RUN

Chapter 13

I woke up in a strange bed, the soft sheets cool against my skin. I slowly sat up, still in my pajamas, trying to piece together the events of last night. What happened? I glanced to my left—another bed with a suitcase sitting on it. The tag on the suitcase caught my eye: Christina, all the essentials specifically for you. It didn't say who it was from, but I could guess it was Gardner.

As I looked around the room, I noticed something familiar—my own suitcase by the bathroom. Before opening it, I rushed to the bathroom, eager to see myself. Had anything changed? I stared into the mirror, my hair now a little shorter, falling just past my shoulders. It wasn't fully blonde anymore; streaks of brown highlights had found their way into the strands. I grinned at my reflection, bouncing with excitement. It looked better. I danced around the bathroom, but then I stopped, suddenly wondering how the new clothes would fit.

I rushed back to my suitcase, unzipping it to try on the new clothes. One by one, I slipped them on, until I found the perfect outfit: black jeans, a snug gray sweater, and sleek black ankle boots. I spent a bit more time in the bathroom, marveling at how different I looked.

Where was my phone, though? I walked back to the bed, scanning the nightstand, and found it. I hit the home button, greeted by a photo of me and Will. The memory came rushing back—our day in the rain, when sports practice had been canceled because of Christina's illness. We'd spent the day together at my house, laughing over burgers that my mom bought us. It was the day Will and I had first held hands... as friends. A flutter stirred in my stomach, remembering how perfect everything had felt. And now... now it felt like everything was finally the way it was supposed to be.

My phone buzzed, interrupting my thoughts. It was Paul calling.

"Hello?"

"Have you seen Christina?" Paul's voice was strained.

"Nice to see you too, Paul," I replied sarcastically, but he cut me off.

"Kristen—"

"No, I haven't seen her. She wasn't here when I woke up." I paced the room, my eyes scanning for the keys. I found them, quickly slipping them into my pocket as I rushed out the door.

"Shit," Paul muttered on the other end.

"What?" I asked, glancing around the hallway as I walked.

"I left our mission papers in my room," he said.

I sighed with relief. "I'll meet you there. What floor?"

"Four," he replied. I turned a corner, seeing a sign that read 'Four.'

"What room number?" I asked, nearly out of breath.

"17." I ran down the hall, dodging other guests and stopping at room 17. I knocked twice.

"It's Kristen," I called out. The door clicked open, and Will stood on the other side, looking incredibly cute in his denim shirt and black Converse.

"Hi," he said, pulling me inside. But before I could say anything, he kissed me, and I melted into the kiss. The moment was sweet, but we were interrupted by an enthusiastic "Aww."

I pulled away to see Christina, sitting on the bed as though in a daze. I walked over to her.

"You know Paul's looking for you, right?" I said, giving her a teasing smile.

Christina touched her forehead, pacing the room. "Did he look mad?" she asked.

I shrugged. "I never saw him. Just got a call."

The door opened suddenly, and Paul stepped in. His eyes were wide, his expression unreadable. We all stood up. Christina walked over to him, concern flooding her voice.

"Paul?" she asked, but before he could respond, he collapsed onto the floor.

Christina screamed. Will and I rushed to his side, pulling him onto the bed. He wasn't bleeding, so he hadn't been shot or cut, but something was off. I checked for a pulse.

"He has a pulse," I said, relieved, though something still wasn't right. His head felt hot. "Christina, did he eat anything yesterday or this morning?"

Christina stopped crying and looked at me. "No," she said, her voice thick with regret. "He hasn't been eating much lately. Just a few pieces of bread and water. I told him it wasn't enough, but he never listens to me. I should've forced him."

I could feel her guilt, but I reached out to comfort her. "He's not dead, Christina," Will whispered, gently stroking her hair. "He just passed out. He'll be fine. We just need to watch him."

A few minutes later, we could hear the steady rhythm of Paul's breathing. Christina had fallen asleep, her head resting on his chest. Will and I settled in beside them. I couldn't help but admire how easily their hands had intertwined in their sleep.

"Wow," Will whispered, staring at them. Then he turned to me, his expression softening. "I remember always wanting to hold you in my arms."

I smiled, reaching for his hand. Everything felt so right in that moment, as if nothing could ruin it.

When Paul finally woke up, he explained the details of our first mission. A dinner party, hosted by one of the children with the strange pets. The party wasn't until 9, so we had time to relax. Christina suggested we take a walk around Colorado—after all, it was a beautiful place.

We all grabbed our coats and headed out. The chill hit me as soon as we stepped outside, the overcast sky casting a dreary light over everything. Will slid his arm around my waist, and I leaned in, expecting to plant a kiss on his cheek. But when I looked up, I saw Christina's hair cascading down her back. I pulled back quickly, realizing my mistake.

"Isn't it amazing today?!" she said, her voice bubbly despite the weather. I nodded, though I couldn't shake the odd feeling that something wasn't quite right.

As we walked, I noticed someone familiar. "Hey, isn't that Isa?" I pointed at the blonde hair ahead of us.

Christina immediately tugged at my arm, excited to see her. But when we reached Isa, I froze. The woman in front of us wasn't Isa. It was a Siasm.

Before Christina could scream, I pressed my hand over her mouth. "They'll kill you if you make a noise," I whispered urgently. We turned around and made our way back to Paul and Will, who were now looking confused.

Christina finally broke free of my grip. "Wait—no, I'm not you," she said, her voice cracking with fear. She let out a piercing scream.

The Siasms—every single one of them—turned toward us. They weren't people. They were the spider-animals.

Suddenly, chaos erupted. Paul and Will began shooting at the Siasms. I grabbed Christina's hand, trying to pull her toward them, but we were both surrounded by the creatures. I kicked and punched, watching them fall with every hit. But then I found myself face-to-face with Isa's replica.

And then, in an instant, her face shifted. It was Isa's real face.

"Are you going to hurt me?" she asked innocently.

"Yes," I said, my fist connecting with her face. I didn't stop. I punched and punched until she crumpled to the ground. She tried to fight back, but I held her down. When I looked into her eyes, I saw the real Isa—trapped inside her own body.

"I'm sorry, Isa," I whispered, tears stinging my eyes. "But I'm doing this because you're my friend."

I slapped her again and again, desperate to free her. And then, just as suddenly as it started, she disappeared.

I stood, gasping for breath, the smoke of battle swirling around me.

"Christina?" I called, panic rising in my chest. "Paul? Will—!"

I couldn't breathe. I turned in circles, calling their names, but there was only darkness closing in. Then, from the void, I heard my name.

"Kristen..." The voice was so familiar. I felt arms around me, but they weren't Will's. I collapsed, everything going black.