Just keep running... don't stop.....
These are the words that play through my mind a million times over. The footsteps fall heavier as they get closer. They'll never stop chasing me. Not today, not tomorrow, not ever.
I turn the bend ahead of my racing feet, passing a pile of mutilated bodies askewed across the forest floor. I am responsible for all of their deaths... All because I ran away.... The smell of rotting flesh follows me as I race through the leafy depths of the forest.
Harder and faster, the footsteps approach me. My legs are so numb...so very numb. I start to gradually slow to a walk, my lungs gasping every ounce of oxygen they can take in. Yet, they'll never get enough.
I collapse in a huddled heap on the moist bed that is the forest floor. Dark figures surround me, blocking the filtered sunlight. I moan in agony as shadowed hands grasp my bony shoulders, lifting me towards the light. Dragging my limp body forward, the pain comes on stronger; even death would be better than this. The edges of my vision fades into a black mist as I surrender to unconsciousness.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
I awake in a cold, damp room, surrounded by colorless machines, and blaring alarms. Icy metal reaches my exposed back, sending chills up my spine. Wires of a dull white, spiraling in every direction from needles emerged in my body. Running to empty machines, they mark me.
Where am I? Why am I here? Who is here with me?
"Good, you are awake," a deep, masculine voice roars from speakersoverhead.
"Where am I?" A whisper the only thing escaping my pale lips.
" You know where you are, Luna. Look around dear, doesn't it all seem, well, familiar to you? It is the only place you have ever lived my child. And the place where you shall die as well."
I look around the vast room. Computers, machines, screens, wires, guards, and guns cover both of the far walls, as my prison sits in the middle. One-way mirrors cover both of the walls on my sides. This is the 'home' I escaped from. These people, their lies....
I turn my head slowly until it completely faces the one-way mirror to my left. Looking back at me is a girl. Who is she? Small scratches and dark, ugly bruises cover her pale, round face. Brown, damp, short hair covers her eyes- covers the gash above her eyebrow.
I need stitches, but they won't help me until I give them what they want, what they want me to say. What do you want from me?!?!
"Dear, you know what we want from you. If you didn't, you wouldn't of ran from the only home you have ever known."
He is right. I have to tell him. He wants the cure- the end to all of this madness out in the real world. But not before.....
Struggling against the rotted rope, its rough twine burning my wrists raw. Just a little bit more.... Snap..... The rope breaks as I spring up into a sitting position. Ripping wires from my flesh, itching and burning. Quickly undoing my feet, I jump onto them. Springing into action heading towards the door, a voice sounds behind me.
" You'll never get away, but you can always try dear. Get Her!!!!!"
I turn my head, only to see heavily armed men in metal suits racing towards me, guns aimed at my head. Racing towards the door, forcing it open and squeezing out just as bullet holes start appearing in the door. Breathing heavily, but not stopping, I race back into a new forest beyond me.
Running, I trip over a dead child. Its death most likely my fault. Its blood soaking through my hoodie. This child just died...his blood still fresh his skin just beginning to become cold. Scrambling to my feet, sticky with the smell of blood and the dead child, I continue on.
Suddenly, strong hands grasp my shoulders, pulling me into the shadows. His deep voice against my neck sends a blush creeping up my cheeks. "I'm on your side. I am against these maniacs." Who does this guy think he is? He clasps my sweaty hand into his calloused and cool palm. "We need to run. Run as hard and as fast as you can, but stay with me and don't let go at all costs." I nod in agreement, barely being able to, before we take off.
Crashing through the trees, branches snapping, leaves crunching, rocks under our feet, I follow. Finally, after what seems like an eternity of running through tree after endless tree, we come to an abandoned highway. Paved road, rough and cracked with years of usage. Flipped cars and mutilated bodies everywhere. Blood red- the only color visible. A tear slides down my cheek, becoming red as it slips to the ground.
Walking, I ask his name, our hands brushing one anothers. "Its Eli." Eli..that's a nice name- I like it.
"Luna right?"
Heat rushes towards my cheeks, he knows my name! I turn my head barely, trying to hide the fact that I want to get a closer look at him. He smiles. Dammit, he saw me.
As we continue down this boulevard of emptiness, a small house, and more after it, appear. More dead families lie beyond the walls. Red, orange fires blaze on from the streets, a lonely doll in the road, missing its little owner. She'll never see her again.
Pale pinks and oranges fade into shades of purple and blue as darkness falls. Sitting in an abandoned house once belonging to a family, candlelight dancing shadows on the walls, I rummage through what clothes that seem to fit. A black Rolling Stones shirt, ripped blue jeans, and black tennis shoes; clothes all seeming to belong to a young teenage girl. For him, a grey shirt, blue jeans, and black tennis shoes in a father's closet.
I hand him the clothes and a found towel, for him to return upstairs to shower. Remarkably, the town has running amenities left. Combing the rest of the house, finding cans of soup, vegetables, bottled water, protein bars, and dried fruit. Cooking the soup and vegetables at the small kitchen stove, I shove the rest into backpacks containing other found materials. ( combs, first aid kits, scissors, knives, blankets, etc.).
Pounding footsteps come down the stairs, revealing the most handsome man I have ever seen. His grey shirt stuck to his chest defining his muscles, the jeans fitting him perfectly, and his tousled black hair glistening with beads of water. I bite my lip, looking away quickly hoping I wouldn't get caught for staring. He smiles, rubbing his hair with a faded towel, it sticking up in all directions. He takes a seat at the table as I run for a shower.
