The Criminal's Eyes - Daniel Howell

Chapter 19

chapter dedicated to (thank for all the votes and comments <3): i_ducking_hate_you

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And for some reason, whether its having Dan back that completely blurs my logic and sense of consequence or simply the heat of the moment and disregard of status quo, I find myself nodding in an instant with no hesitation. It's for Dan. It's for us.

I can make out the shape of his grin in the dark and feel his fingers giving mine a reassuring squeeze, following him slowly as he steps further to the North of the riverbank, leading me into the forest that merges the line between the two borders. The forest that is permanently restricted access.

I forget everything for a few minutes. Ciara, my mother, the Lester/Howell situation. Food, shelter, a plan to where we're even going. I don't speak as words dont seem to form anywhere near my lips, my only instinct is telling me I can't lose Dan this time, I need to go with him whatever happens to us. I don't care what happens to us. As long as there is 'us'.

As my thoughts begin to form again to a sane standard I find the sky has become dark to its full extent of the night and we're now running, fingers still entwined, weaving in between distorted tree trunks that only seem to scare me due to the enhanced intensity of the situation, following Dan's faltering torchlight. My slowly increasing fear deciding to helpfully emphasize the dark shadows around us and I move faster, ignoring the briars that catch at my clothes, the damp leaves that grime my skin. It hits me that we're actually doing this and that one part of my concience tells me to stop in my tracks here and now but I can't bring myself to do it. I'm in too deep to turn back now. I'm too devoted to turn back now.

After a good fifteen minutes of running we stop, and Dan leans his back against a willow with his hands on his knees, panting. When our respiration stops the cold begins to hit me again and I lean into him.

"We're only running to get out of this forest, love, before the sun comes up and the guards are surrounding the outside of it - or even worse, one of the alarms go off. We're really not supposed to be in here, it's a death penalty." he explains between heavy breaths as he lightly strokes the side of my face, letting me know we can't stop for long.

"But h-how do you know the way-"

"How else have I gotten in and out of the Lester/Howell borders so many times without being caught?" he raises an eyebrow at me and gives me a smile which slowly turns into an expression of concern when he spots some of the gashes across my limbs due to the brambles that caught me while we were running.

"I've got the same marks, hon. I promise as soon as we get to the other side I'll get it all bandaged up for you. okay?" he explains, kissing my forehead while I try to evaluate what he's saying.

"Wait, what's the other side, where are we goi-"

"It's leading this way, boys!"

I'm interruped by a gruff voice from not too far away and my heart rate increses immensely as Dan and I turn to look at each other in the midst of what there is of the light, the same panic-stricken look.

"shit, shit, shit, the guards," I hear him murmur under his breath and I can see what he's silently trying to decide in his mind. Stay still and pray they pass us in the silence and the dark... or sprint off, revealing our position but hopefully getting away? I nod at him when I see the exact moment he decides on the latter and begin to run faster than I even thought I could. My ears have suddenly become hypersensitive and I wince at the sound of every leaf crunching under our feet as we go, every twig snapping, every pant or breath either of us takes. It only takes a couple of seconds for the inevitable to happen, and I hear the one voice multiplying into that of about three men, all yelling 'that direction!' and 'over there!'.

I feel my heart pound and the regrets rushing back into my mind, yet I don't know whether I'm thankful it distracts me from the fatigue. Why did I do this? What if they catch us? What if I die? For the first time in my life there's no-one interrupting me from these questions and I realise I'm going to have to be the one to do it. Kira, just stop and run. 

I thank whatever higher being may exist that as time increases their voices fade further and further into the distance and my heart begins to beat normally again. We stop for another minute to regain our breath and I can't distinguish whether I'm feeling fear or exhilaration, but Dan encases me in his arms and I remember how it's all worth it.

"See that opening there?" Dan points me towards a cluster of bushes at the end of a clearing about half a mile away."It's just through there and we're good, babe."

So close, yet so far.

At the very moment it could've all been alright, I can hear their voices back again - and this time they're closer. I don't know whether it was their stealth or our stupidity is to blame, but somehow they've managed to find us again unnoticed. The sound is coming from the left of the clearing - if we run towards it they'll catch us for sure. Dan turns towards me and  I see the alarm in his eyes.

"Do you trust me?" He whispers hastily, his voice wavering. I nod frantically.

"Promise you'll do exactly as I say,"

"But what if-"

"Promise me."

"I-I promise." I say, now becoming worried... what is he thinking, what's worrying him? This is Dan, he always has a plan. He's got to have a plan... right?

"Good. Now, when you hear me yell, I want you to run towards and through the clearing. As fast as you can. Don't turn around, don't look for me, just go. I'll meet you on the other side... while you run I need to distract them first or we're both dead. Whatever happens, don't come for me, Kira, I need you to keep running. Okay?" I nod with the most reluctance I feel I've ever had, before I try to convince myself it'll be okay. Dan knows what he's doing, I'm sure.

He kisses my cheek for one last time and the feeling sits and sinks into my skin as he runs off into the West quarter of the forest, now yelling and taunting the nightguards with 'come and get me!'. If this wasn't so serious I'd laugh at his arrogance. I remember my cue and begin to run towards the open field and the bushes at the end, hearing multiple footsteps flock towards where Dan now is. My increase in heartbeats per second has nothing to do with the fact I'm running. I see the opening and duck down, ready to skid and slide into the small crouch-space and crawl through. I marvel at the fact it's actually working and pull myself through, lights of a city becoming prominent in the not so far distance.

It's just as I begin to stand up I hear the gunshot.

Its as I fall back down from shock I hear the scream.

It's Dan.

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DUDE im 3 away from 1K reads oh my god this is so amazing to me I love every single person reading this and I mean that. Also I apologise for all the grammar mistakes in this chapter and the last if there were any. Its like midnight and I'm too lazy to proofread :) please comment if you have any thoughts, and thank you to everyone that does and reads oh god I love youuu <3