On the Run [a.i. au]

05. Bad Dreams

Dedication: To @tee-emm <3 because your comments killed me and you're so awesome and supportive. Hope you enjoy! :)

Thalia's POV

"I've never liked you," I hear my father's words echo. I feel a hand connect with my face.

I fall to the ground, blinking back tears.

"Are you gonna cry like a little bitch?" he snarls, his words slurred.

I stay silent as his foot collides with my stomach. I cry out in pain.

"Worthless..." he mutters as he kicks me again. With each kick, it's a new insult.

"Accident, piece of shit, ugly..."

Something striped and dark slithers across my line of vision and the scene changes. I'm in a group of trees with a familiar tan boy. Calum.

"You're too cute," he whispers as his lips attach to my neck.

His lips work down my neck, lightly tugging at the skin.

I bring his lips to mine, my stomach erupting in butterflies.

Suddenly, he pushes me off. When he opens his mouth to speak, it isn't his voice. It's Ashton's. Calum has transformed into Ashton.

"Thalia!" he cries. "Come on!"

He shoots up and runs away from me. I run after him.

"Ash! What are we running from?"

He looks back at me, panic-stricken. "Come on!" he says.

Something grabs my waist. Before I can process what's happening, I crash to the ground and everything goes black.

"Thalia!" I hear Ashton hiss. "Come on! We need to get moving."

Startled, I shoot up, breathing hard. I instantly relax when I see Ashton crouched down besides me, reminding me of a catcher in baseball.

"Are you alright?" he asks, furrowing his brow. "You were muttering and whimpering in your sleep." I nod as my reply.

"Alright," he says. "We should probably get going. Do you mind if I get your map out of your rucksack?"

I shake my head, and proceeds to dig in my rucksack. As he pulls the map out, something falls onto his foot. He picks it up and inspects it.

"This is a pretty necklace," he says as he continues to gaze at it. "Where did you get it?"

"My, uh, parents got it for me when I turned 16 last June," I answer, surprised by my honesty.

He nods. "I get it. In fact..." he reaches into the pocket of his black skinny jeans and pulls out a series of wristbands and bracelets. I see a few beaded ones, some rubber, but most of them are black and made of string. I also see a blue band, as well as a green one.

"These are all little pieces of home," he continues. "Like, just to instill hope that I might have a normal life someday, like I used to."

I narrow my eyes in confusion as I look into his hazel ones. "Like you used to?"
He takes a deep breath. "We need to keep going. Let me see that map again."

I sigh, feeling defeated. Just when I thought things were actually civil between us, he gets all defensive and acts like he has a stick up his ass.

I pass him the map, and he narrows his eyes in concentration, bringing the map awfully close to his face. I watch him as he does this, confused.

"Can you see it alright?" I ask him.