The world vs us

Chapter four ~ through gritted teeth

A gentle buzz of traffic hums in the back of my head. The cold slithers upon my sleeping bones and damp creeps up my clothes. I furrow my brows and roll onto my back. Aren't I at home? In my bed? White clouds fill my vision as I open my eyes, and the traffic begins to scream in my ears. A bird flies across the sky, it's brown figure a contrast to the murky sky. "Morning, El" I hesitate. I sit up. Killian's fluffy brown hair is messy, his green eyes lost. Lost somewhere far away. "Where am I?" 
"Under a Motorway bridge" i feel my eyes widen, as confusion and fear engulfs me. What about Mum and Dad? Did they make it ok? Are they alive and safe? I look at Killian, silently screaming for answers.
"A soldier was taking you so I sav-" he pauses "relieved him of the trouble" I feel my head turn, processing the words just spoken. They sit unclaimed in the air, falling gently toward the ground.
"You saved me?"
"No.. n-no why would I save you?" I can't believe it. Killian Westwood saved me. Me. I'm grateful of corse but I'm astounded. Standing up, my aching legs long for more rest. Killian and I are placed just meer metres from raging traffic. The electrifying buzz echos through my body. Vans, lorry's 4 by 4s, SUVs zooming before me at at least 70mph. Somehow, the world around seems different than before. The sky's more grey, the airs more dense, my head is more foggy. "So, what happened after you took me from the soldier?" I ask, Turing round to see Killian's face of distress.
"Well, I ran." He hesitates "bricks and ash were falling from everywhere so I ran away. With you."
When you put it like that it sounds weird. He didn't run away with me. He saved me from a soldier and had to escape our village engulfed with danger. All while I was unconscious. I begin to feel my legs physically scream for rest. I didn't understand why they pained so much, I was carried. The wet tarmac seeps into my trousers as I sit back down beside Killian. We both idly watch the traffic zoom past us, our minds in a place far from this.

"We need food" I begin, my hoarse voice a reflection of my dry throat. I can feel my stomach calling for food, it's little arms reaching up my throat for something to take in. I kick a small stone into the road, waiting for Killian's reply. It doesn't come. I turn around to see him sitting huddled close, his emerald  eyes still lost. Fear, sorrow and hurt is painted across his face. I never thought I'd ever see Killian like this. Loss fills his slumped figure as the light from his eyes fade. "You ok?" My voice hangs in the desolate air, unclaimed, slowly drifting toward the ground. Killian looks up. His vulnerable face melts away into his skin, a false look of happy shielding his misery. Suddenly he appears as if fine. A sarcastic grin takes it normal place upon his mouth, as he looks at me cheekily. "Food? I don't know how or where we'll get it but we can try." I stand there, brows furrowed. His sorrow just disintegrated before me, it's pieces still fluttering away in the wind.
"What exactly just happened?" I question, confusion laced within my voice.
"With what?" Killian smirks, his face a tale of sarcasm once more.
"You just turned happy as soon as you saw me. Like you where never sad"
"Oh Elora, you've still so much to learn about boys". I watch as Killian rises to his feet, damp imprinted on the back of his trousers. He walks left past me, following the traffic along the side of the motorway. "Where are you going?" I ask, as he walks away.
"I thought you wanted food?" He looks over his shoulder at me, continuing to follow the road.
"Oh! Right!" I jog up to him and we walk alongside the raging traffic, off to find food in a place probably non existent.

"We need food" I begin, my hoarse voice a reflection of my dry throat. I can feel my stomach calling for food, it's little arms reaching up my throat for something to take in. I kick a small stone into the road, waiting for Killian's reply. It doesn't come. I turn around to see him sitting huddled close, his emerald  eyes still lost. Fear, sorrow and hurt is painted across his face. I never thought I'd ever see Killian like this. Loss fills his slumped figure as the light from his eyes fade. "You ok?" My voice hangs in the desolate air, unclaimed, slowly drifting toward the ground. Killian looks up. His vulnerable face melts away into his skin, a false look of happy shielding his misery. Suddenly he appears as if fine. A sarcastic grin takes it normal place upon his mouth, as he looks at me cheekily. "Food? I don't know how or where we'll get it but we can try." I stand there, brows furrowed. His sorrow just disintegrated before me, it's pieces still fluttering away in the wind.
"What exactly just happened?" I question, confusion laced within my voice.
"With what?" Killian smirks, his face a tale of sarcasm once more.
"You just turned happy as soon as you saw me. Like you where never sad"
"Oh Elora, you've still so much to learn about boys". I watch as Killian rises to his feet, damp imprinted on the back of his trousers. He walks left past me, following the traffic along the side of the motorway. "Where are you going?" I ask, as he walks away.
"I thought you wanted food?" He looks over his shoulder at me, continuing to follow the road.
"Oh! Right!" I jog up to him and we walk alongside the raging traffic, off to find food in a place probably non existent.

