Fallen Raine {Completed}

Chapter Fourteen - I Guess Camouflage Really Is A Revealing Color

~Chapter Fourteen - I Guess Camouflage Really Is A Revealing Color~

I was distantly aware of another pair of footsteps joining River and mine, and picked up the pace.

Adrenaline coursed through me, as well as worry for Jason. Was he okay? I would never forgive myself if something happened to him because of me. It would be my fault, after all. I had gone off after River had left, and Jason probably just wanted to make sure we were okay. And now something might have happened to him.

River, Donovan and I searched through all of the storefronts and backrooms, but there was no sign of Jason in any of them. It was as if he wasn’t even in the mall anymore.

“What if something happened to him?” I cried, with rising hysteria. I felt like I could collapse and burst into tears at any moment, and my lungs burnt from running for so long.

River stopped next to me, and we all took a second to take a breather. We had been running straight for at least seven minutes, and we were exhausted. I leant over, putting my hands on my knees and sucking in deep breaths, trying to calm myself down. I needed to keep a clear head if I was going to find Jason.

Just then I heard a sound in the distance, and without thinking, took off towards it. My heart raced in my chest as I heard River call out behind me. “Raine, be careful! What if that’s not Jason?”

I ignored him. I couldn’t think about that. It had to be him! If it wasn’t him, then…

I hurried up the stairs and almost fell over a garbage can placed for the shopper’s convenience.

            Right now it was just a pain in the ass for me.

I ducked through a stall filled with tall flowerpots with different colored flowers, and the lights flickered ominously overhead. The noises had gone silent, but I knew which direction I had heard it from. I followed those, never letting up even though my lungs begged for mercy.

I took a sharp right and collided with a strong muscular body, toppling us both over. We fell backwards onto the ground, and my heart pounded in my chest.

“No!” I yelled, trying to scramble off the body.

I heard River and Donovan catching up, but they couldn’t save me. I shut my eyes, anticipating the blow.

This was how I died. Because I had been stupid and acted before I thought.

Two hands gripped my upper arms, and I whimpered. “Raine… Raine! Look!”

Slowly my eyes opened, and I sobbed in relief, throwing my arms around the familiar boy’s neck. “Jason! Oh, thank God, Jason, it’s you!”

He chuckled throatily, and put his arms around me, immediately enveloping me in warmth and strength. “It’s me, Raine.”