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24

24

All hell broke loose. Everyone scattered in different directions, shutting off any lights. Sam snatched the hard drive from the computer and joined in on the running. Doing a mental count of the group, I dug my heels into the ground. I darted off in the opposite direction. A lone pair of footsteps sprinted after me. Fingers tried to grab onto my arm, but they could only graze off of me.

"Sine! Are you crazy? We have to leave," Finn whispered loudly behind me.

Keeping my eyes looking ahead, I barked, "Hector's still asleep, I'm not leaving him behind!"

Underneath us, there were sounds of people racing around and a thunderstorm of angry voices.

Faintly, Finn cursed under his breath as I screamed Hector's name in my head. Please hear me. Please be listening.

Sine? Ahead of me, a door was flung open and Hector stumbled into view, his face full of terror.

"What's going on?" he stuttered with his voice trembling. I could hear people coming up the stairs. Quickly. Shoving him back into the room, Finn locked the three of us inside. His eyes connected with the boarded-up window.

"There's no other way downstairs. Get ready."

He strode over to and started to tug at the planks of wood. I told Hector to grab anything he could find in the room that would be useful. Finding a bag, I shovelled clothes and blankets into it. When Finn got the window free, we prepared ourselves to leave. Glancing out the window, a large, full dumpster waited below. Finn shifted his weight to sit on the windowsill. Murmuring about helping catch us down there, I could hear him take in a sharp breath before sliding off. A wince made its way onto my face as I waited for any bad noise. The only one I was met with was the soft movement of the rubbish and Finn calling us. Turning to Hector, I helped him out to hang his legs outside. As I released my grip on him, I noticed the whites of his knuckles and his rounded eyes.

"You will be fine. I'll see you down there," I encouraged softly. He gave me a small nod and within a few seconds, he was gone.

The impending sound of people was getting louder and closer. I could tell that they were nearly outside the room. Seating myself on the edge of the window, I swung the bag on my back. From my position, the distance down seemed far, far larger. The two boys seemed so small from where I was. It was so dark, they were even hard to see. Shutting my eyes, I breathed in deeply. "You can do this, Sine," Hector's voice whispered in my mind.

A sudden noise behind me took me by surprise. A small team of people piled into the room, shouting and wielding large guns ahead of them. No more time to think. I shoved myself from the wall and air swarmed around me.

Time seemed to slow. It was like the air had grown arms and cradled me. I couldn't hear anything. All at once, it felt like I was staying still, but the dumpster was getting closer and closer. I was engulfed by mounds of foul-smelling trash. Two pairs of hands grabbed under my arms and lifted me back up. Once I was able to stand, I clambered out of the metal bin with the others joining me. We took off in a sprint down the alleyway. Back in the building, I could hear the invaders caterwauling to someone. But that sound was replaced as we rounded a corner. Behind us, I could hear people chasing us on foot. Faster. Faster. Faster. I pummelled my feet into the ground, sending rockets of shock through my legs. My head throbbed, and my vision blurred as I focused on getting quicker. The space ahead of us was rapidly becoming a labyrinth. My breathing hitched as my eyes darted around, searching for an exit route. Hector appeared in front of me suddenly. His face was scrunched up in concentration. Letting out a breathless exhale, he made a beeline for one opening. Behind me, a loud boom shrieked. Gunshot. I tucked my head to my chest and hoped whoever it was didn't get any of my friends. We followed Hector down the side aisle and Tate and Beth came into view. A light feeling bubbled in my chest in relief. But the gunmen were still in my head as their footsteps were just as persistent as before. Beth and Tate ran towards us. Beth pulled out a dark object and screeched for us to move. I veered to the side as she unleashed a personal round of vibrant shots. Tate released his own personal roar, staring past us. Crumbling brick rumbled right behind me. Dust and debris riding up my back, I leapt to the ground.

A bleak silence fell. My breaths tore out of my body, hurting my throat. People climbed to their feet, but I stayed lying down to regain some energy. I watched Finn's feet scurry over to me and kneel over me.

"You alright?" he said softly.

"I'm...fine..." I staggered out as he began to help me to stand. But he stopped a moment later.

"What the...oh no." His voice was barely above a whisper. He shouted to the others, sounding panicked.

Turning back to me, he attempted to pretend to be calm. "Sine, your shoulder."

I tried to push myself up but was held down. "It's fine."

What is wrong with him? He was making a fuss over nothing. My shoulder just felt a little tight. But then as Beth ran her hand over it, it started to burn like there was a fire.

"She's been shot," she stated, pulling her hand away. I kept my teeth gritted, in order to suppress my groan. Once the hands let go of me, I could finally get to my feet. I was watchful not to put weight on my left arm.

It wasn't until I had gotten up that I had realised that there was only five of us.

"Where is everyone?" I asked, an unnerving feeling settled in my stomach. Beth gestured back down the alley. Both Sam and Emily came into sight, leaving their dark corner behind. They hurried forward to us. Now that they were closer, I noticed Emily's splotchy cheeks and Sam's pale face. Resting a hand on her arm, she trembled underneath my touch. She glanced over her shoulder and raised her fingers timidly to her lips. I called her name but she didn't respond. I realised the atmosphere was extremely heavy and tense. What's going on? The team seemed more compact then usual so I did another count. Two short.

"Where's..." I started before Finn finished my question, "Viola and Marshall?"

Tate huffed through his nose and began walking towards the only exit. If I wasn't listening carefully, I wouldn't have heard him speak.

"Weren't fast enough."

The blood fell from my face and I felt cold instantly. Looking around, everyone's head was bowed with occasional sniffling. No one dared to talk. After a few long moments, we all shuffled after Tate.

It was obvious how everyone was affected by the news; no one even attempted to hide it. But it was Tate who captivated my attention. He knew them long before any of us did. Why shouldn't he be the most affected? He had his shoulders hunched around his head as he trekked along. I quickened my pace and fell into place beside him. He didn't acknowledge my presence. The silence was backbreaking, I couldn't bear to leave it for long.

"Tate," I murmured, "I'm sorry."

He sighed and dragged a large hand over his face. He cursed lowly to himself before saying, "He tripped. She stopped. There wasn't anything we could have done."

A dejected moment passed. "What do you propose we do now?"

He contemplated my question, shutting my eyes momentarily.

"Well, we need to get you sorted out. So, Charity?"