Hide (Sequel to RUN)

Chapter 12

But I felt it when something strong lock around my arms and torso. The something pulled me backwards before smashing my head onto the floor. My mind went blank for several precious seconds before I was able to make anything out again. When everything materialized in front of me again, the man was on top of me.

And I recognized him.

"You?" I breathed in disbelief, the betrayal crushing me for a moment. But only for a moment.

"You bastard!" I shrieked, struggling to get at him once more. Struggling to get at Curtis, Maki's roommate.

I spat at him. I kicked for his groin, but failed. I butted my head at his, making contact with his nose. This was met with a guttural cry and his arm against my neck.

"Maki!" he shouted, "Maki!" A door opened a second later and bare feet thudded against the hardwood.

"Where's...?" a voice I recognized as Maki's began to question before stopping with an, "Oh." Maki's feet thudded towards me at a run.

"Yeah, oh!" Curtis shouted. "I thought you said she'd be better when she woke up!"

"I thought she would!" Maki shouted back, placing his hands on my shoulders while Curtis moved to my feet.

"Bastards, the both of you!" I screamed even louder. "I trusted you! I trusted you!"

"Calm her down!" Curtis growled at Maki over my screeching. Maki's face appeared over mine, his eyes trying to meet mine. I refused to meet them and instead tried to make my fist meet his face.

"Lekia!" Maki yelled. "I'm not Aaron! Snap out of it!"

"Bite me!" I shouted back. He thought I was having an episode. Was he really that dense? Did he really think I wouldn't know?

"Okay, plan B," Maki groaned. He snatched my wrists in one of his hands, moving quicker than I knew he was able to.

"Nope," Aaron's voice resonated in his chest with the single word. I stopped struggling, too tired to fight back. I followed the dim lights on the ceiling as we passed under them. Running. Why were we running?

I snapped back to the present, groggy and confused. It took several rotations of the wheels to figure out where I was. Maki's arms. With Curtis' arms wrapped around my legs. Lucky for Curtis, he was smart enough to stand perpendicular to my legs instead of behind my feet. But he had to know that I was a bit craftier than a measly kick.

Once I convinced my body that I was no longer in the past, I made my move. My legs jerked downward, bringing Curtis down with them. They came back up swiftly, nailing Curtis in the nose.

"I'm the bastard?" Curtis asked as I put my several, long years of gymnastics--'cause a bunch of prissy five-year-olds in leotards was exactly my idea of fun--and wrapped my legs around his neck. With a little weight disbalance and a quick relocation of my calves, Maki was on the floor with my knees his shoulders and one of my feet on his wrist. The other was on his elbow, because his massive hand still trapped both my own.

"I'm not an idiot, Maki," I growled. "I've been ridden enough times to know the signs of it." Maki's eyes filled with something that took me a moment to place. Shock that I'd figured him out? Or was it confusion? Why would he be confused?

"What are you talking about?" he asked.

"What don't you understand? Do I have to explain 'ridden' to you?" I asked, my eyes widening for effect.

"No...Lekia--"

"Shut up! How can I believe a word from your mouth now?! I trusted you!" Saliva gathered in my mouth as I screeched, threatening to spill over and fly into Maki's face. I probably resembled Gollum in every aspect in that moment. Until...