Running to Nothing

Chapter 2

I stop breathing. I'm not sure what to do, but something stirs inside of me, as if waking up, and my fingers tug on the shadows around me, pulling on the blackness and taking the little light that comes from the headlights of the tank. Ice-cold terror fills my veins as I wrap the bands of light and shadow around the tank, pulling my arms tight. I can hear shouts of "Did we run over that girl?" and "Wait! Where are our lights?"

I flex my fingers, and like it's the easiest thing in the world, the tank is pushed back, away from my face. I twist my arms and turn the tank 180 degrees.

Then I run. I run faster than I have in my entire life, running with my heavy clothing and backpack weighing me down, run even though that's all I've been doing for the past 216 days. I hear one, very loud. "Holy shit! " Then I hear nothing but the wind rushing through my ears. Until the world goes black.

Someone's hand is on me.

Heat flowing through my veins, after a lifetime of being cold. The hand is cupping my cheek, gentle and kind. My eyelids flutter. Until it all comes back to me. The tank barreling towards me. The military tank. Curling the light and shadow around it. Running. I jolt awake, sitting up in a flash.

"Nothing happened! I swear I did nothing!" My hands move to cover my face, but are held in place by the arm whose hand was on my cheek.

"Calm down." It's a boy. Or a man. I'm not sure. His voice is strong and steady, curling into a playful smile. "We won't hurt you."

I open my eyes a little more, then close them again. " Yes, you will."

He laughs, laughs. "And what makes you think that?"

The fact that anyone who has ever known about my powers has hurt me. The fact that I'm not prepared to fight. The fact that you were driving a tank. You belong to The Reestablishment. I say nothing out loud and the heat of his hand still being on me seems to burn. From the small slits I've allowed my eyes to see, I can see the boy shaking his head.

"Let's try again." He says. "What's your name?"

How long has it been since someone asked for my name and I answered with the truth? How long has it been since I've said my own name? Suddenly, the rocks on the ground seem to pierce through my back, the pain only just beginning to appear. The sharp edges of the stones prod at my scars, sending a dull ache through my body. I note my backpack had been taken off and shoved under my head to prop me up.

"You don't have one, huh?" He laughs again. " How about I tell you mine? It's Kenji. I have some friends here with me, if you'd like to meet them."

Something in the way he says that lets me take down my guards a little, and I open my eyes. Truly, really open them. The boy kneeling next to me looks exactly like his voice - strong and steady, with a playful smile. His hair shines in the faint moonlight and dark eyes glance at me.

"August." I say. It feels strange on my tongue. When was the last time I said that? "August Lilith."

He smiles. "A month and a demon. I like it."

I close my eyes again, and lean back on the ground. "I didn't even tell you my last name." It's a wonder I can remember how a conversation goes.

"Look, calendar demon. You did just pass out, so I'm in no position to rush you, but we are some wanted criminals so..."

"What?" I bolt up. "You're a criminal?" I push thoughts into my mind. Rope? Handcuffs? I settle on rope and imagine it binding his hands together. Instantaley, I regret sitting up in such an abrupt fashion, the light headedness returning.

"What the fuck?" He jumps back with a slight movement, looking down at his hands. "How the hell did you do that?"

My energy is draining, the illusion of rope fading from my mind. "I mean, I don't want to be associated with a criminal."

"We me neither, obviously. I'm too handsome to be locked up. But, from what I can assume, you're breaking a few laws yourself.

I'm about to defend myself when a girl with long brown hair and a well-built boy come up to us.

"What's going on?" Whispers the girl nervously. She looks a little odd, and so does the boy. It's only now I see that Kenji is injured, bandages peeking out of his dishevelled clothes.

"Well," Kenji smiles. "Me and little miss calendar demon here were having a real heart to heart when I casually mentioned that we're kind of on a time crunch. Y'know, since Warner is after our asses. That's when she very kindly decided to bind my hands."

Warner?

"Kenji," the boy says, in a slightly concerned tone. "There's nothing around your wrists."

"Well, there was. You just had to feel it. It's like she was tying up my hands with her mind."

The girl looks at me. "You guys, she can hear us."

"Godamnit, I can hear all of you very well. It's been really nice talking to you, and thank you for not running over me, but I'll be heading over there now." I gesture vaguely in the direction opposite of where I think I came from.

"Hold on, you haven't even met the gang!" Kenji waves at the boy and girl. "This is Juliette and Adam."

I slowly rise to my feet and offer my hand to Juliette. She looks at it dumbly, like she wants to take it, but can't. Adam does though, and gives me a limp pump. "Pleasure." I deadpan and try to hoist my pack.

"Are you just leaving?"Kenji asks, an expectant look on his face.

"Um, this has been a really weird interaction, but I should probably leave. Why?" As you can see, I am clearly a skilled conversationalist.

"I was wondering if you'd like to hitch a ride with us. Plus, you haven't even met James."

"Where are you headed?"

"Somewhere I think you'd like. Somewhere you can get some answers about those shadows and rope."

I can't think of a place I'd like, but I also can't think of a reason to continue living my life like this, on the the sun, starving, always suffering from minor alignment after another.

Also, the throbbing dizziness in my head refuses to leave. Would getting a ride be such a bad thing?

"Is there room for my bag?"

We manage to squeeze the bag into a crevice behind one of the chairs, and I take a seat next to Juliette and a sleeping child, who I assume is 'James'. All the while, Adam grumbles about 'how incredibly useless this is' and how he should 'never have trusted Kishimoto".

Already, I can tell hes's not my biggest fan. The feeling is mutual.

Juliette is rather reserved, but in the way Adam looks at her, I get the feeling that she's not always so quiet. Is it because I'm a newcomer? How long have they been on the run? Why is a kid with them? And where are all of their things? Most importantly, was the 'Warner' they mentioned the same boy I knew? My head swims with the thoughts and bizarre events of the day and I sink into a sleep so deep I can't feel the bump of the tank against the road.

A.N.: Super late update, ik. thanks for all the love <3 I already love this book and august so much. What do you think of Kenji being a love interest? Also, I probably won't update for around a month because i'll be travelling and simply can't write ahead that much :( I now realise this was a really dumb time to start a new book but i act on impulse. Finally, I'm creating on pinterest again - link to my profile is in my bio. If you could support me over there it would mean a ton. Okay, byeeeeeee!

Sky(lar)