After
My breath escapes from my mouth in little clouds as I limp through a cold Montana forest. I've had the limp ever since I jumped out of my house, hurting my knee. It didn't heal correctly- probably because I didn't have anything to heal it with -so it bothers me a few times, but I still walk on it.
I estimate that I'm somewhat close to Montana's border so it will land in me in Thompson's State Forest. I've been moving around for about a few weeks and my supplies are dwindling along with my spirit. The first night, my bag was torn apart by a pack of raccoons and they took a good amount of food. It's almost as if everything- including the raccoons -are doing everything in their power to stop me from making it to California.
I walk across a rickety bridge and I hear something snap behind me. I turn and I see a glint of metal. I put my hands up in surrender and I exclaim, "Please don't shoot me!" Real brave, Claire.
His voice sounds like a low rumble as he retorts, "Give me one reason not to."
I pause for a moment.
There isn't a reason.
I deserve to be dead.
Instead of saying that, I take off sprinting which is probably more suicidal than admitting that I should be dead.
A bullet clips my shoulder and I look behind it. He aims to shoot and I stop.
Rule Number Two of the Apocalypse: If you start running, for the love of God, please don't stop. If you break that rule, though, you better make it worth while.
I charge at him and he shoots again, the shot barely missing my head. I grab his gun and he shoves back. I elbow his nose and he comes down on me with the butt if his gun. I'm unbalanced when shoots at me again. This time the bullet hits my thigh and I pitch over the side of the bridge. My body breaks through the thin sheet of ice and I gasp in surprise so the air bubbles out my mouth.
The cold water is like knives, all of them piercing my skin. I see the surface and I want to move but I can't feel any of my limbs. I see a face above the surface and for a minute, it looks like they want to help.
YOU ARE READING
Mania
Teen FictionClaire Donavan, was once a girl who dreamed of what life would be like after she graduated high school. She dreamed of going to Juliard and play piano. She dreamed of leaving Montana and living elsewhere and have a family of her own. But she woke up...
