"Red!" Acclie was falling way behind. "Can we stop for a sec? I'm getting really weak."
Red turned around and brushed her blonde hair out of her eyes. She shook her head. "We can't! We need to get out of here! I don't know how much longer I can go without food or water." Red was looking even skinnier. Her lips were dry, parched, and cracked from no water.
"Go on without me then. I can't do this!" Acclie sank to the cold tunnel floor.
"Yes, you can. If I can still go, so can you." Red came by Acclie's side.
Red was wise beyond her years. Very intelligent, beautiful, and probably athletic. Red has everything going for her, Acclie thought. So why is she in this mess too?
"Red, I can't," Acclie cried. "Go on without me and get help. Please. For both of us." Acclie clung to Red's baggy sweatshirt.
Red pulled her in closer for a hug. "Everything's gonna be alright..." She mumbled into Acclie's ear as Red smoothed her hair. Red repeated those 4 words until Acclie's eyes shut. Please don't be the last time I can sleep peacefully....
______________________
Acclie awoke, her body all sprawled out. She rubbed her eyes.
"Red?"
Acclie swiveled her body around to look for Red. "Oh no. God no!" Acclie became terrified. Where the hell was Red?
"RED!?" Acclie screamed.
She then saw a tall silhouette running toward her. "Shhhh! I found it!"
Acclie slowed her breathing. "What?"
Acclie waited as Red placed something into her hands. "A care-package! There's food, water, medicine, a flashlight, and some other essentials. Have a look!"
Acclie removed the crate's lid. Red was right; there was tons of food, medicine, jugs and jugs of water, a blanket, and many other things. Acclie was never so happy in her life.
Red sat next to her and they ate 2 peanut-butter and jelly sandwhiches apiece.
"Where did you find this!?" Acclie asked with her mouth full.
Red pointed down the tunnel. "I was walking to find the next light and all of a sudden, I just saw this box. I ran towards it, ripped of the packing tape, and saw heaven." Red smiled.
After they were done eating, they shared half a jug of water, and took Tylenol. They rubbed Icy-Hot on each other's aching bones.
They started walking again. Acclie felt refreshed as ever.
Red looked over at Acclie. "So, how did you get here?" Red asked in a suspicious tone.
"Well... I was involved in a car-accident. I was going crazy after my boyfriend left me, and all of a sudden, I just saw hundreds of people and animals scurrying across the street. I slammed on my brakes, in the middle of the intersection, and I was in a T-Bone type wreck. By a semi-truck."
Red gasped and Acclie continued.
"Then a car rammed into me from the back. The next thing I knew, I was in an all-white hospital room, probably where the crazies stay. The doctor had diagnosed me with Megalomania, a mental disorder where you think you have power by manipulating people. A girl was yanking me to my "psychiatric session", but when I got there, I ended up beating the shit out of the guy, and jumped from the window. I sprinted all the way to my old friend's, Tamika's, apartment. She sent me down here right before officials knocked down her door. I'm ever so grateful."
Red was crying. "I'm so sorry..."
Acclie moved closer to her and wiped her tears away. "It doesn't matter now. We're going to get out of her, and move on." She hugged Red's side.
"Yeah."
There was a silence as Acclie moved away from Red again.
"Red?"
"What?"
"How did you get down here? Will you return the favor by answering me?" Acclie whispered. She didn't know if Red would get mad again.
"I escaped from juvy. I hated it there. So after all the inmates in my cell block were asleep, I picked my lock and made a run for it. I was caught by some sex-traffickers, though. I was sold to some trafficking place where they had different stations of girls. I was drugged, and I didn't know what was happening. One night, while I was being transferred, I wasn't drugged. I kicked the guy in the nuts, then kicked him over and over again in the gut. I ran, and now I'm here." More tears were falling from Red's eyes.
"Oh my God!' Acclie breathed. That was way worse than ever going crazy. Acclie moved back over to Red and hugged her. She wiped the tears from her eyes. "I'm so sorry Red." Acclie was crying herself now.
"And why I'm called Red," Red started again. "They called me 'Red' in juvy because I had a bad temper."
Acclie smiled. "I know a few people like that..."
Red laughed too. "Let's get out of here. I think it's about time."
Acclie nodded.
She sensed they were getting close.
YOU ARE READING
Did I Ever Mention
Mystery / ThrillerIn Acclie's life, filled with devestation about her boyfriend of many years leaving so suddenly, nothing seems to be going right. Acclie questions herself on how she was put into so many disasters, and triumphs as well.