Paths Cross

{10}

I stopped hours later in the woods to find a river full of clear water, and knelt down to scoop several hands full to drink.

I breathed out hard, exhausted from my grand escape. So far, there were no flashlights shining through the trees looking for me.

Now I was even farther away from home. How was I ever going to get back and save Jesse? How I was going to do anything running away like this every time?

I didn't have the answers to any of those questions, but no matter what, I was still going to try to make my way home and seek justice. No... I was going to reach home and bring justice.

So I kept on running.

*

I ran faster than I ever had before, faster than I had this whole journey. The police were running after me, Chiseled Jaw in the lead.

It was the same group of police.

Again.

I was thinking they must be best friends or something, you know? Always sticking together...

Okay, get it together, Nina, I told myself.

I looked back behind me, and Pixie Cut was pointing some kind of gun at me. My heart leaped in fear and I turned back and kept sprinting, pushing myself harder than ever.

And that's when I felt something like a needle shoot into my lower back, burying itself deep into my skin. Before I could stop and turn to look at it, my vision clouded.

I could see purple spots as I stumbled, my feet lead when they hit the ground.
Just as I felt a wave of nausea, I felt myself collapse into the arms of one of the police, blacking out.

Help, Jesse.