DUSK OF DECAY

CHAPTER 4:

Shots were fired behind her, but she didn't look back. Too afraid of what lay ahead. This was when she heard a voice from behind. Warning her that if she didn't stop running, Noah will have to pay for it. He didn't run?! She thought. She knew she had to stop. She had to help him.

As she turned, to her horror, she found Noah being held at gunpoint. Her heart dropped. He shouted for her to run and save herself. But she couldn't do it. She couldn't leave him there to die for her. A man grabbed her by the arm and took her back calling her a selfish bitch. Before she could process her situation now, she heard another loud bang and a thud as Noah collapsed to the ground with a bullet in his shoulder. Tears spilled from her eyes and her breathing became erratic, knowing this was all her fault. Noah yelled at her, all confused, asking her why she hadn't left, why did she stop. And then bang, another gunshot. This one blurred her vision for a moment. It wasn't her who was shot. A man shot Noah in the arm. All she could think about was why? Why did they shoot him?? She was filled with rage as she watched them laugh hysterically. Before she could realize, she was running at the man with an intent to do harm. She swung her fist to punch the shooter in the face before kneading him in the groin. She pulled Noah off the floor and began to run with all her might. Bullets were flying past them as they were trying to escape. She could hear them cussing and screaming behind them, but she refused to stop, knowing that she had already made a grave mistake by not running sooner. Regardless of what happened to anyone else, her only priority was getting herself and Noah to safety.

After running for half an hour straight, they finally found an open room in the tunnel and decided to take shelter there. Noah collapsed on the floor, his face had lost all color and his lips had turned white. Zara looked around. All she could see were wires and switch boards. Walls and wires were covered with cobwebs and thick layers of dust, leading her to believe that this was an abandoned property. Fear crept through her veins as she realized Noah was constantly losing blood and had already lost a lot of blood. She searched desperately something to wrap his wound but all she could find was electrical tape. With nothing else to help, she used the tape to tightly bind his arm and shoulder in a makeshift bandage. After finishing with that, she sat down next to him. "This is by far the worst day of my life." she said. He gave her a confused look. "Really? You don't say..." he said sarcastically. His response made her giggle despite the direness of our situation. Then he added "You know, you're the dumbest person I have ever known."

They got quiet for a bit. She couldn't say he was completely wrong. She did put him and herself in danger.

"You shouldn't believe everything people say. And you shouldn't believe just everyone as well."

"Huh?"

"I mean, you're too gullible. Don't be so gullible. You'd get yourself in trouble this way. And you actually did today."

She knew he was right. Her face heated up as she was feeling embarrassed. She was ashamed of her actions. Her vision got a bit blurry with tears. She couldn't say he was wrong. He really wasn't. it was really her fault.

"It is important to be aware of the dangers out there in the world. Too often we trust people without taking the time to think if what they're saying is true. Words are cheap. Humans lie without a second thought. It's almost like their second nature. Knowing this, it's essential to be vigilant and cautious when dealing with people."

He's right, she should be more cautious. One never knows if what they are being told is true or not. Especially not in the case of those asylum escapes. Noah turned to her. His eyes were the most beautiful eyes she had ever laid her eyes upon. She felt like he was looking into her soul, that the depth of his gaze slowly unraveled all the secrets that She had so carefully hidden away. She blushed as his gaze lingered on her, the feeling of connection that stretched between them only intensified with every passing second. His eyes seemed to be talking to her without making a sound.

She didn't think she had ever appreciated anyone's eyes as much as she did Noah's in that moment. His gaze was intense but kind. She felt strangely secure with him. It was cold and sitting on the hard cold floor didn't make things any easier for them. She asked him, "Do you think we'll ever make it out of here alive?"

The silence in reply did not help her.