My breath hitched into my throat, I tried to peer further to make out if I actually saw a camera. But, Noelle began to tug on my sleeve, pulling me in the direction of the lights.
"M-Maggie," she whined. "Let's go!"
At that moment, I remembered the situation my sister and I was in. Not only was we close to freedom, but I also had an intense cramp in my calf. We did not have time to idly sit for our captor to greet us with a weapon at hand.
With a small sniffle of courage, I began to hobble my way to freedom once more. Indeed, I was afraid. But, that didn't mean that I couldn't be afraid, anxious of the unknown outcome of our future. Even though I am filled with the deepest fear in my chest, I still acted against my fears. It proved my title as courageous.
And it was what pushed me forward even further.
Biting down my screams of pain, I hobbled past the trees, further away from danger.
"A-Almost there," I heaved, eyes watering with Noelle by my side every step of the way. "J-Just a little further."
Once again, denial was sweeping through my core. It dulled my once wired senses to delusions. All at once they swept my entire being, causing my trembling legs to stumble as they made their attempt to whisk me to safety.
Sound began to gargle under the depths of my ears, drowning, succumbing to my booming heartbeat. Lights flashed around my watery eyes, dancing around in a fierce strife.
"We're here, Maggie," Noelle heaved. "D-Don't leave me. Stay with me."
It felt as if I was dying. As if I was a special guest in spongebob, moving squidward's furniture around on my calf. But, if the squid could make it, then surely could I.
"Noelle, I only have a cramped muscle."
Past the blur of trees were beautiful lights. They stood tall and proud, accommodating one another.
The city lights.
Except I couldn't continue to stand here, gawking at these glimpses of freedom. Away from my once mundane life, a dull past that will haunt me for a lifetime.
With Noelle's hand in mine, we began to tumble down the hill. Loud shrieks echoing into the cool air of the night. Each thud into the ground began to ease the pain in my calf. It was what took my mind off of my tight muscle.
Reach the bottom of the hill, my hand instantly caressed my body. Soothing my aching bones from the steep fall.
"Noelle," I called. "Are you okay?"
"Healthy as a horse," she groaned. Her small frame lifted from the ground, dusting the invisible dust off of her.
"Can you carry me on your back, Maggie?" she huffed, growing visibly tired from our trek from home.
"You'd better hold tight, spider monkey," I smirked, crouching low for her to climb on.
"I know what you are," she whispered in my ear as she hopped up on my back, arms and legs tight around me. It was then that I began our trek.
"Say it. Out loud. Say it."
"Vampire," she whined, attempting to imitate Bella Swan's voice.
•
"We'll just have to rest here for the night," I sighed. My eyes roamed, surveying the area of our temporary refuge. "It shouldn't be that bad."
"Yeah," she sighed. "Not bad at all."
But despite the lies we spoke, our actions spoke truths. There we trembled, bright eyed, watching each and every shuffle meters from our makeshift abode. Her heart pounded of adrenaline, except mind pounds with guilt.
If it wasn't for me, Noelle would be in a comfortable mattress. The only being she would have to be anxious of is our father, instead of the many strangers that stumbled in our proximity.
As my sister drifted off to sleep, at last, a solemn tear escaped past her closed lids. My heart clenched even further, sinking to the lower depths of my acidic stomach.
I'm so sorry.