Dream Hunters

Chapter 4: Would You Rather

Chapter 4:

I hear the curses of the other guys.

“HOLY HELL WHAT ARE WE GONNA DO? HE’S DEAD DAMN IT!”

“We can’t just flee the scene!”

I’m half-conscious when I am shaken by Jax. “We gotta get out of here right now!” He looked back and picked me up. “Let’s go!” He sprinted with me on his shoulders through the whole plaza when something hits me. “Pete and Zoe! We forgot them back behind the Target building!” He groans and he runs back there.

“Zoe!” yells Jax. “You alright to leave GOOD because we’re leaving!”

“I can’t!” she mumbles weakly, laying on the cement.

“There’s no time we got to get back to Cam’s car right now!”

“What happened?” asked Pete. “Is everyone alright?”

“Well, not everyone…just pick her up and run!”

Pete and Jax carried us both over to where Cam parked his car. Right as we’re about to get in I black out again.

***

I wake up about an hour later to Pete.

“HE DID WHAT?!” 

I’m guessing he told them.

“SSSSHHHHHHHHHH!” Jax loudly whispers, as if he were doing me any good.

“It’s okay guys, I’m awake now.”

“How’s your head?” asks Pete.

“Ah, it hurts like a bitch!” I grumble. “How’s everyone?”

“Well,” starts Jax. “I only got a couple of scratches and bruises. Pete seems alright, and Zoe probably has a sprained ankle and a concussion.”

“Where’s Cam?”

“I have no idea. We were hoping he would come back to the car. It’s been a while though. I just wanted to make sure everyone was alright to move on.” He replies. “Cam has the keys in his pocket, so we’re going to have to get out of the car.”

Zoe moans, “I can’t.”

“Well uh, are you alright to stay in the car by yourself while we look?” offers Pete.

“Yeah, I guess.” She crashes again.

“Let’s go.”

Jax grabs my arms and Pete grabs my legs and they start running towards the parking lot. “OUCH!” I say as my head hits the asphalt. Jax laughs “Whoops” he says as if it were funny.

When we get to the parking lot Cam is nowhere to be found. But I heard something.

“Hear that?” I ask. We all listen for a second. "The crying?” asks Jax. “It can’t be Cam. It’s too high pitched.”

We followed the sound which seemed to be coming from the back of the store. We luckily saw Cam. He was holding the thirteen year old kid from the gang who was whaling.

“Thank God you’re okay!” I run towards them. “Who’s this?” The kid immediately stopped crying and straightened up when he saw us.

He sighs, “This is Jace”

“Uh, hey.” He said.

“Were you the kid with that gang?” asked Jax.

“Yeah…”

“You alright kid?” He raised an eyebrow.

“Sure.” Jace said plainly.

“Uh, I killed his brother Nelly last year.” Cam said awkwardly. He looked back to Jace. “Man, I am so sorry.”

Jace put his head down. “I hated being in that gang. Will and Nelly changed since we got kicked out of the foster home. They didn’t treat me too good. They got into fighting, and that frankly isn’t my thing. I knew I was gonna end up getting killed by them eventually. So uh, thanks?”

“Well it’s good that you’re safe with us now. Got a mom?” asks Pete.

“Nah.”

“Got a dad?”

“Nope. They both were heavy drinkers and got killed in a car crash when I was like, 10.”

"Thats how old I was when my parents abandoned me." said Cam.

"Really?" he asked. "Were they uh... abusive?"

"Not really. They usually didn't pay attention to us." Cam replied bitterly. "Us as in me and my brother Jordis. You guys are around the same age."

"That's cool."

“Sorry bout that kid.” Pete patted his head “So you got no where to go?”

“Right. So this means I can stay with you? Wait, are you guys a gang too?”

Great, now I have to explain my psychotic means to this kid too.

“HAHAHAHA!” he laughed. “You’re kidding!”

“I’m afraid not. So you up to helping us? You know the cities real well?”

“Yeah, we travel around a lot.” He starts laughing again and so do we. “Where you guys going next?”

“New York City. So you in?”

“Yeah of course! Thanks…”

I leaned in and hugged him. “Let’s head back”

“When we got to the car, we all got in and drove to the gas station where we would be parked for the night. Zoe looked a lot better. “Made you guys some sandwiches.” She said. We all grabbed one. “It’s getting dark. I think we’re done for the night.”  She locks the doors.

“I GOTTA TAKE A LEAK!” screams Jax. He ran out and headed for the bushes.

“So tomorrow we’ll head for New York.” I say. “Should I set the alarm on my phone for about 7?” They all nodded.  We all settled in and eventually tried to sleep once it was about 11. Everyone crashed except me and Jax.

“Can’t sleep?” he asked.

“Nope, you?”

He shook his head. We both layed there, awkwardly not knowing what to say. “Hey,” he said. “Wanna play would you rather?”

“Sure, I guess. Would you rather eat a whole live horse, or spend six months in prison.” I asked.

“Prison.” He said.

“Why?”

“I would die if I ate a whole horse. Either because it’s not possible or because the horse would kill me if it was alive. Plus its animal abuse… I think?”

“Haha okay.”

“Would you rather get a life time supply of peanut butter or… kiss me again?”

“Kiss you again.”

And so he did.