The Only-Live-Once Society | Book 2

Chapter Eight

Something rears up behind the stranger.

At first, I can't see what it is. It looks like a blob silhouetted in the moonlit sky. Then I realise it's another human.

My heart drops.

There's two of them.

Movement happens quicker than my eyes can follow, and the stranger on top of me is yanked backwards slightly. The pull makes him loosen his grip a notch, giving me enough space to kick him in the side.

At least, I think theres enough space, until he catches my foot and yanks it backwards, knocking me off-balance. l fly with force, smacking my face off the ground. I immediately feel blood pour from my nose. There's a grim triumph when I realise my body weight pulled my foot free from his grasp. I waste no time scrambling to my feet.

Behind me two voices yell out, one harsh and one frantic. "Get away from her!" - "Let go of her!"

Is that Elijah and Vince? I'm in disbelief. But I turn and realise the second shadow wasn't another person here to get me. It's Elijah. It's Vince. They're here. They're helping me.

Relief, sweet and strong, flushes through me.

They're both holding off the attacker, who is pushing his hardest to get to me, like a snarling dog after its prey. It's terrifying.

"Will you run already!" Vince snaps, they're struggling to keep the man in place.

It's the first time they've both looked their age. They're just teenagers fighting a fully grown adult and they're barely winning.

"Get Stan," Elijah grunts. "We'll hold him here."

"Okay." I say, turning to leave.

I hear them start scuffling, but I don't look. In the next instance something is yanking me back by my hair. The stranger darts in front of me and kicks me in the stomach whilst landing another blow to my jaw, my vision spots black and red. The kick to my chest is so hard air is forced from my lungs, the pain is like nothing I've felt before. I can't breathe, I fall, gasping.

I watch from the ground as Vince grabs the guy by his head with one hand and punches him in the nose with the other. There's a crackling sound and I know the guys nose is broken.

Get up, my brain demands of me.

I rise unsteadily to my feet. The man shoves Vince off him but Elijah is there, landing another blow in the same place. Whilst Elijah goes for the nose, Vince goes for the ribs. They land repetitive blows and it barely seems to make a dent as the man staggers towards me.

"Amelia," Elijah barks. "Go and get help."

"I'm trying!" I splutter.

My legs are unsteady as I try and scramble away from them. When I look back I see they've managed to get the man on his knees. Then he bursts onto his feet again and pushes them off, slow and coordinated, like a ballerina.

He's going to come straight for me.

Adrenaline is flooding me in painful waves. My heart hammers and hands shake, I ignore the throbbing pain in my chest from where he kicked me and will my legs to break into a sprint. Now I don't dare look back, I don't focus on how hard it is to breathe or the feeling of blood spooling down my face.

I have one job. Get help. They need help. But when I reach the end of the path and I'm closer to the main body of the school I hear Elijah call, "He's gone!"

I skid to a halt and spin, both the boys are at the edge of the field, close to the wall that surrounds the school. They're looking up, like the guy managed to jump over it. But it's impossible. That's a thirty-foot brick wall.