"I will never forget that night when my whole world shattered before me. When I was stripped away from everything and everyone I loved. It happened on a bitter cold November night. I remember each and every chilling raindrop that stung my skin. I re...
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My chest tightened up, my heart pounded in my ears. I felt the urge to laugh, but I had no energy to. My stomach was filled with butterflies. She loves me...she actually loves me. Ray bent down for another kiss. She wrapped her arms around my neck. I easily gave into her embrace and somehow found the strength to pull her down onto my plastron. I heard her yelp and felt the strands of her hair tickle my face. Hers was only inches away from mine. She looked at me and smiled as I only stared at her slender body sprawled out over top of me. Heat burned up in my cheeks. I wrapped my arms over her shoulders, pressing her closer as her lips locked with mine. The kiss deepened as I felt her tongue slowly ease into my mouth. My body began to feel hot and my senses were tingling. Her fresh human sent filled my nose, though I recognized the sweet, sweet aroma of lavender ghat still lingered on her skin. She slowly rubbed her hands up and down my chest over my collar bone. I was slightly embarrassed when a soft moan vibrated in the back of my throat. I raised my hand to her cheek and stoked her soft pink skin and brushed a few locks of honey brown hair from her shining eyes. I end up playing with it, twirling the hair in my fingers as I clutched the back of her head. Her lips were so soft, it felt like rose petals were moving over my lips. My mouth was constantly in motion with hers, just trying to keep up with her pace. This was the most perfect moment. I never wanted this to end. I could die feeling like this, so entranced in this..."make out session" you could say. I can't deny to myself that I was enjoying this and I could tell Raquel was too. Even through the kiss, her smile never left her lips. Feeling the need for air come over me, I pulled away from her, breaking off the kiss. A clear string of saliva shown between us as we broke apart. "I-I love you too Raquel. " Her pupils dilated and she stroked my cheek lovingly. I grinned. "You have know idea how long I've been wanting to do that." She shook her head and let out a breathless laugh. "Then ya should've said something you dork." "Yeah, I guess." We both laughed at our childishness, enjoying this brief, enchanting moment together without the madness of the world. We suddenly heard a groan come from behind us from the lab table. Carlos Quinn shakily rose up to his feet, rubbing a hand on the back of his head. And now that moment was over. I looked back at Raquel and pushed her off, catching her off guard. "Go." "Not without you. Did you not hear what I said earlier?" "Ray, we've wasted too much time already. Get outta here now!" Raquel gave a harsh and pitiful glare and stood her ground firmly, showing no signs of moving. She only shook her head at me. She was clearly not going to listen to me. Again, she grabbed my arm in another attempt to lift me. My body still felt limp and heavy, but she managed to hold me up. Even though she wasn't a mutant no more, she never lost that strength of hers. I clinged to her to her for support, careful not to put all my weight on her. My normally strong legs felt like they were replaced with noodles. Raquel kept glancing at me with a worried expression. "Don't worry Leo, we're gonna make it." I weakly nodded. We made it steadily out of the lab passed Carlos, showing still looked like he was in a daze. The man shook his head and focused his eyes on us leaving the room. "Both of you! Hold it...right there!" I jumped at the loud firmness of his threatning voice. Almost instinctively, I grabbed a hold of Raquel's hand and broke into a run. I hadn't had the slightest idea where I found the energy to do it, but I was running. Raquel ran close to my side. My chest was heaving, it wouldn't be long till this new found energy of mine ran out. I caught site of an elevator ahead and we hastily made for it. We rushed inside and Ray pressed the button for the first floor. We both took that moment to catch our breath. I bent over with my hands on my knees literally gasping for air. My lungs burned. I flinched as a cool hand rested on my shoulder, making me look up. "You okay?" "...Yeah." DING! The elevator doors flew open and we continued to run down the hall. At this point I debticated myself to memory and focused on my surroundings that began to look familiar. I can vaguely remember which way the lobby was and made my way down the next hall with Ray following close behind. Then we encountered a dead end. Guess my memory isn't as good as I thought. "Here, follow me!" Thank God Raquel took the lead. We turned around and went down the opposite hall. After several minutes I began to see the large opening up ahead of the main lobby. "Gotcha!" A soldier slipped into view in front of us with a gun in hand and aimed it straight at Raquel. My mind screamed, NO! With only a split second to react, I pushed Ray out of the way, making her fall back out of her line of fire. A gun shot was fired and there was a ringing in my ears. Blood splattered on the floor. I stumbled to the ground and a hot blazing pain flared in my right shoulder. I screamed out in agony. "Leo!" Raquel crawled over to my side. I cradled my shoulder close to me. She placed her hand over mine, trying to help keep the pressure on. Something stirred inside me to the point it built up like a raging fire. I glared of at the man. To think...he was gonna shoot and kill Raquel...right then and there...to kill a teenage girl...it made my blood boil. Raquel stared up at him in horror at what had just happened. And there he was laughing with a satisfied grin on his filthy face. It was as if he was proud! I looked from Raquel to the dark dressed solder. My body trembled with rage. "You...you-!" I wanted to say "you monster!, but I couldn't finish as my sentence was drowned out by an enraged yell. I lunged forward at the man, ready to bash his head in. My hands grip tightly around his neck and rammed him against the wall. I grabbed a hold of his face and slammed it multiple times into the dry wall, making the wall indent and crack. I was blinded. My mind was only focused on the soldier. I never even noticed the