Air Raiders

Chapter Five: On the Run!

He feels trapped. He feels like his air is going to run out and be sucked from his body at any moment and his eyes are wide with fear and he just can't take it- they go in.

His breathing stops. He waits and listens for the men on the lower level. He hears the men talking loudly, and a dull thump.

The door closes. They are inside now and he has nowhere to go. They have to be hear to help, right? Maybe they know him! Somehow, though, he doubts that's true.

He hears footsteps thumping across the floor. It gets louder slightly and he panics. Could they know he is here? He has the weird feeling that they are here for him, but how? What did he possibly do before all this? Who is he?

He grips the warm blankets over him and his breathing returns in short, hard breaths as he hears more footsteps. They are coming into his direction and he has nowhere to go. What would they do with him? Who are they in the first place?

His minds draws a total blank as the steps grow closer and up the stairs. He hears the low creaking of the boards and his chest constricts. Are they really here for him?! He hears the loud rumbling of laughter and it sends chills up his spine. He has to think fast. Now.

Snapping from his stupor, he pushes the blankets back and turns so his feet are touching the ground. He takes a deep breath before pushing his trembling, weak body up. His hands grasp for something, anything to keep him balanced. He gasps out in pain and grabs his side as his dizzy head and numb feet push him over to the wall. He breathes deeply and tries to focus his mind.

The bed. He has to hide, and the bed should be easy enough, right? It all makes the boy wonder where Carter is and if he knows who these men are. Maybe he's with them... He pushes the depressing thought from his tired mind as he forces himself from the white plastered walls and struggles to limp over to the bed. The footsteps are loud now, and he panics.

Could he manage to hide before they get here? He checks his wounded stomach and he realizes that there is no way he can get under the bed in time.

The footsteps finally stop. His eyes dart to the bottom of the door and he can clearly see the shadow of someone stretching across the floor. The shadows looming through the floor are dimly lit from the lamps in the hallways. The person in the other side stops for a moment and stand on the other side while the boy scrambles to the nightstand grabbing the lamp and ripping the long cord from the wall.

After a few moments of labored breathing and uncontrollable shaking, the doorknob turns a bit. This is it. Now or never.

He holds the lamp up and stares at the opening door. He has to fight them. He doesn't know why, but his mind is screaming at him to escape from the men. His body visibly shakes as the person walks in.

The boys heart skips a beat when he sees who it is. It isn't one of the black-suited men. It is Carter. He is standing in the doorway with a surprised and slightly panicked look on his face.

"What-what are you doing?" The boy hurriedly sets the lamp back into it's rightful place on the dusty stand and grins sheepishly.

"N-nothing! I just, uh, thought the lamp needed a new place, that's all!" He raises an eyebrow before shaking his head. Laughing from downstairs reminds the man of the people present and his features grow serious.

"You have to come with me," he walks over to the boy,"we need to get out of here."

Relief floods his system like a broken dam and tears spring to his eyes. All of a sudden he feels all of the fear and stress and he is unable to control his relief that Carter is not indeed here to hurt him.