The Road to Nowhere

Chapter 71: Grief

Chapter 71

I thought running for your life would become something you'd get used too. Oh boy, I was wrong. I feel that nothing could be more terrifying than running through a cornfield in complete darkness, while an army of soldiers chases after you.

I can't help but squint my eyes. Not only to keep the stalk's leaves from piercing them, but I'm also trying so hard to see what's in front of me. I can hear Naomi, but I can't see her. I can also hear many other things. The pop of the corn stalk's roots as my running feet pummels them. The distant kaushhhh of the soldier's walkie talkies as they frantically try and figure out where we are. Even the very faint but still there rummmm of a car engine in front of us.

"We're close!" I hear Naomi yell in front of me. To my surprise, she's farther ahead then I thought. I'm glad I didn't lose her.

My feet drag on. I hold my hands out in front of me to keep the corn off my face, but instead, they start scratching up my arms. If we get out of this alive, I'll look like I got mauled by a kitten. Well, since I got this big gash on my side, maybe a tiger, or a small bear.

After what seems like forever, a clearing opens in the corn. I wouldn't have known the corn ended if I didn't stop feeling the leaves against my skin. In front of us is a small black, or honestly any other color but I can't see shit in this darkness, Honda with its brake lights beaming on the corn stalks behind it. Their red glow flashes the memory of running through the compound in my mind, and instantly a shudder runs down my spine. Naomi gets to the car first, and she swings open the door forcefully, causing the car to ding ding ding ding and the small overhead light to flash on. She slides into the seat and I follow. It's a tight fit, but we're able to make ourselves fit with Brianna and Layke in the back seat with us.

"About damn time!" Scooter yells from the driver's seat. He shifts the car into drive.

"Just go! They're right behind us!" Naomi shouts.

The car jumps forwards and barrels through the corn stalks. They hit the windshield, making the same sound bodies would if they hit the glass. Scooter starts to slow a bit. I'm guessing he's afraid of ruining the car or something. The car bounces as it runs over the flattened stalks. I can feel every small bump we run over, and so does Layke. His whitening face contorts in pain with every bump.

I don't know if it's the fact I have a shield of metal surrounding me or if I'm skin to skin with everyone I care about but I feel like I can actually take a deep breath. We're going to make it out of here. What are the odds or that? It's practically a miracle.

The feeling of relief slowly fades as I remember seeing Robbie's body being dismembered by the mutant. An overwhelming wave of sadness flows over me. My eyes sting as they fill up with tears. I feel awful. He didn't deserve to die. Anyone who's willing to risk their life for another person doesn't deserve to die. I look over to Layke. He's still breathing because of his brother. I watch as he pushes the blood-soaked cloth to his side. Brianna's running her fingers through his hair. Despite being blonde, his hair looks brown in the dark. The long strands lay against his dirty forehead. Brianna runs her fingers across his cheek and cups his face in the palm of her hand. Layke looks up at her, and she smiles.

"You're going to be okay." She says.

Layke nods his head, but I can tell he doesn't believe her. After seeing what happened to Robbie when he got hurt by the mutant the first time, I wouldn't be hopeful either...

It happens in a fraction of a second. Scooter stops the car, seeing that the back doors metal frame is crumpling in beside me. A pain runs up the side of my arm, and the gash on my back begins to ache more than it did before. I feel wet. I wouldn't be surprised if my wound started bleeding again. I didn't notice that my window broke into a million pieces until I lick the small shards of glass off my lips. I spit them out and swallow my bloody spit. My head is spinning like I took twelve shots of tequila before I stepped in the car. But I know it's from the impact of my head slamming against the door.