On The Other Side

Chapter 4 - The Run

CLAY
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"What now?" George whispers gently as I land on the ground beside him.

Without a plan in mind, I shrug and begin scanning our surroundings. George remains silent, lost in his thoughts, visibly scared. I can sense the weight of the situation on both of us as we navigate through uncertainty. Taking a moment to collect my thoughts, I try to figure out our next move.

"Let's go," I say, trying to appear confident as I tug at his hand, pretending to have a plan.

We run towards the bushes, and I clear away some branches to reveal an opening, allowing George to pass through first. I follow closely behind, and together, we successfully make it back to the street we came from.

George sighs in relief, and I smile back at him, sharing a sense of relief in this small victory. The wind against our skin brings a feeling of freedom. I hold onto my backpack straps tightly, appreciating the weight of the moment.

"I have an idea," I say, and George looks at me with curiosity in his eyes. "Follow me," I add, and although he hesitates for a moment, he decides to trust my lead and follows along. I actually don't know what I'm doing and I do not have a plan.

Securing my backpack across my chest, I notice George mimicking my actions before we both take off running. His smile brings me reassurance as we move forward together. In that moment, I can't help but wonder about the time he spent feeling trapped in the orphanage. However, now, we're on this journey to escape and to find freedom. Each step we take pushes us further away from our past.

As we continue running, the wind against us adds to the sense of freedom we feel. Suddenly, my eyes catch sight of a bike lying in the front yard of a lavish house, and I quickly head towards it. Glancing around, I search for anything else with wheels that we could use. Looking at the big house, I come to the conclusion that if they can afford a house like this, they won't miss one bike. I pick up the bike, ready to use it as our means of escape.

George runs past me and I watch with surprise as he grabs a skateboard nearby. He looks back at me, seeking approval, and I can't help but grin and nod enthusiastically.

With the bike in hand, I push it towards the road, and George joins me, holding the skateboard tightly.

A woman's voice suddenly pierces the air, "Hey, stop!" My heart races, and I exchange a quick glance with George. We can't afford to get caught now.

"Oh shit!" I say, look at her and then at George.

With quick thinking, George steps onto the skateboard, holding onto the end of the bike. The woman from the house runs after us, but we're determined to outrun her. George's beaming smile gives me confidence, and we exchange nods of encouragement. I start pedaling, and he maintains his balance on the skateboard, helping us move even faster.

I steal a glance behind us and see the woman giving up her chase, "I'm calling the police!" Our hearts race with both fear and excitement as we continue our daring escape, determined to put as much distance between us and the house as possible.

I can't remember the last time I smiled so hard. This might get us in trouble, but we're fucked either way. Either we stay there and George dies of boredom in the orphanage and I become a mafia drug leader or we run away with my father's money and figure out the rest.

I continue pedaling relentlessly until we finally escape the city. With the sun already down, I decide to stop. My legs ache from the extended pedaling, and my shoulders feel the strain of the heavy backpack on my back. Finding a safe spot, I take a moment to catch my breath and rest, knowing we've covered a considerable distance in our escape.

As we come to a stop, I glance at George and sense a hint of fear in him. Wanting to reassure him, I offer a warm smile. "We did it, George," I say, and his worried expression eases, replaced by a smile. "We made it out of the city," I add, looking around at our new surroundings. Our successful escape fills us with a mix of relief and hope, knowing that we've taken a significant step towards a different life outside the confines of the city.

We are surrounded by mountains and grassy fields, which initially feel amazing. But then I realise that we need food and a place to sleep for the night.

"Yeah," George says with a forced smile "But what happens now?"

As I shrug, my smile fades, and I explain, "We do have money. We just have to find a hotel or something like that to sleep in." I ease the heavy backpack from my sore shoulder.

I check to make sure the money is still there, and it is. However, I also discover bags of cocaine hidden among the money. Despite the unexpected find, I can't help but smile, and when I glance at George, he grins back at me.

On top of taking approximately 10 thousand dollars from my dad's safe, we also managed to steal about 50 thousand dollars worth of his drugs.

My heart becomes heavy as I realize the conflict within me. I ran away to escape drugs, but the thought of finding happiness through selling drugs now tempts me.

"Fuck." George says and I look up at him, and he shows me his dead phone, tightly gripping it in his hand.

I close the bag and give him a nod. Retrieving my phone from my pocket, I check the maps and find a hotel approximately fifteen minutes away from our current location. "There's a hotel nearby," I inform George, who nods in response.

Taking a moment to ensure we're ready, I settle onto the bike. Once everything seems set, I start pedaling, setting us on our way towards the hotel.

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