Upon returning, a table for two is set for dinner. Sitting down after a long day, we eat in silence. He breaks it..."I saw you staring at me."
I freeze, another blush crawling up my cheeks, my heart racing. "Um...no..."
"It's okay, I like you too."
This makes my cheeks grow darker, the heat rushing. He laughs and takes our plates. Afterwards, he approaches me and takes my hand, leading me upstairs to retire.
I follow him as he and I walk through the bedroom door. He turns, shutting the door behind us, taking me into his arms. My head, only coming to rest right under his chin. I blush as he brings my head up and kisses my lips gently. His hand moving to the back of my neck, pushing me closer into his embrace. I put my hands on his chest, pushing him gently...I whisper into his ear, "We can't do this, not now at least.
"Why not?"
"We just met, and it's not safe."
Just as this passed my lips, the bullets start pouring in through the windows, glass shattering. He grabs my hand, and pulls me to the floor. Slipping on our backpacks, we start to crawl towards the stairs- the only way out. Reaching the back door, a look over my shoulder reveals a nightmare. Men dressed in black enter the house, looking for the girl who hold the fate of the world in her hands- me. Out the back door, we face another forest.
Trampling through the woods, we come to an open clearing. Flashlight beams on our heels, Eli points to some brush on a river bank. "Get in, the brush will camouflage us." He takes my hand as he crawls down first, winces when the water touches him. Offering his hand, I take it and crawl into the spiky brush. Moonlight reflecting off the water, he kisses my forehead. "Are you okay?"
"Yes Eli, besides people chasing us. Are you?"
At this moment, his gaze floats to the water, now a murky red color. I tug his shirt upwards, revealing a gunshot wound. Gasping, I pull him up a little- he swats at my hand. "We need to get you out of the water, and under some cover, then I can dress the wound."
"We can't," he winces," They're behind us. Hold your breath."
I hold my breath as blinding beams of light shine overhead. How did he know they were right there? After the beams retreat, voices and footsteps fading. When silence falls, I shift. Pushing myself up onto the bank, I help him up. Raising up his shirt. Unzipping my backpack, removing the first aid kit, I set it next to us. Taking out a clean cloth, soaking it in rubbing alcohol. "This is going to hurt a lot."
"No it won't."
As soon as these words leave his lips, I drape the soaked cloth over the wound. "AHHHHHHH!!"
Taking a pair of forceps, I remove the bullet. Smiling, I unwrap a roll of gauze. Gently wrapping it around his torso, he replaces his shirt. I offer him my hand, and taking it we stand. Wrapping his arm around my shoulders for stability, we begin walking opposite of which we came.
Walking slowly and stiffly we come to a stop. Eli sits under a tree carefully near the road we came down. Taking off his shirt, we repeat the process of undoing and redoing the dressing. I sit beside him. Closing my eyes, leaning back onto the rough tree bark, his arm wrapping around me, the leaves of the tree gracefully falling onto my face- the first moment of peace in the longest time.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Light pierces the darkness as my eyes reveal an empty room. Metal cuffs bind my wrists and ankles to a table. Fear strikes my heart, freezing me in my place. Staring upwards at the endless expanse of white tile that is the ceiling. Scissors snipping towards me is the only thing that breaks my from myself. As they come closer, the person holding them comes in view- a man. "My name is Charles, and you are going to remember me for the rest of your life." The scissors come to my cheek and just before they shut......
Jolting upwards, I wake under the tree in which I began my slumber. Eli is awake, probably because of me, and he places his hand on my cheek, brushing it softly.
"Are you okay?"
"It was just a nightmare."
I look down at my feet, staring at the already messed up shoes: Just like my life. Sadness washes over me like the tide crashes upon the shore, and Eli takes me into his arms. With my head under his chin, he speaks, his adams apple tickling my head. "We have to keep moving, they're going to find us. We cannot stay in one place for too long."
I nod in agreement, getting up from my place and starting to walk with him. Walking down a forest path, we reach a river with crystal clear water. A dead turtle lays motionless in its shell full of blood. I yelp at the sight of the animal, Eli turns me away, tucking me into his chest like a small child. Why does everything have to die?
A tear sliding down my cheek, I look up at him. He looks down and murmurs, "I'm sorry." Shooing me along, we keep walking into the vast future in front of us- an endless expanse of nothing.
All I have ever wanted was a happy ending. Getting out of that metal prison was the beginning. It was not known to me that that would actually be the end.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
An endless road stretching before us, feet pounding the pavement, our breaths gasping, as we slow to a stop. A small city lays before us, destruction clearly leaving a path behind it. One building, its blood red bricks showing beneath chipping ocean blue paint. Metal hinges creaking in the breeze, we enter- blocking the door with an old desk as we enter. Examining the rotting wooden stairs, gently stepping, we walk to the second floor. Small clicking of feet, rodent feet, scrape and scratch across the floor behind us. I jump at the sound, Eli chuckling at me. I slap his arm playfully- smile slowly creeping across his face.
Suddenly, strong arms are lifting me up into the air. As he begins to run up the stairs, he comes to a series of doors. One, at the end of the hall, is the only intact one.