The Siren

Chapter 26

~Chapter 26~

The second we ran out of the small church, Ashton stopped me from running so fast. He silently commanded me to be quiet and ye looked around. I understood quickly. It is too late to run away quickly, we spent too much time in the church. Now we must only run cautiously so Richard's men don't see us.

Ashton grabbed my wrist and began to run. Although I knew these roads well, I couldn't tell where he was leading us until I noticed a forest up a hill. As soon as we were surrounded by trees we sprinted. "Where are we going?" I asked him between gasps of breath.  

"To one of my hideouts, Richard himself doesn't know where it is." He said with ease, as if the running doesn't faze him.

It was almost an hour later when he decided to allow a break.

We were still in the forest. 

I gasped for breath, although I was just running, I felt my eyelids droop and I yawned.  It has been forever since I got a good nights sleep.

"You can take a nap, I'll stand guard." Ashton said as though reading my mind. I nodded and sat down against a tree stump. I don't fully trust Ashton to stay guard, I feel like he would ditch me, but I didn't have an ounce of energy left in me to care, so I let myself slip away into a sweet bliss dream.

***

Saying I was having a panic attack is the understatement of the century.

I gasped for air, I was surrounded by black. No matter how hard I try, my eyes can't focus, it was true darkness, without an ounce of light, what made it worse is that I was surrounded by dirt walls. This space barely fit me. I didn't have room to sit in a more comfortable position. The scariest part of this, is that outside of wherever I am, I can hear gunshots. Back and forth.  I can faintly hear yells, one voice I recognize as Richard. 

Have they caught me? I knew I should not have trusted Ashton... Talking about Ashton. Where is he? Is he one of the people in the gun fight? Or is he...gone?

I gasp for more air, feeling around for a way out. I was too much in a panic to cry, I think I cried all my tears back when Richards cult captured the police men and me.

I gave out a little scream, it was no louder than a whisper, when I felt something crawl across my hand. 

My voice seemed to be giving up on me, but I still tried to sing a song to calm me down. 

City sidewalks busy sidewalks
Dressed in holiday style
In the air
There's a feeling
of Christmas
Children laughing
People passing
Meeting smile after smile
And on every street corner you'll hear

I sang to myself, Christmas songs always calm the soul. I slowly feel myself get out of my panic, although I was still scared.  I let out a weak cough and my voice seemed to fade away along with the gunshots and sounds as I continued.

Silver bells silver bells
It's Christmas time in the city
ring- a- ling hear them ring
soon it will be Christmas day

I stopped singing. I leaned against a wall, in my crouched position and sighed, though there was a lack of air, I slowly breathed in a slow pace, listening for sounds outside. It was silent. My eyebrows wrinkled in confusion as I heard something above me, someone walking. 

"Ella? Ella where are you?" I hear Ashton whisper around. My heart filled with joy , I am saved finally! 

I tried to hit the top of this room and yelled out as much as I could, "Ashton! I'm here!" I try to scream, but it came out no more than a low tune.