Ryde Or Die

ONE.

Awaken from what she thinks is another nightmare, she sits up abruptly in bed. Heart pounding. Head aching.  Blonde Hair stuck to her forehead. Her breathing is ragged as her heart tries to slow down to its normal pace.

"Ashlyn we must move. Now!" Ryder shouts the demand. He is already grabbing the few belongings they have, shoving them down into their back packs.

Getting up off of the used mattress, Ashlyn starts grabbing anything she can get her hands on to help him quickly pack up.

The voices become more easy to hear. Shit, they're getting closer. Panic was really starting to set in.

"We've got to find them!"

"You search over there, I'll continue down the hall."

"Commander, I hear footsteps! This way!"

So many voices talking over one another Ashlyn can't even hear her own self think. All she knows is that they are coming and they are coming fast!

Ryder pulls her by the hand so they can scuffle towards what he likes to call the "GTFO" escape route. It's a window majority of the time.

As the military is searching every nook and cranny of the abandoned house they had taken refuge in for the past week, Ashlyn and Ryder sneak out of the window from one of the upstairs bedrooms.

Ryder throws his bag down from the roof before going over the edge himself. Ashlyn always hates it when he picks two story houses to make camp in because when they have to run, it is always one of the upstairs rooms and she will have to deal with this situation. She always worries  that Ryder will break a bone or they will have a look-out guard still outside and they'll take him leaving her stranded on the roof until someone would take her as well. Still, he insisted on this plan because it gives time to get everything together quick, fast, and in a hurry before the military take their first steps up.

"Come on Ash, I've got you. Toss your bag, I'll catch it." Ryder calls up to her in a breathless voice.

She throws her book bag down to him watching as he catches it and sets it on the grass beside his feet.

The next part she hated. This is the part where she'd has to take a deep breath and jump into Ryder's arms hoping that he won't drop her.

"Come on, come on. Those fuckers are coming. I'm not going to drop you."

Ashlyn looks down into his worried-but-trying-not-to-show-it facial expression he has too often these days.

Deep breath. One. Two. Three.

She jumps and just like that she is held by Ryder's strong, sun-kissed arms. He lets her down, hands her bag back while he grabs his and they're off.

Ashlyn hates the running. It is wearing her down and she knows it is wearing Ryder down too, but he'll never admit it. He is just like his brother; too proud and never wants to bother anyone else with problems of their own.

Chase. His name comes to her like it does every day. Always wondering where he is. Is he still alive? Has he found Jaxon?

She remembers his hazel eyes. When the sun hits them just right, you see flecks of gold and it always made her want to melt. 

They haven't see him since they were all split up that night at their parent's cabin.