The Lores of Lyra - Rising Star [Book I]

Chapter 4 - Exhausted

Chapter 4 – Exhausted

Annabell didn’t know where they were heading. Nor did she have any clue for how long they had been running already. She had attempted to take off in a different direction, but Joshua had planted a strong hand around her arm, dragging her with him. Now, her lungs felt as if they were about to burst.

Leaves covered the ground, shielding any roots. This caused her to stagger around on wobbly legs while Joshua pushed her harder. 

Dude… slow down.

The tight grip hurt her already raw wrist, and the more she sagged behind, the more she felt his palm tearing at the sore skin. All of her body ached from a combination of the earlier torture, and the excruciating exercise she was currently doing. Normally, she would consider herself quite athletic, but as she looked towards Joshua, she felt ashamed over her own lack of skills.

With his jaw locked, he ran in a steady pace. Not a drop of sweat was visible, and he didn’t show any signs of wanting to slow down anytime soon. Deep in thought, Annabell didn’t see the massive rock on her path, and a loud whelp escaped from her lips as she stumbled over it. 

She felt the grip tighten, and just moments before her face hit the ground, Joshua jerked her upright again.

“Be careful. We need to hurry, so don’t hurt yourself,” he said before turning away.

“I… can’t… more…” Annabell couldn’t even form a coherent sentence. Her heart knocked against her ribcage, and she struggled to breathe. Stumbling slightly, she could feel her knees ready to buckle under her.

Joshua gazed back at her, and she couldn’t help but to squirm a bit under his intense stare.

“Just a bit longer, come on,” he urged before pulling her along once more, this time in a slower pace than before. 

Finally… Now I might be able to breathe. Annabell regretted the thought moments after, when Joshua led them uphill. The strain on her muscles intensified, and she felt herself grow more and more irritated with him. 

If you wanted to kill me, you could have left me back there, she thought.

A howl sounded from somewhere far behind them and with a concerned look back, Joshua once again forced her to go faster. Curses formed inside her mind, and with her last ounces of strength, she tried to keep up the best she could manage. Just when she was about to give up, Joshua stopped.

“Solem. Thank you.” Annabell was about to curse him for his inconsiderate behavior, when a nasty coughing fit took over her whole body. Her knees buckled, and she fell down to her knees. She could feel her heart jump like crazy in an attempt to escape from her chest. Leaning back, she stared at the treetops, trying to steady her breathing once the coughing stopped. A tingling sensation spread through her, and she looked up to find Joshua staring at her. Meeting his gaze, she sneered.

“What are you staring at, freak?”

Joshua rolled his eyes in response, before gesturing to her hair.

“A bird is trying to build a nest in your hair.” Turning away, he squatted down and started to rummage through his blue backpack.

Frantically, Annabell started to run her hands through her hair, looking at the long brown strands of hair just to find twigs and leaves mixed in the tangled mess. It wasn’t until her eyes landed on Joshua that she stopped worrying about her looks.

He was staring at a bunch of different objects in front of him. Annabell flipped over, cautiously crawling over to peek. On the ground before him, he had placed two suspicious vials. Their content wasn’t visible to Annabell.