Subsist

Chapter Four

With each step her legs groaned in pain with creaks and pops. The street burned the bottom of her feet easily after living on cold floors for most of her life. But the sunlight empowered her to continue onward. She kept her pace with the boy, but her lungs were on fire. She never ran as far as she had, obviously. But she did make sure to keep herself physically healthy, apparently not enough. He kept his hand tightly on her wrist and she was sure she couldn't feel it anymore. 

Chrona didn't realize how far she had got. Around her tall buildings towered over the two of them and she realized she was lost. Did he even know where they were going or did she run off with some lunatic? She didn't even have the chance to look behind them to see what was chasing them!

He darted into a slim alleyway and quickly threw the both of them behind a trashcan. She sat on the ground and began to catch her breath. "Well that was exciti-" He placed his hand around her mouth. "Shut up!" He whispered loudly. Chrona gave an astonished look and stayed silent. He removed the hood from his head and turned his head to look at Chrona. To her surprise his hair hadn't been blonde at all, instead it was a dark auburn. Somehow this suprised her so much, had the sun really blinded her that badly?

"What exactly were you doing outside?" He asked. "Don't you know it's dangerous during the daytime?" Chrona shrugged it off. "You were out in the day, why can't I?" He paused for a moment. Silence surrounded them. "Stupid Answer." He said and turned his head to peek around the trashcan. "I'm Benevolence, you are?" Chrona paused for a moment before answering. "Chrona." She nodded. "Stupid name." He replied keeping his head turned the opposite direction. Chrona scrunched her face. "I'm sorry?" She countered back feeling insulted. "Hey can you be quiet? Thanks." Benevolence nodded back at her. Chrona shook her head and stood up. "Look I don't need to sit here and be insulted by you." She spoke and began to walk away from the trashcan. Benevolence grabbed her hand and threw her back behind the trashcan. "Do you have a death wish?" 

Chrona hit his shoulder. "Can you not?"

"I'm trying to save your life and you're over here hitting me, okay!" 

"Save my life! I would have been safer at home than with some lunatic!"

"No, your house would not be safe actually. They were breaking into houses and killing everyone."

Chrona paused before answering. Breaking into houses and killing everyone. "I need to get home, take me back." She insisted and stood up. "I can't do that, we need living people." Benevolence replied shaking his head. "No, I need you to take me back now, I wasn't the only one in that house! My brother is in there!" She yelled no longer caring who or what heard. Benevolence turned on his heels and stood up to look at her. "Why didn't you tell me there were more living people?" He yelled back. "Well lets see, you kind of came up to me and made me run for my life and I don't even know what I was running from and now my entire family could possibly be dead?" She yelled attempting to keep the tears back. 

Benevolence had no way of replying because that was the truth, her entire family was most likely dead. He simply shook his head and placed a hand on her shoulder. "I'm sorry, but we need to keep moving." He spoke softly. Chrona pushed his hand away. "I'm not leaving, if I die I die." She said shaking her head, her eyes burning from the tears that so badly wanted to fall. "No I told you we need as many living people, follow me, my cousin is going to meet us in a building a few blocks from here." He spoke and grabbed her wrist. Chrona lifted her hand and slapped Benevolence with all the strength she had left. She crumbled to the ground and sobbed violently. 

She took in sharp breaths, her body began to shake uncontrollably. She was the only one left living of her family if what Benevolence said was true. Chrona thought for a moment, her father would have made it out alive, her mother could have possibly made it, but Ambrose wouldn't of stood a chance, not in his condition. This only made Chrona cry more. The one person she was trying to keep safe was dead.