pain in my shoulder anymore...all I saw was red. This is what the Foot deserve! All of them! The Foot, Quinn, Sacks...you people make me sick! They don't deserve to live! You deserve this...for hurting people...for almost killing innocent children...Die you mother fucker! Die! Die! Die! I heard the bone crunching cracks come from the man's skull, but I did not stop. The man's head began to pour crimson blood as it dripped down the wall and on the floor in a puddle. I couldn't stop. It felt so...good. I unknowingly let a smile curve my lips in an almost insane way. "LEO STOP! STOP IT!" I was torn out of my fit of rage and back into reality. I looked down at Raquel who was trembling on the floor, as her desperate eyes stared up at me, filled with anger and tears. I blinked a few times and turned back to the bleeding soldier in my grasp. I let out a shaky breath and my eyes widened in shock as I saw blood spilled freely from the back of the man's head. His eyes were open...but they were dull and lifeless. I stumbled back in horror at what I had just done and dropped his limp body as it landed in a sickening heap to the concrete floor. I felt sick. My eyes couldn't tear away from the sight of the dead man. I staggered back against the wall, bracing myself up against it. I started down at my shacking, blood stained hands. What have I done?...Oh-oh God...Oh God what have I done?... Raquel cautiously came closer to me. She was slightly shaking too. "Ray, I-" I barely choked her name out. I couldn't finish, I was on the verge of tears. "Leo, it's okay...it's okay. Leo, we gotta go now. Okay? We gotta go..." I sniffed deeply in desperation to hold back the tears and stared at her in disbelief. She tenderly clutched my hand, which was covered in blood and began urging me to follow. I could already hear a reinforcement fleet of guards coming from behind us. "C'mon Leo, hurry!" We both ran as fast as we could to the main lobby. "Get them! Don't let that turtle step foot out of those doors!" I recognized Carlos voice, but I dare not look back to be sure. It sounded like he was back to normal...lucky us. Before I could fully comprehend what was going on, we charged through the big glass doors and made a straight shot to the outside. It was still light out, it was probably around late afternoon cause I noticed the sun beginning to set. Then I saw the Chevy Malibu, never have I been so happy to see that car, still parked in the woods where we left it four days ago. I moved to the passenger side as Raquel unlocked the door and started the engine. I crawled inside and slammed the door. "Okay, go, go, GO!" Raquel pushed the petal down to the floor as we made a tight U turn back in the direction of the nearest interstate. As I took that time to compose myself, my mind began to focus back on the pain from the gun shot in my shoulder. I clutched my shoulder as the seering pain increased. God it hurt so much! I have never known the feeling of being shot. But now my upper arm was engulfed in a burning sensation that made its was all the way down to my fingertips. It felt like my shoulder was being burned by fire. My shirt was soaked in my own blood and it continued to gush. At this point I could really care less if I started crying. I had every reason to. I rested my head back on the seat and my eyes began to shed needed tears as I quietly sobbed. I tried so hard to keep my focus off the pain but it overruled. Raquel glanced over at me and saw me crying. "Leo? How bad is your arm?" "I-I don't k-know..." I finally choked out, "It hurts." Raquel began rummaging through the glove compartment leaving one of her hands on the wheel. "God, where the hell is the first aid kit I put in here?" "Ray just focus on the road!" I shouted as the car went over the yellow line. Raquel quickly moved back over. She looked at me and noticed the fear that was obviously visible on my face, I wasn't concerned in hiding it anymore. I was scared. I was hurt. I'm not gonna sit there and pretend I'm okay like I used to, when I'm clearly not. I was fucking shot! Nobody's okay after a traumatic experience like that! "Don't panic, it'll be alright." Raquel tried to sound as reassuring as she could. I stared out the window and watched the trees by the road pass by in a blur. "Ray, where do we go now?" She sighed, "Well, we can't go back to the lodge, they'll be after us and start looking in close areas. So we can forget going back there. We have to lose our clothes. I think I saw an Old Navy last time we drove on this road, it's just up ahead. I can run in quick and buy us some new clothes. I know you fit in my father's clothes so I know what size to look for for you. You're gonna stay in the car while I go in...unless you can't wait that long." She nodded her head over at my bleeding shoulder. "Just do what you have to." I rested my head on the window, exhaustion was already starting to take over my body. We pulled up into the Old Navy parking lot long after. Ray grabbed a pouch that was possibly full of money out of the glove compartment and hopped out of the car. "I'll be out as soon as I can. Stay low and keep the pressure on. See if you can find any paper towels on here." She said before closing the door and hurried into the store. I shrunk down into the seat. Warm blood trickled down my arm and onto my pants. I was loosing a lot of blood, not to mention the canisters of blood they tried to drain from me. I actually didn't know it I was gonna be okay out here while she was in the store. I could only pray she would be back soon. I did what Ray said and looked around for the towels, which were right inside the pocket of the door. I started unraveling the paper towels and wrapped them around my shoulder, down my arm, trying to save the blood I still had left in me, soaking up the majority of it. About twenty minutes passed and Raquel was coming out of the store with two big bags full of clothes. She got back in the car and put the bags on the back seat. I was relieved to see her. "Raquel, since we can't go back to the cabin, where else did you have in mind?" "My home town of Catawissa. Its just a little shit town. It's farther away than Raystown, and I have a close friend there who's mom works at Geisinger hospital. She'll know what to do." Not having the strength to question her any further, I pulled the small lever by my seat and leaned my seat back as I felt sleep wash over me.