As we walk, the world around caves in. My legs idly move in time with Killians, as images of people in distress and pain swamp my mind. Screams, yells, shrieks of injustice, all crowding my conscience unforgivably. It's odd to think we actually got raided. That everyone's worst nightmare became a reality overnight. It's the sort of thing that you see and think would be terrible, but are sure it would never happen to you. Then suddenly that man in navy fills my sight. The one I saw on the fields a few days ago. I should've known from then that this was all going to happen. His brutal presence makes this abyss seem real. I can see him perfectly, standing over me with his gun and uniform of death. "I see a gas station"  Killian's words pull me back into the distorted reality. They're toneless and just as bleak as the surrounding world. "You going to say anything or what?" Killian asks, a hint of annoyance in his voice. I furrow my brows. This whole event has made me see Killian as a person. Not an annoying little swine. But now the swine is back, and the person in him has fallen through. Why must he be the one to save me? I mean obviously I'm grateful, I would've died if it wasn't for him. But the meer idea of being stuck with killian for more than a week makes me want to burry my head in sand. 

The door creaks as killian opens it. The air con instantly crashes against my face as my legs struggle to stand. This gas station is tiny, and I'm not sure there will be anything other than a costa express and a pack of cigarettes here. There's absolutely no cars at the petrol fillers, or anywhere for that matter. Just me, Killian, and the air oh so desolate. I stumble into the shop after him. The floor is so cold I can feel it creeping through my shoes. There's a lady at the till, wrinkles are cut deep around her eyes, telling the story of a lifetime of smiles. However now, she looks bleak. Her tan skin is discoloured and deep bags hang from under her eyes. I avert my gaze to Killian. He's looking around at the stands of food. Despite my past queries, there's tons of food in here. It's all really cramped up, of corse, but at least it's something. "Killian?" I whisper, making sure the lady can't hear me, "how are we going to pay for any of this?" He turns around and looks at me, his brown locks bouncing steadily.
"We aren't." His words are sure and stubborn.
"We...aren't? Oh Killian you don't mean we're going to steal, do you?"
"It's our only choice Elora. Do you have any money?" And to that I remain quiet. No, I'd didn't have any money, but there must be a better way than to steal. The lady must understand right? Surely she must've  experienced the raid too. Although come to think of it, we are miles from home and maybe we're an uncounted statistic. A tiny village crumpled unknowingly. I watch Killian as he grabs a fistful of crisps and chocolate. The rustling fills the small shop entirely, however the loud silence still eats into me. "Quick, put this up your shirt"
"I beg your pardon!?"
"I said put this up your shirt. Pretend to be pregnant, it'll work I'm sure"
"You cant be serious," but I already knew the answer.

"Hi!" I smile fakely, my teeth secretly gritted with annoyance, "could I please buy that scratch card?" I point to the blue one above the lady's head, however the movement of my hand makes my tummy rustle. I didn't know why we couldn't just walk out. "here you go, love. 20p please." Her voice is croaked yet clear, happy, yet not quite. "Honey?" I shiver, that single word  from Killian's mouth makes me grow hives instantly. I feel him appear behind me "there you are! Don't go running off with our baby." I smile fakely yet struggle to maintain it when his hand caresses my supposedly pregnant stomach. He is gentle yet there still a minor rustling from the food under my shirt. My heart is racing but for some reason I also feel strangely relaxed. I focus my attention on the lady before us, a smile perfectly filling her wrinkles like a puzzle piece. "Congratulations you two, you make a great couple" I try to not throw up and barely succeed. A good couple? Killian is the furthest from friend material let alone boyfriend material. The thought of having a baby with him makes me want to jump in a river and never reach the surface. "I'm sorry ma'am" Killian begins, "but I only have 10p. I hope you can understand, moneys tight. We both lost our jobs due to the raid threat". That's the worst lie I have ever heard, like she's going to believe that.
"Of corse my loves. 10p is fine" the lady smiles and I begin to see Killians plan fall into place. God I hate it when he's right.