The Talented and Gifted

Prologue

The funny thing about facing imminent death is that it snaps everything else into perspective. Take right now for instance.
            Run! Come on, run! You can do it!
I gulped lungful of air. My brain was on hyper drive; I was racing for my life. My one goal was to escape. Nothing else mattered.
    My arms being scratched to ribbons by a briar I’d run through; no biggie.
         My bare feet every sharp rock, rough root, pointed stick? No problem.
             My lungs aching for air? I could deal with.
As long as I could put as much distance between the cops and me.
Yeah, the cops; crazy cops. The special occasion ones, the ones up for he kill. Right now they were after me.
            Bang! Bang!
Really? Now they were shooting!
            Bang! Bang! Bang!
One of the shots hit me on my already bloody arms.
Run! You’re faster than them! You can outrun anyone!
I totally lost. Still my arms pumped by my sides, my feet crashed through the under bush, my eyes scanned ahead anxiously trying to figure out where I was and why some kids were behind me screaming my name.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Three lucky shots, all hitting me square on the chest. Pain shot through me. Blood gushed out of my chest making my knees to give away.
My head hit the ground with a hard thud. Then darkness swallowed me.