One Shot

Chapter 7

I run and I run and I run and I run.
I push my strength in the muscles in my legs.

I'm breathing heavily, but not out of pain or exhaustion, but out of fear, that he could actually get me now, and kill me, just like I'd killed that other girl, and then he could kill my family. I couldn't let that happen. I wouldn't let this monster hurt anyone. Especially not those people who I'd saved so many times.
Pounding against the ground like falling bricks, my feet help me soar across the sand and my mouth starts to twitch into a barely noticeable smile as I realise it does actually feel like I'm flying, against the odds of me tumbling down. A few rocks sewn deeply into the sand material come in my path and despite my tries to spring over them gracefully, my foot skids and my head collides with the rocks, a shooting pain crumbling through my veins.
"A-ah," I stutter. I can hardly speak or move. "Please-"
"You know, you might be the one person that could bring this whole business crashing down!" His eyes widen slightly but he quickly covers his tracks.
"Wait - what? Business?"
He curses under his breath. Waits. Watches. And in this moment I know that there were no waiters, people trying to kidnap me like that girl before. They're all one team, big and strong, trying to knock us weak little stumbles down. But I'm not a weak little stumble anymore. If this news gets out, he'd spend a life caged up under prison bars that confine all his disgusting deeds into a minuscule cell.
I stare straight into his eyes, and scream in his face. Because I know, he knows, I've figured it out. "I won't let you! I won't let you do any of this! You're a sick person and I hate you for it!" I take a breath, "We're going to get out of here. Try stopping us."
And with that I twist on my heel and sprint, rapid, into the distance where the light starts to fade and the night beckons me over.

• • •

Eventually I collapse, exhausted, and fall ungracefully against the softness of the sand. I still don't understand what he meant. Business? Does he do this for a living or something? The thought makes me sick to my stomach. Why would somebody want to do this? Taking innocent people's lives away - you might as well kill them. I look up at the night above me and take a deep breath. I still don't understand what I'm meant to do. Am I meant to escape with Lea, South and Dem through the sea? Or get us food and water and try and survive here? If this is a business, this "organisation" against us will surely just leave us here to die.
But they've already pretty much left us. We've used nature to get us through this, but how long can we hold on? I don't know.
I know there's no point asking myself questions to which I don't know the answer, but I can't help myself. It's like a drug pulling me back in every single time, to find out what's going on. It's an addiction I know I will never be able to overcome.
I don't sleep that night. Sounds and feelings keep me awake, but most of all my terrifying thoughts.
In amongst the threatening sounds of silence and air, a small cloth is thrown over my face from behind. I let out a muffled scream and jab the person below me with my elbow with black and multi-coloured spots crowding my vision. But a cool cylinder is thrown into the back of my head: a gun. So I lie there and wait as the drug-laced smell makes its way into my body and bloodstream.

I wriggle my toes into the sand and lean back, eyelids shut against the burning blessing that is the sun. Beside me lay Dem and South, and on my other side, Lea; fresh and alive and glowing. My sisters happy, needless, unafraid.
And I realise in that moment I am too. Fresh, alive, glowing. Happy, needless, and I'm unafraid.
I open my eyes to look behind me — no forest, no business trying to kill me or my family. Just average people strolling up and down against the rolling tides and grains of sand. Just smiles and happiness and pleasure.
The taste of sea salt lingers on my tongue. The scent of crisp, warm air dances on my nose. The soft gentle breeze of fairy tales ponders on my ears. Glistening sunlight shimmers on leaves like emeralds, belonging to exotic trees only to be found far, far away from the island.
Frozen laughs meander up into the air and bright smiles exchange from face to face. A strange pleasure swarms inside of me, but it feels illegal in the situation we are in.
But in this minute, this moment, I'm free from the law. So I smile, a broad grin that pushes my cheeks upwards and form dimples near the side of my mouth. An ugly, goofy smile. And because I know I can, because I want to treasure this moment, I laugh. Elated yet exasperated at this world of at least a little security and happiness, I smile and I laugh.
I raise myself to my feet and glance at all the frozen figures — stopped-in-time. Children playing in the sea, water paused mid-splash to each other. Harmless hearts enjoying themselves and their normal lives. Mumbles and noises come from the other side of a small hut used as a bar for serving drinks. Curious, I tiptoe around the edge and peer to see a site that makes me jerk my head back and spin around in horror. What am I going to do now?
I don't know what kind of world they've got me in; hallucination, dream or not, I have to get out.
Behind that hut, is the organisation, and somebody else I never thought, I'd known, I'd  ever come into contact with again.
My father.

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I'm so sorry for not updating in over a month.
I haven't got an excuse, so I'm not going to give you one, but anyway:-
I really hope you enjoyed this chapter with that little plot twist! 🙈
Please vote if you enjoyed this chapter!

Thanks! Xx