slightly, though her head was still spinning. she finally had the chance to properly take in her surroundings. her weird, disorienting surroundings.

the first thing to catch her attention, besides the dozens of people forming a human sea around her, was the towering ivy-covered walls that appeared to be trapping the group inside the square, village-looking establishment. upon closer inspection, she realised there were four large openings, one on each wall surrounding, and she could just about see a long stone corridor past each. there were huge stone slabs positioned underneath them, forming a courtyard riddled with cracks and weeds. the yellow dandelions gave it a splash of colour, like one small beam of hope in a world of death and destruction.

a dilapidated wooden building near one of the corners lay opposite a few animal pens containing livestock. in another corner, gnarled branches of trees formed a crippled-looking forest. a million smells invaded the girl's nose at once, ranging from sweat to mud to the rotten stench of pigs.

an overwhelming feeling took over her mind without warning, and feeling as if she couldn't even control her own movement, she did the only thing she could think to do. run.

she barely had time to comprehend her impulsive actions when she began to hear shouts from the people who were now metres and metres behind her. variations of "catch her!" and "she's headed for the maze!" rang in her ears, though the words were worthless to her.

she had one mission and one mission only: reach the opening in the stone walls and get as far away from there as possible.

moving faster than she ever thought possible, she seemed to be flying through the air effortlessly, and suddenly the flurry of hope that was crushed when she woke up in the box came flooding back to her. she was nearly there.

ten metres away from the gap in the wall. five metres. three. two. one.

she made it.

but no stopping — they're sure to be catching up, she said to herself silently, since her voice was too hoarse to talk and she couldn't afford to lose any breath.

she ran right through the corridor, about twenty five metres long, and round a corner. she lost a little speed as she changed direction so abruptly but carried on regardless, and she was about to make it around another sharp turn when suddenly she slammed right into something. or someone.

"what the shuck-"

she'd run into a person. the realisation that her escape had failed miserably hit her as she lay hunched over on the stone ground. too embarrassed to even look up, she hid her face shamefully with her hair. she was considering standing back up and pushing straight past the two boys towering above her, but came to the conclusion it would only make things worse.

"are you.. a girl?" a softer voice asked the girl in front of him.

what a ridiculous question, she thought to herself as she looked up finally to examine the two boys in front of her. as she did, she noticed a look of confusion spread across each one's face.

"did you just say something?" the taller one asked her.

she shook her head, baffled yet again by the strange place, and as she did he shrugged and reached his hand out to her.

the bewildered girl got her first proper look at his face as he helped her up. he was asian, and very tall and muscular. she could feel his strength as he hauled her up, and his gelled, fluffy black hair jumped out to her as one of his most striking features. the sweat on his body glimmered so attractively in the sunlight on his toned arms, it took physical effort to bring her eyes back up to meet his.

"are you the new greenie, then?" the other one questioned. she looked up at him as she brushed herself off, puzzled, but then remembered she had been called "greenie" by the boy earlier. so she nodded, willing that to be the right answer.

"well, shebean, we've never had a girl before." the asian boy adjusted his backpack and continued, "any shank tries anything and you come straight to me, newt or alby, okay? we'll break their shuck noses. i'd like to say gally would too, but he can be a slinthead sometimes."

she stared at the boy blankly. she had barely understood any of the unfamiliar vocabulary that had just been hurled at her, but he either didn't notice her lost expression or simply didn't care. and she hated that. she hated the fact that he had just told her that she could trust him; that he'd protect her, yet when she actually needed his help he turned a blind eye.

"now i'd love to stay and have a little welcome party here, but the doors'll be closing soon and i don't really think we want the grievers to be invited."

"grievers?"

"we'll explain later," the other boy told her calmly. he had mousy brown hair and gentle yet piercing hazel eyes.

she was practically dragged back by the two boys, one in front and one behind to ensure she had no chance of escape.