nightrunners

xxx.

Rain droplets forced their way into her already tear-filled eyes. She wiped the back of her hand across her face, but it proved to be useless. The rain pelted down onto her body, bouncing off every inch of her skin. Her arms trembled as her hands gripped the handles tightly, her knuckles nearly turning white.

When she spotted the beginning of her road, she sped up, anxious to get home and ring Rafe. She sped down the driveway, her eyes focused on the dimly lit house just a few thousand feet in front of her. Her breath caught in her throat each time she narrowly missed a pothole. She turned to look behind her quickly, a sudden feeling of wanting to know if JJ had followed her. When she faced back towards the front, she yanked the bike to the side, attempting to dodge a hole that was filled with water. However, the front of the tire scraped against the edge of the pothole, making the rest of the bike skid in the mud. The girl's panicked voice echoed in the storm as she tried to regain control of the bike. Her wet hair had fallen in front of her eyes, making it difficult for the girl to see. She tried rub the side of her cheek against her shoulder, hoping to move some of the hair. However, in the process she had placed too much weight on the side of the bike, making her lose balance and crash into the ground.

She screamed in pain and looked down at her feet, the bike sprawled out on top of her lower half. Inaudible words escaped her mouth as she tried to wiggle free. Her fingers dug into the mud underneath, her nails instantly being coated with the wet, brown earth. She used her remaining strength to kick her legs out from the bike and fell back onto the ground, facing up towards the darkened sky. Raindrops coated her face and she opened her mouth, desperate to catch a breath.

She couldn't just sit here and wait. The longer she sat, the more likely JJ would be closer.

Cassiopeia took a deep breath and pushed herself off of the ground. She bit into her hoodie attempting to muffle her screams. She looked back down at her leg, her left shin displayed a crescent shaped wound – a dark liquid slowly leaking from it.

She bit down on her lip profusely, praying her grandmother wasn't awake. She stood up gently, trying to muffle the screams that wanted to escape from her. The pain radiated through her entire body. The girl took a look at the house, no new lights had come on. She wobbly stood there, thinking of ways not to put much pressure on her injured leg. She took one more deep breath before she began to hobble the rest of the way down the mud-laden driveway.

When she reached the front door, she nearly collapsed against it. Her breathing was rapid and she had long surpassed the need to try and stop shaking. Carefully, she opened the door and peered slightly inside. The TV was off and the clock was ticking back and forth, creating a comforting hum throughout the house. Her grandmother must be asleep. However, a small fire was still dimly lit in the corner of the room. Cassiopeia thought of the boy burning in the flames and she tried hard not to throw up.

She shut the door behind her and leaned against the wooden frame. She fluttered her eyes shut as her heart rate begun to slow down. But the thought of Rafe's lifeless body made her eyes snap open. There was no time to relax, she needed to warn him. She needed to get to him.

The girl pushed herself off the door and wobbled to the stairs, taking her time going up them. When she reached the top, her eyes flicked down at her brother's smiling face in the picture frame. She smiled slightly, running her dirt-crusted finger across the boy's face.

She walked gently down the rest of the hall, holding on the railing for support. When she opened the door, her room was dark. The only sound was the fan running with the accompanying rain in the background. She reached into the darkness, searching for the light. When her fingers traced over it, she flicked it on, nearly screaming.