A Sew Through Time [Banbudh And Budbak]

31: School Marathon

Rhythmic panting overtaking all senses, Khushi raced towards the blue wall, her arms digging the wind both sides. Several thin shadows chased past her own, when she turned to find Yuvati chasing her, giggling and taking further speed. Ribbons flew past her and began to tail Khushi's legs. Her messy hair whipped in the wind, the muscles in her hindlegs pounded as she left the grass flat behind.

"Running is useless Khushi!"

She tripped accidentally. The ribbons pierced into air to aim for her neck.

Yuvati pointed toward her when a loud, metallic clang left her dismayed.

Her head turned right.

Saira stared back at her with explosive eyes. The paper cutter in her hand was bent and damaged.

Her diamond pupils dilated.

Khushi spun around and shouted,

"SAIRA!"

The sound rang in Saira's ears. She took a step back and pointed the cutter at her with trembling hands.

The ribbons hurled her into the tower behind.

Fat tears streamed down Khushi's cheeks as she stared at the rubble.

"Be careful whom you're kind to" Yuvati dusted her frock, "Nobody will honour it anyways"

"You're wrong!"

Yuvati turned towards the tower, discovering Saira on the ground. Alive. She used her hands to push herself off her ground, lifting up her head with haphazard movement.

"Wow, You're alive?!" she gleamed, "I guess I'm getting bad at targets nowadays"

Crouching on the grass, Saira looked up and yelled,

"RUN KHUSHI!"

Khushi stood near the wall, eyes going wider than ever.

"D-don't look back!" she winced, "I know, I know you'll re-!"

A ribbon plunged towards her direction, sending off rubble in the air.

Khushi cried out.

"You did go through an adventurous experience" Yuvati recoiled her weapons back, "But you cannot do everything in the world"

Holding her shard with her teeth, Khushi started climbing up the wall. A ribbon wrapped around her ankle and pulled her down. She yelped, discovering another string slithering up her other ankle like a serpent. She kicked it away with her foot, leaving the other ribbon to fall.

Another flew from her blind spot. She ducked, but it accidentally tore the bracelet on her wrist. The beads tumbled down like little ping pong balls and disappeared in the grass.

The width of the wall was thick enough to stand on. Balancing herself on the brim, she held the shard back and ran towards the corner of the blue right angle.

A frail hand caught her foot, making her fall face flat.

"How smart, yet how naive" she smiled cheekily and rose up, "No wonder   you find yourself in trouble all the time!"

With a fierce scream, she turned around and plunged the shard into her direction, only to pierce the air in between. Discovering the wall empty, she looked around.

"Peekaboo!"

She was about to turn around when Yuvati grabbed her hand behind her back, making her yelp.

"What's wrong with you humans?" she sighed, "Always wanting proof and proof?!"

The grip tightened around her wrist too hard. The shard fell from her grasp, and she grabbed it with her other hand and pulled her down.