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I struggle to keep my breathing as we still keep on running and running making sure that Chris and the other guards won't reach us.
I am finally out. Outside the walls of the place that I had considered home for eight years.
Thayer, Mike and I all stop running underneath a tree as we relaxed ourselves making use of the water bottles that Lydia packed for us.
"How does it feel?" Thayer asks me grinning from ear to ear. There's an obvious cut under his lips probably from his encounter with Chris earlier.
I look at Mike and he has this smile plastered on his face too.
"Relieving... but I'm quite anxious too. But all good," there's that glint of hope and pure happiness in my tone and I wonder if the two of them notice it too because they both enveloped me into a tight hug.
"I told you we're going to make it," Mike tells me as we all continued to make our way out of the woods.
Apparently, the sanitarium is located near a forest. But it isn't that isolated, there are few other buildings near it too.
We headed onto this direction because according to both Mike and Thayer, it would be harder for the guards to track us out here, and plus, it's also a shortcut.
"So we're staying at my place," Mike announces the same time he tells us that we're close to his apartment.
"I need to take a shower," Thayer says, "I feel stinky."
✂------------------------------------------
"This place isn't that big," Mike says the moment we step foot inside his apartment, "my apologies."
I look over at Thayer and find him already searching his way to the bathroom.
"Are you alright?" I was snapped out of my trance as Mike walks near me.
I nod my head but I'm really unsure if I am actually alright.
"Why did you stop? Earlier?" Mike asks holding my arm lightly.
There's something about his actions that I always find endearing. He's like, sweet in all the right places. And there's this foreign feeling inside my chest that I can't quite put my finger on.
I shrug the thought away, focusing on the present.
"I," I trail off, struggling to find the words. What occured in my flashback earlier is something so heavy and unexpected that it causes a huge lump to form in my throat.
Is that even real? Or am I making things up, a way of my mind to play tricks on me?
"It's okay," Mike says, "I understand if it's something you can't say out loud. But, whenever you're ready to talk about it, I'm always here."
I nodded wanting to block the flashback inside my head too. All I want to do right now is to enjoy being free, outside the cold walls in the sanitarium.
✂------------------------------------------
"You need clothes," both Thayer and Mike announces after they finish looking at me for about two minutes.
"Let's go buy yourself some," Mike adds, "though I'm not really good with shopping girl's clothes."
Thayer agrees, "That and we also need to cover up."
"Cover up?" I ask.
"Cover up as in disguise. We can't just leave and roam outside looking like ourselves. We need to be atleast careful incase the sanitarium staffs are actually looking for us," Thayer answers.
Mike hands me a cup of coffee which he had offered to make earlier. I take a sip placing it down the table after.
"Where's the nea---" Thayer gets interrupted by an abrupt knocking on the door.
We all look at each other, like deers caught in headlights. My heart begin to pace quickly again inside my chest.
"Who's that?" I whisper-asked. Mike shakes his head placing a finger infront of his mouth.
The knocking continues and then later on it turned into banging.
Thayer immediately takes my arm leading me behind the couch.
Mike looks alarmed, "go to the backdoor, there's a path there that leads to the forest. Hurry, I'll just lock the door and follow ahead."
"But Mike..," I try to ask him to come with us now but my voice gets muffled by the banging and screaming outside the door.
"Mike Evans? Open the door, this is the police. We just have a few questions!"
"Go!" Mike orders and Thayer and I hurriedly make our way through the backdoor.
Mike says he'd just lock the door. I wish he'd follow shortly.
Thayer and I steps outside, the sun's warmth touching our cheeks. We both run into the forest as Mike had instructed. Not too close to Mike's apartment but not too far away either that Mike would have trouble looking for us.
"Are they gonna catch us?" I ask Thayer as we both stopped underneath a tree, panting.
"They won't," he answers leaning his back against the tree. I take a sear down on the floor, still with the t-shirt and Mike's big work pants.
"What's taking him so long?" I ask referring to Mike.
He still hasn't followed us out here. He should be here by now.
Thayer looks across the place, and sure enough Mike is there running towards us, his hands carrying three huge bags.
"Are you alright?" I ask standing up from my seat as I take the huge bags from him, Thayer doing the same.
"Yes, I almost got caught while I was packing all of this but fortunately I escaped."
"Of course they'd go looking for him. Chris saw him with us. We're not safe on his apartment," Thayer remarks opening the other bag Mike had brought, "what's this?"
"What are we gonna do?" I ask Mike.
"Find a place to stay," he answers, "and Thayer, you can eat that later. We need to find a place to stay now."
Thayer looks up from his food, chewing, "let's go to my place."
