The Savior

Prolouge:

It was no doubt I could hear them behind us. You could hear their loud shouts, and their vicious guns firing off every ten seconds. Even if it was dark they were still fast. That's how they were trained. I was jerked in a different direction, making my head spin. I couldn't see anything in front of me, but I knew he was there. He was always there. 

I squeezed his hand, telling him I was okay. After a few seconds, he squeezed back. I bit my lip and we ran again. He was dragging me, and I didn't blame him. I wasn't fast, and he knew that. But he still ran away with me. We ran through the darkness without hesitating where we were stepping. We ran over the course again and again each day as if we were playing tag. Little did everyone know, we were actually practicing for our escape. In the distance, I could see it; I could see the boat. 

Suddenly, everything in the world didn't matter expect the both of us and that boat. We were going to make it; I just knew it. I felt myself racing towards the boat, running faster than I've ever ran. I saw myself past a figure, but I didn't stop. I kept running down the hill that lead to our freedom. I felt the wind blow into my face, tears coming out of my eyes. I wasn't sad I was leaving; I was excited. It's the first time I was leaving home, and I knew I wasn't coming back to it. I felt my feet hook onto something, and I fell. 

The cuts on my hands and knees burned, but I knew I couldn't quit now. I quickly got up to realize that I was by the water. A smile spread across my face as the water soaked into my shoes. I then ran through the water towards where the hidden boat was. It was hidden by seaweed and stray tree branches. It was the best I could do to keep it hidden. I quickly threw the tree branches into the water, making a big splash. But I didn't care. I was so close to freedom that I didn't care about anything anymore. 

Suddenly, I stopped moving all at once. I quickly turned around and scaned the water. The waves were crashing down onto the shore, falling back into the sea. My breathing suddenly got uneven, and I was about to lost my balance. I didn't think before I screamed though.

"Josh!" I shrieked, hearing my voice echo in the distance. I could still hear gun shots and yelling in the distance. I knew they were getting closer and closer every second. Before I could think, my feet were moving towards the shore. 

Before I could make it onto the sand, I felt a hand jerk me the other direction. I screamed, but a hand came flying onto my mouth. I opened my eyes and realized I was in the embrace of Josh. His blue eyes glowed in the darkness, telling me to quiet down. I nodded, and suddenly, we were off again. I ran ahead of him, running towards the boat. But before I could reach the boat, I heard a gun shot. I turned around and gasped, covering my mouth with my hand.

Before me stood Josh. He was standing in front of me motionless, until I looked down at his body, and saw a red stain in the center of his shirt. I drew in a deep breath and let out of quiet scream. Josh's face told me nothing. It was expressionless with no secert message to it. I felt a warm tear go down my face. I heard another gun shot, and Josh jerked again. This time I screamed in horror. This can't be happening. This can't be happening. I looked at the stain on his shirt, and realized that it was getting bigger. I looked Josh in the eye, and finally, it told me something: Run. 

I did run, but I ran in his direction. When I reached him, he collapsed in the water. I went down with him, sitting next to him. He laid in the water, the blood surrounding him. I couldn't breathe anymore. I couldn't even speak. All I could do was cry. Tears suddenly ran down my face. I couldn't stop them, and I wasn't going to. Josh didn't say anything. All he did was look up at me with his blue eyes. Finally, Josh reached up and lightly touched my cheek.

"Run" was what he whispered to me. I shook my head in frustration, and used my back hand to wipe away the tears.

"No," I spoke through my tears. "I'm not leaving without you." More tears ran down my face. I was suddenly cold, and wanted his arms around me. Josh exhaled slowly, like he had all the time in the world. I shrieked again, knowing that he was a goner. But I couldn't think like that; Not when Josh was the only person I had left. I held his hand, and looked down at him once more. I didn't know what to do. He never told me, and I was never taught. Before another tear ran down my face, Josh spoke.

"Run, Rachel. They're going to be at the hill any second now." He breathed. I shook my head.

"No. Not without you." I repeated. This time, Josh squeezed my hand harder than he has ever before. I held my scream back, knowing he was trying to tell me something.

"I don't care what you think, Rachel. Run, and you'll be free." Josh whispered. He was trying so hard to stay awake. I wiped my nose, and swallowed slowly. Suddenly, I leaned down toward Josh and kissed him. I didn't know if that was going to be our last kiss, but I didn't want to think about that. I thought about all the time we secertly spent together; how I snuck out of the house; how we would go swimming in the ocean at night. All the images flashed into my head within seconds. 

Finally, with all the will power in me, I pulled myself away from him and ran. We'll meet again next time, Josh. Before I could take three steps, Josh called my name. I turned around and looked at him one more time, savoring every last inch of him; his nose, his eyes, his hair, his mouth.

"I -" There was a gun shot. I slowly turned towards the hill and saw a person standing at the top of the hill with a gun in his hand. Even in the darkness I could see his smirk. Finally, I swallowed and looked down at my body. I saw a red stain in the middle of my shirt, and my lips trembled. The water suddenly got cold, and the wind was suddenly my enemy. I heard another gun shot, and this time, I fell in the water next to Josh. I didn't feel any pain. Was there suppose to be pain? I felt numb everywhere, and my heart ached for Josh to hold me, and tell me everything was going to be okay. 

I turned my head towards him, and the look on his face was nothing I've never seen before. He looked ... scared. That was a first for Josh, but I couldn't blame him. All this time he was pretending to be strong, but at the end of the day, he was just another boy who suffered through what everyone was suffereing through.

I heard shouts and footsteps coming closer, but I blocked it all out, and only heard the waves crash onto the shore, and the wind blowing the water. I swallowed again, a tear running down my face. I saw the stars coming out from the sky and the big moon loom over us. 

Surprisingly, I felt something grab my hand, and I knew it was Josh. I trusted him with my entire life, and here we are; at the end of everything we've ever had. I'd rather die than not be with Josh. He was my world, and he was quickly sliding out of my grasp. I swallowed, and turned my head towards him. Before everything got hazy, I saw Josh mouth something to me:

"I love you."