The brick wall looming in front of her looked intimidating, making Maddy wonder whether she should just turn around and let the cops put the cuffs around her wrists.
The street was narrow, a somewhat dark alley in between the hideous buildings of a notorious neighbourhood. Half-open bags of garbage were thrown all over the sides of the passageway, their filthy contents spilled on the dirty ground. Cartonboard boxes and a rubbish bin were visible in the near distance, pressed against the wall.
"Don't stop!" shouted Carter, his voice hoarse.
And he sprinted straight towards the brick wall.
He was fast, and didn't hesitate a second before making a jump. Supporting his muscular body on his large hands, he pushed his weight upwards. He was on top of the rubbish bin, his knees bent as he turned back towards Maddy.
Who hadn't moved an inch from where she was standing before, still staring at the brick wall.
Or at him.
"What are you waiting for? Get over here!" Carter's voice wasn't mocking or pissed as usual. Just worried. He stretched an arm towards her, palm open and impatient for her to rest her own hand on his.
"Stop where you are, kid!" a man yelled from close behind her.
She snapped her neck and turned around to face a police officer coming straight in her direction, only a few meters away. Her eyes widened, veins suddenly pulsing with adrenaline, limbs bursting with energy.
That was all it took for her to take off. Feeling her feet stable on the solid ground, she ignored the pain of her flesh almost peeling off her aching toes, and raced towards... well, towards a rubbish bin.
She could hear the cop's steps right behind her. If the man stretched his arm...
Her hand flied out, her palm landing on top of Carter's. His calloused fingers tightened around her hand, knuckles flexing white in a strong grip, and he pulled her upwards. Her feet left the ground. Someone else's fingers brushed her ankle. She shrieked and kicked at the man below her, yanking her leg up, one knee on the rubbish bin. She heard a loud thump, the sound of someone hitting the ground with a moan of pain. She didn't even bother to look. Carter dragged her on her feet and, before she could blink, Maddy was balancing on top of the brick wall.
Carter gave an effortless jump, landing on the other side of the brick wall in less than a second. He stretched his arms towards Maddy once more, and this time she didn't pause to think before jumping. His hands held her tiny waist firmly but softly at the same time, and she placed her own palms on his broad shoulders, feeling his strong muscles tensing underneath her touch.
"Let's go," he said when Maddy's feet met the ground, and let go of her waist. That burning sensation tickling her skin subsided along with his hold.
Then they kept running.
They crossed the road, rounded corner after corner, and after a few minutes passed, Maddy relaxed, relief taking over her body as the male voices faded away in the distance.
They lost us, she thought with a sigh freed of anxiety, and her heartbeat began to find its normal pace.
Until she heard a deafening siren on her right. She glanced at the corner on the other end of the street, and beheld a police cruiser flowing on the black, rain-washed tarmac in their direction.
"Fuck," cursed Carter.
Just how many of them are there? And how the heck did they find us again?
YOU ARE READING
Smells Like Winter
Science Fiction"Don't touch me, your hands are cold." Maddy Wesley was your typical 17-year-old high school student, a wallflower with excellent grades, a good taste for vanilla ice cream and a normal, somewhat dull life. Until a virus broke out. A virus that brou...
