Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
"Liu Yangyang, please exit the house with your hands behind your head and we can get this over with," Detective Hwang yells through the slightly open window. Police sirens start wailing and Yangyang hears his mum rush down the stairs.
"What is the meaning of this?!" She screeches, obviously startled. Ten and Xiaojun both stare at him with wide eyes. Yangyang can't think fast enough, his breath catching. All noises get droned out by his thumping heartbeat.
"Mrs Liu, and others, please step away from Yangyang."
"I will not! What is going on?"
"Run Yangyang,"
"What the fuck?!"
"You deserve this!"
"What did he do?!"
"He's dangerous, step away! NOW!"
Police break through the front door, wood splinters flying everywhere. They yell at all four of them, holding up their barricades. Yangyang can't breathe, his throat is closing over. Shock? Panic? Guilty? What the fuck is going on?
"RUN!"
Xiaojun grabs him and drags him as he breaks away from the group, sprinting as fast as he can. Yangyang's vision swims but soon he's on his own feet, running alongside Xiaojun. Adrenaline pumps through his veins as he overtakes Xiaojun and they make it to the backdoor. He opens it in one swift movement and they jump the stairs, clearing the verandah. Still running just as fast, they make it through the back gate.
There's no police anywhere and Yangyang almost relaxes.
Not yet.
They push through the thick hedge and run down to the creek that snakes along behind the house. Xiaojun starts to slow, but Yangyang grabs him by the arm and continues sprinting until they reach the park's fence line. The fence was wired and about three metres tall but Yangyang has bigger problems.
He could hear the police yelling behind them, Xiaojun looks just as panicked as him. Nimbly, Yangyang climbs the fence and hangs onto the other side, giving Xiaojun a hand up. They both jump over and keep running. Adrenaline fading, he only felt sick and tired. They both knew they couldn't continue this forever. Clearing the fields of the park, they make it onto the roads of the main city with no sight of the police. Sirens wail in the distance, Yangyang guesses that they're sending cars into the city.
"Where now?" Xiaojun is doubled over, breath coming sharp.
"You leave me. Xiaojun, you should have never been involved," Yangyang backed up to an alleyway, the same alleyway where the first two murders had occurred. Were those his fault too? He could only wonder.
"No way. Even if I leave you, I'm in this now. They'll get me for assisting you or whatever," Xiaojun straightens and follows him. Sirens sound, just that bit closer. They both stumble into the dark alleyways, staying clear of the street. They walk for ages, finding a small alcove to slump into. Neither of them says anything, panting breaths fill the silence. Yangyang thought he was going to be sick, his lungs were burning.
