Run

Gas and Fire don't Mix

After half an hour of driving at 124 miles per hour we pull up at at a gas station that is a big bungalow looking thing with the word MOJAVE on the side painted in a dark navy blue. I guess we are in the Mojave desert.

I hop out of the car and walk in through the automatic doors. The lights are all still on but it's definitely abandoned.

I mess around with the buttons on the cash register until Reece calls out to me that it took the order.

While Reece is pumping gas Percy sits in the car waiting. I go on to join him but something in the store catches my eye. Oh my God! It's a slurpee machine! I missed these so much, I grab the biggest cup and pull the lever for cherry and fill it half way and then I fill the rest with lime. I mix it up until it becomes an unsettling brown color, but my usual cherry-lime mix tastes soo good!

Now I proceed back to the car and climb into the back seat. Percy turns to me glaring, "Really?" he whines, "You got a giant ass slurpee for yourself and didn't even offer me some?... Rude!" He jokes.

"Oh, I'm so sorry!" I reply sarcastically, "did you want some?"

A bright smile followed by puppy dog eyes lights up on his face, "Yes please!"

I hand him the drink and he looks in the cup with a discusted smirk across his face. "What!" he laughs, "Did you seriously get a shit flavoured slurpee?"

I laugh at his stupid joke and shake my head no

"Okay, then its rootbeer?!"

"Sure!"

He pauses, "okay... I'm trusting you..." he takes a slow sip from the straw and glares at me... "It's good..." He spits while smaking his lips, "I can't tell what it is though."

"Ugh!" I gasp, "I am offended! That is obviously cherry-lime, and its delicious." I chuckle.

"Yeah, sure. Whatever helps you sleep at night..." He says handing me back the cup. Just then Reece hops into the car, "Ready- hey! Give me some!" he begs to me.

I hand him the cup and he takes a sip, "mmm, cherry-lime!"

"What?" Percy says astonished, "you like that shit?"

"Hey, twins have like the same taste buds." I reply.

"Pft, whaat evver!"

And with that we are on the road again. Driving down the street through the desert and soon we pass a sign reading "Welcome to California City". So much for a city, this is just more desert...

My car makes a ding ding ding noise and a bright red light that looks like water and a thermometer comes up on the dash board. Oh no, its the temperature.

"Reece, pull over the engine needs to cool off." I state.

"No way, it's not going to cool off out here. The weather will only make it hotter." He blurts.

"But it will be cooler if it doesn't run for a while, then we will get further."

"There is no way I'm stopping until we find Them." as he says this he pushes his foot down on the gas pedal clean against to floor and doesn't let out.

First steam arises from the hood, then a thin grey smoke. "Reece, pull over!" I growl.

"NO!"

The smoke turns black and is getting thinker by the minute.

"Percy, say something!" I shout he looks back at me and knods his head.

At that moment a fire bursts from the hood and engulfs the car in smoke and burning flames. I reach for the door handle and pull the lever. The heavy door slowly swings open against the heavy wind and I jump for it.

The world blurs before my eyes and I hit the ground hard and tumble.

Thankfully and surprisingly I think I'm alright. Standing up I cough and feel like my lungs are about to hack out of my chest.

"Quinn!" I hear and turn around to find Percy walking towards me with his arm up. "You're oka---" CRASH!

I turn my head to find my car destroyed as it hits a tall wooden telephone pole. The whole thing is covered in fire and the blue sky fades to black from the smoke. Just when I think it's over, the telephone pole slowly tips over and creaps down and smashes right on top of my car. It bursted the gas tank and in a quarter of a second the fire erupts and my car explodes into chunks of metal flying everywhere.

I duck and cover my head and Pecy runs up and covers me. The noise stops and we both stand up, not separating our arms from each other.

"Reece!" I shout.

No answer.

"Reece!" I scream at the top of my lungs.

Nothing.

I break away from Percy's embrace and search through the rubble for my brother. I don't see anybody, but something pink catches my eye. I walk over and find my old pink backpack on the ground surrounded by burning chunks of car. Hopping over flames I grab the untouched backpack off the floor. Wow, this is a good backpack. If we survive this I am totally using this at school again!

"Quinn! Percy!" I quickly turn and find Reece crawling on the ground out of what's left of my car.

Percy sprints over and tries to help Reece up, but I think his leg is hurt bad. Percy swings him up and over his shoulder and I follow him as we jog away from the crash scene.

Stopping a couple of yards away, Percy sets Reece down onto the ground and that's when I see it. A dirty white surrounded and partially covered by a red ocean, lumpy like tomato paste because of the sand.

It's the bone sticking put of Reece's leg. I can't really remember what bone it's called from anatomy class, but I think it's called the Tibia. But I think I'm gonna be sick,... Yep. I turn and bend over on the ground and vomit my own guts out.

Percy grabs the backpack off of me and struggles to zip it open and pulls out a water bottle. He opens it and forces Reece to drink some, then removes the plain white T-shirt and hands it to me.

"Trade?" He breaths heavily, "I need your sweatshirt, it's thicker."

I stand and pull off the sweatshirt and hand it to him. I stand there only in my bra for a moment because it's so stupid hot.

I dab my sweat with the shirt and I kick some dirt over my puke pile, then pull the shirt on over my head.

I turn and see Percy pouring water over Reece's wound and wrapping his thigh tightly with my sweatshirt to cut off bloodflow. Sitting there shirtless, Percy's skin sizzles in the sun; he will probably get a sunburn. Sweat drips down his bare back and chest, exposing the details of his light abs.

I look up at the sky to distract myself. It's so black and foggy and the smog empowers the clean air, but a rush of light zooms through the clouds. Following is another flash, and then another, and another, and another.

These continuous flashes get closer and closer to us, and more frequent. I tap Percy's shoulder to look up right as he is about to attempt snapping Reece's bone back. His skin shudders and then he turns to face the sky.

"What the fuck is that?" he whispers slowly.

"I don't know, but I don't think it's good..."

The lights come closer and closer until they reach the ground hundreds of them landing and adding more smoke and dust into the air.

Soon all the dust goes down and through the dark smog I can almost make out the shape of the things.

"Shit Quinn, run!" Percy whispers to me.

I glare at him.

He glares back at me, "Run! They're drones! Don't worry I will catch up with Reece and the stuff!"

"No! I'm not leaving you!" I shout, alerting Them and Their bright spotlights center on us.

Percy sighs and turns to grab Reece off the ground, but Reece's eyes flash black. His bone corrects itself and the skin recovers instantly. He stands to his feet and takes a step towards us.

Percy reaches for and grabs the backpack and shoves his arm in. He tosses me a big knife and gets out one for himself.