Hunted - The past that kills [COMPLETE]

16 - Not a Hero

From the way the two kissed, no one would've suspected that this moment was Clara's first kiss. Nate had had to kiss Indiana many times, but with her, there was no spark, no connection or love of any kind on his end. This was different though, he could feel a buzz the moment their lips touched. The kiss wasn't world-shattering; it wasn't like the planets had aligned and the universe was shining an imaginary spotlight on the two teens, but it was enough to them. For a few moments at least, their worries and thoughts faded into the background. Family problems, school, ex's, none of it mattered. Even Hayley and her current M.I.A. Status was forgotten.

Clara gently moved her hand from Nate's neck, running it through his fluffy hair as they continued to kiss. His hands slowly moved down to her waist, hugging her figure and caressing her gently. The seconds ticked by yet neither made a move to break the kiss. Their phones were now both on the ground, the torchlight still on to somewhat keep the darkness at bay. Both of them could hear Devon in the background, quietly grossing out at their actions, but she was relatively easy to ignore.

Clara wondered when they would need to breathe again but soon pushed the thought to the back of her head so she wouldn't ruin the moment. She felt Nate inhale in through his nose and but she refused to do the same, worried that they would stop. She smiled into the kiss as he changed his footing, and she figured that he was too caught up in the moment. A hard unyielding force pressed into her back without warning, making her flinch. Worried about where things were going, she pulled away from his lips and opened her eyes.

Nate's eyes were still shut, not registering that she had broken the kiss. Clara frowned, opening her mouth to get his attention, but stopped short as she felt something cool and wet soaking into her hoodie. Blood. Wet and sticky blood, saturating the back of her hoodie.

She cringed and tried to move away but Nate pressed forward, holding her securely against the wall. Clara grew pale, her throat tightening. "Nate...?" she asked, her voice wavering.

He didn't react at first, his force only growing stronger. Then he fell forward onto the brunette, his legs giving way suddenly. She gasped and tried to hold him up, but there was barely enough time to react, so his limp body dropped to the floor. Something was definitely wrong now.

"What the- Clara, check his vitals! No kiss makes a guy pass out like that, I suspect foul play" Devon theorized, causing the formers eyesight to fall upon Hayley's tranquilizer gun. It hadn't been moved, so Nate being shot with it was unlikely.

Clara's heart raced as she knelt down beside him, shaking Nate's shoulders gently. Nothing, not even a finger twitch. She snatched her phone from the ground and opened one of his eyes, flashing the light to check his pupils. They constricted but otherwise did nothing. Clara bit her lip and pressed a finger to his neck to check for a pulse. It was there, but it was thinner than it should have been. His heart rate was also slowed.

"Dev, he's got a pulse but it's weak. What the hell do I do?" Clara breathed, her voice barely audible.

"I'm not sure, it's unusual and I'm not exactly a medical expert so I can't tell you. Clara, look around you. What can you see?" Devon asked, keeping herself calm and clear-headed. She knew that her friend's anxiety would be high right now so if she didn't remain calm on her end for Clara's sake, it could be deadly.

Clara looked up and squinted, her eyes flickering to the light coming from her phone. It was hardly noticeable, but she could make out a cloudiness that filled the entire hallway. She gasped before covering her mouth and nose with the sleeve of her hoodie, feeling her throat strain again as she inhaled something unfamiliar. Without another moment of hesitation, she grabbed my bag that was lying abandoned in the bathroom.