𝗟𝗜𝗧𝗧𝗟𝗘 𝗗𝗔𝗥𝗞 𝗔𝗚𝗘

𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐄𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓 - RUN AWAY

Etsuko and I were two different kinds of people — in a multitude of ways.

I didn't jump to conclusions as quick as she did. I thought things out a little more than she did — but in no way was it bad. I agree with her quick conclusions most of the time. And if it wasn't for her calling me I probably wouldn't have realized how much trouble I may actually be in. She's helped me realize many things before and she has gained much more of my trust than him or any of his accomplices. I was almost tricked, she had been able to point out. My mother may show up soon, so I could at least rely on an escape — a quick drive back to Kawasaki and I could forget everything, every lie.

I hated the half of me that was slightly convinced they were telling the truth. It left a foul taste in my mouth and a uneasiness in my stomach perturbing me. I hated the doubt — there's always the chance that I'm wrong, the feeling will haunt me and peer around the corners of my mind, mocking me with echoed shrieks. Guilt and it's unfathomable friends, insecurity and doubt. They eat me away from inside and I can't help but turn back.

I hesitated, removing the needle from my arm. I winced, my fingers pinching around the small syringe and it's tubing. Slowly I pulled back, clenching my jaw with distaste — I had to just 'rip the bandaid off'. I cringed feeling uncomfortable as the needle slowly pulled out from my vein, a small dot of blood seeping out of where the needle had previously imbedded itself into my inner arm. My heart was racing — I had already felt the adrenaline rush from thinking of running away. I carelessly let the line fall and pulled off the heart rate monitor, the line across the screen starting to slow and the arches started to lessen — I needed to be quick, before anyone heard the yell of the machine as it flat lined.

When I stood up, my feet met the cold floors and the warmth I felt had vanished as the blanket got further — my body distancing itself for my he bed to quickly make haste. I pulled in my socks, eyes trained on the door as the beeping started to slow. I pulled on my shoes right after, not bothering to check the laces as I jumped up from the ground. I shoved my phone into my pocket carelessly and ran to the window.

I was greeted with stone pathways and dark green shrubs, not a signal sight of an ideal 'escape' but worth an attempt. I placed my hands on the window sill, my fingers searching for and edge to grip onto and pull up. Though the moment I touched the cool metal of the window, a long and bothersome beep rang through loudly. The pace of my heart sped up, my mind yelling at me to rush and my hands doing so. I hadn't left any part untouched and within seconds, slid my fingers under the metal bar and lifted with all the strength I could. I felt a slight sting in the arm previously withholding a needle but paid no mind.

I lifted my leg up and sat myself across the cool sill, a shudder running through me as my bare skin met the metal. It further hiked my skirt when I bent oddly to sneak my head under and around the window just barely opened. I noticed a click in the distance and instantly recognized it as the door keeping me hidden from the psychos outside. And the moment I heard it my heart was sent into a Olympic record speed, I could hear the beats echoing through my body and ringing in my ears. I felt my throat run dry out of shock and tossed myself over the edge, falling to the dirt ground.

"Where did she..."

The ache made me gasp as I collided with the ground but I was quick to pick myself, stumbling but making a run straight forwards. Both determination and fear had me sprinting with sharp breaths — my lungs felt icy after a few seconds. I wasn't very active, but fear should make up for that... shouldn't it?

I left sprinting, taking turns as if someone were really running after me — I was making sure that my absconding path would be efficient for me. My mind was as hasty as my steps with many possibilities and conclusions creeping up in a sense of fright. Each beat of my heart was a quicker step forward and a sharp inhale that felt frozen in my throat – my lungs had started hurting and so did my legs, but I knew I needed to endure it. I knew slowing down was only giving in to my doubt, so I sped up instead, running as far as I believed I should. The obnoxious raging of my heart screamed cadences in my head — I felt like I needed to be faster if I wanted to truthfully be successful.

And I did. I wanted to run away — my thoughts were disarray and disordered, I would never fully process and comprehend something if I'm honestly overwhelmed with confusion.

I made it to some type of clearing, and nothing had reminded me of a hospital. Rather, a few buildings put together to create a mini-city from past eras. The old and traditional styled architecture of the buildings had reminded me of a few shrines I had visited with my mother — some reassembled the guise of a Buddhist temple. The tall structures were dark and looming, each building looked over the rest of the land confidently — most of which were trees and hidden paths within the nature. The air felt rather thin, which possibly hinted I was stuck at a high altitude — this location was somewhere in the mountains.

I turned my back to the architecture and instantly collided with who I hadn't noticed approached me, a cautious expression on Yuuta's face. "Are you — "

I flinched and instantly turned my body, recoiling at a distance to keep away from the voice. I felt so timid and vulnerable being stuck in a unfamiliar place full of crazy people. I narrowed my eyes and furrowed my brows keeping my body huddled close together as if I were cold. "(Y/N)?" I felt my body tense up and freeze, each cell of my body had turned to ice.

"Are you okay? You look a little pale — " His navy eyes grew into worry watching as I took a small step back. The doubt left me betrayed and I felt myself feeling guilty. "I'm..." I breathed feeling tense and pressured as he watched me with soft and pondering eyes — his features' main attraction.

"Incredibly sorry!"