The Countdown

Chapter Twelve~ Boom

I would have kept running, putting even more distance between me and the town, but Abby was slowing down, and she still would have to make it back before I attempted to stop my clock.

we knelt down in the early morning dew. I had no idea how much time I had left.

when we had found my clock we had just under a half hour left, plenty of time, but i hadn't been accounting for a scuffle with the city's finest.

00:00:01:23.

"Abby! Run now!" I screamed, terrified she wouldn't get far enough in time.

Although Abigail was fast, I realized she had no hope to escape before time was out. She was already struggling to rise.

She met my eyes. "There's no time. Do it now."

"No! Start running, maybe it'll be far enough." There was no chance I'd detonate that thing unless I knew for certain Abigail would be safe.
I knew she wouldn't make it, I was as good as dead, and I wouldn't be taking her with me.

"I know what you're thinking and I can't..."

"Abigail, I'll be fine, just go!"

"No!" Abby yelled.

In a blur Abigail wretched the clock from my hands and chucked at the treeline, sending it crashing into the trunk of a large oak. The devise cracked open, exposing wires and a plum of smoke.

In seconds I had tackled Abby and we fell face down into the grass, with only a small boulder for cover.

BANG!

Heat washed over us,  followed by bits of smoking metal and wood. I felt pain in my legs as fragments pelted me, pressing my face deeper into the dirt I tucked them under me.

I could feel Abigail at me side, shaking with tears.

We stayed flat for several long minutes, even after the debris settled.

Finally I rose, spitting clumps of grass and dirt. The trees near us were destroyed, but the explosion hadn't reached more than a ten foot radius. The only injuries I had sustained was a few minor burns to the back of my calfs.

We had survived, but I found this strangely anticlimactic.

Abigail rose slowly, she looked around in disbelief.

Suddenly she crumpled, curling into a ball, shaking uncontrollably.

"Abby!"

She looked up at me, face streaked with tears.

"I thought I killed you!" She explained. "I thought... but it was just... this! just..."

Abby began shaking again, I reached for her but then realized she was laughing.

All this terror, rumors and theories, for this minor explosion.

It was almost too ridiculous to comprehend.
Even a cop had stood frozen with fear at the idea of some catastrophic bomb. 

I stood stiffly, Abigail, still half laughing, half sobbing, joined me as well.

I gazed at my Cwatch.
9:56 Am.

I had out lived my clock!

"Mom and Dad!" I gasped. They would think I was dead!

Abby was supposed to have came home hours ago. Suddenly I realized how close I had been to death, a minute longer and I would have been gone.

My knees buckled and Abigail caught my arm.
"woah there, Everhart. Come on. I'll walk you home."

I could wait to see my parents' face when I came bursting through the door. They'd be happy I'd lived of course, but mad I'd put Abby in danger.

Still, after standing on death's door all I wanted was to be with my family.

((Sorry for the short chapter, but hey! They lived! There's still one chapter left though... Plenty of time for things to go wrong.))