The End

Chapter Three

Before we took off we got a wheelbarrow out of the shed and put Emma in it since she was still unconscious.
As soon as we began to walk we figured out that the army trucks weren't here to help, they were the terrorists.
As we ran we kept our eyes out for trucks and helicopters, we couldn't trust anyone.
After running for about an hour the sun slowly started to set, casting a reddish glow on the street as we continued our journey.
"Guys stop for a minute, I can't push the wheelbarrow any more." Maggie said whipping her forehead and leaning against the wheelbarrow.
Tyler quickly took her place without a second thought and we began to walk again.
"Wait!" Dylan said quietly, stopping us all, "I swear I just heard something."
We all waited for a minute, holding our breath. After a minute or two I sighed, "I don't think there is anything ther...." I was cut off when a dark figure stepped out of the shadows in front of us.
I gasped and we got closer together making a group. Ash, Tyler, and Dylan stepped forward to protect the rest of us.
"Who are you?" Ash asked. The figure walked a few steps forward allowing the light to shine down on him.
He looked our age, he had sandy blonde hair and bright blue eyes. I frowned, he looked familiar but I didn't know why.
"What do you want from us?" I asked secretly hoping he didn't want to kill us.
"I need help, I'm not gonna hurt anyone, I'm one of the good guys." He said plainly as if that would make us trust him. Although he seemed fine for the most part his hands were covered in blood and I could almost see the slightest bit of pain in his eyes.
I stood there for a second examining him before I saw it, blood covered his dark blue hoodie up by the shoulder.
"How do we know we can trust you?" Tyler asked suspiciously.
Suddenly I realized how I knew him.
"Jackson?" I asked my neighbor. Jackson lived in the house about a mile away from us, one of our closest neighbors.
He gave me a small pained smile.
"It's okay guys I know him." I said looking at the others who all looked back at me, except Catherine who hadn't taken her eyes off of him.
I looked back at Jackson who stared at her too.
"Catherine can you look at his injury?" I asked.
She frowned walking over to him slowly. "I still don't trust him." She stated.
He stood very still as she approached him.
She stopped a few feet away from him standing there for a second to watch him before turning to us and speaking up, "Maybe we should go somewhere safer." She suggests.
We walked back into the woods a ways until we found a small clearing to stay in.
We started a fire and Catherine sat down next to Jackson.
"I um, I don't have anything to clean it with, I'm sorry." She told him.
Without a word he pulled a small medical kit out of his back pocket. She raises an eyebrow taking it.
"Okay." She said with a small smile.
"Where's the cut?" She asked.
He sighed, "It's a burn actually and it's on my shoulder." He said unzipping his jacket and taking it off. The white t-shirt he had on underneath was ripped, burned, and covered in blood, dirt, and ash.
"Oh, I ah, can you..." Catherine started but she didn't finish obviously feeling nervous so she just pointed at him.
He nodded taking his shirt off. She took a breath looking away awkwardly.
"Thanks." She said very quietly.
With that she started to clean the wound. He winced slightly. "I'm sorry, I'm trying to be gentle." She said frowning at herself.
Her hands were shaking so she stopped for a second taking a breath. He watched her quietly, placing one hand on top of hers. She look up meeting his eyes and they started at each other for a second before she finally began to work on the wound again.
On the other side of me Maggie and Tyler were over by Emma who had woken up a few minutes ago but didn't seem to be doing very well.
Ash and Dylan were posted on opposite sides of our make shift camp keeping watch.
I walked over joining Maggie and Tyler.
"Hey Em, how do you feel?" I asked. She looked up at me weakly smiling a little bit.
"Not so hot right now, I guess I lost a lot of blood." She said.
She looked pale, and the dark circles under her eyes made it look like she hadn't slept in weeks.
I looked at the gash again wincing, it was deep and long. The worst part was it looked as if it might still be bleeding.
I looked at her sadly. Tears threatened at the corners of my eyes and I tried to steady my breathing.
I knew at this point she wouldn't survive much longer. I knelt over her admiring her blonde tight curls that still seemed to look perfect.
"Lydia?" She asked quietly.
"Hmm?" I answered, holding back tears.
"No matter what happens, promise me you will do everything you can to stop them." She answered, her tears reflecting mine.
I nodded a little, "I promise." I said quietly. I kissed her forehead and sat down next to her where I planned to stay as long as I could stay awake.
"So what happened to you anyways." Catherine asked Jackson.
He sighed putting his jacket back on without his ruined shirt.
"Me and my dad live alone, we were asleep and I heard what sounded like a tractor or some sort of truck so I got up." He paused for a second taking a breath, "A bunch of guys jumped off the truck and started throwing explosives through our windows. I got out but, but my dad didn't." He finished before standing and starting to walk away.
"Jackson wait." She said standing up to stop him.
He stopped for a second, "Thanks for cleaning my shoulder." He said without turning around or looking back. And with that he walked over to where Dylan was falling asleep against a tree relieving him of his position as night guard.
Ash walked up to where I had been watching Catherine and Jackson before I had turned my attention back to Emma.
"You should get some sleep, we have a pretty big day tomorrow." He said rubbing my arms. I nodded quietly hugging him tight. He tucked a strand of hair behind my ear before leaning down and kissing me.
We stood there for a minute longer before I walked closer to the fire to lay down next to Dylan who was now fast asleep.
I looked up at the stars that sparkled in the crystal clear sky above me.
To think last night at this time life seemed so simple, so perfect, and now we were running for our lives, and trying to save the city. A bunch of teenagers, no parents, no guidance.
My eyes started to fill with tears again as I thought about my family.
My mind flashed back to my dad, he knew they weren't gonna make it out. The image of him mouthing out I love you came to mind and I broke down.
"I love you too daddy." I whispered before a finally shut my eyes and cried myself to sleep.