starry eyes ✮ slashers.

chapter 025.

twenty five. please forgive all my sins.

It's blurry. Lyra's covered in mud and blood. Some of which is hers but the rest— a pile of roadkill she'd stumbled into blindly. Her legs pump her forwards, keeping her body moving although every part of her aches. She's alone, harbouring enough fear to account for everyone she'd been in the car with. But she's alone.

She doesn't have enough time to think about that, she shakes her head. Pushing further, she speeds up, praying her exhaustion won't be her downfall. She's the prey, and he is the predator.

A truck slows behind her and Lyra doesn't bother to glance at it, keeping herself moving. She can't risk it being him. She can't risk loosing everyone she loves over her own weakness.

The rusty pick-up truck drives alongside her, a head peeking out from the drivers side. She allows herself one glance, one look. Her body relaxes and she slows, glancing behind her. The road is empty.

She's sure he mumbles something to her, perhaps an offer for a lift but it's drowned out by the ringing in her ears. The aftermath of gunshots tend to leave you a little fucked.

Climbing into the passenger side, he offers her a warm welcoming smile and she relaxes. There are animal tails hung from his dashboard and weapons strewn across the backseat but strangely she feels safer with this stranger than she had in the past few days.

"I'm Lester. Looking a little scrambled there, hun, you alright?" He begins to drive, recklessly down the winding road. She's grateful for the speed.

"Everything's fine." She repeats the mantra she'd imbedded in her head. He looks at her in disbelief, almost feeling guilt for the direction he's driving her in. She seemed troubled. Ambrose wouldn't help the poor girl, but perhaps it would put her out her misery's. "My name's Lyra." She utters after she gets used to the fact she's running no longer.

Just for the moment, she is safe.

"Pretty name ya got Lyra." She smiles politely at his compliment, the scent of death wandering into her senses from the back seat. She can hardly judge, she probably smells like sweat and dirt and blood. It can't be pleasant.

"Thank you, Lester." He grins, she'd remembered his name, even shown gratitude for him. He already liked her more than the others and found himself rooting for her life to prevail.

"Where you lookin to go to, miss?" He asks politely and Lyra shrugs, not needing to ponder the question. Away. Anywhere there's people. People she can hide among, hope they can find her before he can.

"Is there a town close by?" She asks and he nods instantly, a glimmer of sorrow in his deep hazel eyes. Ambrose is unforgiving, but he thinks perhaps, just this once, it should treat her kindly. He hopes his brothers will share the feeling.

"Ambrose, it's just past this water here. If ya help me change the wheels, I can take ya there?" Lester offers politely but Lyra shakes her head, climbing out the truck once it's slowed to a halt at the brief gap of water in the road.

"I'll be okay. Thank you so much for your help, Lester. You don't understand how much it means to me." She grumbles to him and he watches her curiously, lips parted in temptation to warn her, give her a weapon, do something, anything.