Just Survive

Chapter Thirteen

- Ashley Gray -

"Ashley!"

A familiar voice soothes my sore limbs and burst eardrums, washing them with tranquillity. Though soothed, the smoothness of his vocal cords sends the shivering goosebumps coating my skin into a frenzy. The tone is instantly recognisable with its twang of an accent and a rough grumble which emanates throughout it and me. Not to mention the tentative grip that holds me in place, preventing me from falling into the gravel that my feet had been kicking up in my frantic flee. I still face the flames that burn my skin and I don't need to turn around to feel comforted by the presence holding me together. I know who it is and that's enough.

The strong yet comforting hands spin me around and I cry out with joy as the shadowed face of Cody greets me, confirming my judgement. I wrap my arm around his neck and he lifts me off the ground in a hug, his hands clutching my hips. If I could, I would cling to him like a koala. I don't want to be apart from him, even the thought of losing his touch sends a pang of hurt through my chest.

The flames from behind me reflect and glow on Cody's tender features as his eyes squint to see me through the darkness of the night. His rosy cheeks light up like fireworks with the glow from the flames. His vibrant blue eyes distract me, capturing me in my imagination rather than the harsh reality that burns up my back. My eyes are solely attached to his and I can't bring myself to look anywhere else in case he's ripped away from me again.

He places my feet back on the ground and takes a moment to look me up and down. He checks for harm and he sees a lot of it - from bruises all over my face; blood coating my skin like fake-tan and my limp forearm. He gasps before brushing his hands over all my wounds as if to determine if they are really there and unfortunately, his eyes aren't deceiving him.

"What happened? Did he do this?" Cody snarls with a shaky voice and worrisome pupils as he truly notices the extent of my injuries. I nod. His expression hardens with rage, his once open and embracing eyes darken as he holds back the anger within him. I can imagine it rising from his gut like a dragon breathes fire. The unbearable pain that comes with the rage sits deep inside your body, unwilling to sympathise even after release.

"Don't worry," I breathe, "I got him." I brace a small smile before my vision turns from beauty to black...

While falling in and out of consciousness, I see Cody looking down at me, begging for me to keep my eyes open. I'm in his arms, my head bouncing up and down as he runs. I see branches, the leaves hitting my face. I try to keep my eyes open, I try to fight back the blanket of exhaustion but it's too hard. I hear Cody calling out again, but I can't make out what he's saying. I just need to close my eyes for a moment...

Once again, I'm awoken by the sickening sound of footsteps and the intolerable agony pulsing through my entire body. However, these footsteps were crunching through soil not slapping against stone flooring. I peek through my eyelids, my eyes stinging and my head throbbing as though I have the worst hangover ever, multiplied by one-hundred. A lull of low voices alleviates the pounding and I pry open my eyes to see a group gathered around me and a camp-fire. I flinch back, shuffling as all I see is a blur of black figures, one of the shadows hovering over me. I yell out in disappointment as I conclude that my escape was a lucid dream. I feel the urge to kick and scream, ignoring the pain to fight and getaway.

I struggle more and more as the shadows fix their grip on me, holding me down with more and more force. I scream and shriek, fighting against the hand that covers my mouth. My yells burst through the fog in my ears, clearing them enough so that I can hear the other voices begging me to calm down.

I look around frantically, recognising the voices but unable to distinguish who is talking and what they're saying. I stop flailing but my mind continues to run wild.