VICIOUS (II) : peter pan ouat

How to Run

    The Natives disappear again, leaving Walela's body. Her corpse swims in her blood, and I don't know how to help her. I can't save her, there's no way I can. I'm helpless.

    "Walela!" I screech. "No."

    She's dead already, either from hitting the ground to whatever sick thing my hands did to her mind. Is this even real?

    "Charlie!" The same voice keeps calling me in deeper, but I still couldn't put a name to it.

    I turn around, running towards the voice. I can't escape Walela's corpse, but I don't know what else to do. I've got nothing else to do. Leaping over logs, tripping over fallen branches. There's no way to escape her; the blood that left her body has now stained my hands.

    A chest collides with mine, and I skid along the ground into it, landing in the dirt. I rip my knife out of my cloak, aiming the point straight at the boy before me. Johnny.

    My dagger just appeared. It wasn't there before. I chuck it aside, trying to avoid the magic that summoned it.

    "Oh my God." He puts his hands around my head, before I shove him off.

    "Don't touch me." My words are sour.

    He rolls his eyes. "We've been looking for you. How'd you escape the Natives?"

    Someone shouts far off, and just far off, I can hear them running after us. Their feet hit the ground, pounding forward. Johnny grabs hold of me and runs, and I don't protest.

    We dart over roots and around bushes, trying to out run a dozen people, who know the land like the back of their hands. Their quick steps, and sheer numbers outweighing us. They're gaining.

    Someone rips me away from Johnny, as someone else grabs a hold of him. My dagger is back in my hand, so I use it to slice the man who holds me. He backs up, as well as the group that encircles us.

    I hold my knife up towards the Native that holds Johnny. It's Inali, and only suddenly did I realise it was him. I'm distracted, and my mind is rushing a mile a minute. I can't tell up from down.

    "Do it." He dares me.

    He tightens his grip against Johnny, holding his small knife at a point to the boy's neck. Piercing the skin, seconds away from plunging deep.

    "Better yet, use magic." He spits. "That's the coward's way out."

    "I'm no coward." I spit.

    He cocks his head. "You've killed four people, three with magic. You killed Walela, when she was trying to protect you."

    I didn't know what else to do, but my hands shake as I stand my ground. "I had no choice."

    "You had a thousand choices." Tears rush down his face, mixing with the blood that comes down Johnny's neck. "You'd even choose to let him die, your friend."

    "He's not my friend." I cry. I can taste the salt in my mouth.

    "Isn't he?" Inali asks. "Your best friend is a serial killer, what does that say about you? You'd let him die, wouldn't you?"

    "Shut up." I warn.

    "How does that make you any better?"

    "Shut up!" I screech, stamping my foot down.

    The circle of men and women around us tumbles to the ground, though Inali, Johnny and I stay standing.

    "Charlie please." Johnny begs.