Calum's POV
My back slid down the tree I was hiding behind, placing my hand against my mouth to try to muffle my heavy breaths.
Who would have thought all those years in athletics would be useful?
I had lost Michael a while back, and I hoped to God he would have kept running and not stopped to look for me.
I held my breath and looked at my shoulder, feeling tears sting my eyes. The wound was looking infected now, the blood starting to turn black.
Standing up, I tried to walk on my shaking legs. I needed to keep moving. My legs were like jelly, every step ended up me having to stop and crouch down on the ground to regain my energy.
My ears strained, listening for any indication if the guys who were chasing us were on my tail. Thirty seconds went by of total silence, a few distance gunshots in the distance and the cawing of night birds in the forest.
Swallowing the bile that rose in my throat, I took a few cautious steps and walked further into the forest.
I need to find my friends... I need to find Annie...
These were the thoughts that kept echoing around my mind as I prodded on, trying to find my bearings.
After walking for a further two minutes, I heard something up ahead. A gunshot.
This one made my hair stand on edge as it was too close, so I hid behind some close trees. I moved behind some close trees and saw a clearing up ahead. Lowering myself to the ground, I moved slowly towards the clearing, and my heart jumped into my chest when I saw Annie, Ashton, Luke and Daisy. Although... Daisy wasn't moving.
Actually, Daisy had a bullet hole in her forehead.
I bit down on my fist hard so that I would not cry out in anguish a tear slid down my cheek.
These bastards need to pay.
I looked around quickly, seeing no one of any danger, but still had that bad feeling in my gut. Where did the gunshot come from? It seemed like a trap.
But still, my stupid self made me run forward.
I ran through the bush that was near me into the clearing. Ashton didn't turn around, but Annie and Luke did, and in the next minute, Annie's shaking frame was in my arms.
"Calum... what?" Luke said, and I realised he wouldn't have seen me since the house.
"Long story." I mouthed to him over Annie's shoulder, and then she stepped back, and I went over to Ashton. He was holding Daisy's body, his tears sitting on his stained face.
"Ash," I said, quietly, kneeling down beside him, putting my hand on my shoulder.
"I... I was talking to her fifteen seconds ago.... I told her everything would be okay," he said, quietly, another tear falling down his face.
"I.... Ashton...." my words stumbled out of my mouth, and I couldn't find anything to say to him. I moved my arm around his shoulders, pulling him in for a side hard, crying harder as he leant in.
I turned my head back around to look at Luke and Annie and they both looked at each other and then at me. We all had the same thought in our heads.
We needed to get out of here.
"Ashton... we... we have to get out of here." I said slowly to him, and he shook his head, ignoring what I had said to him.
"We were going to get married, I was going to propose to her in a few weeks." He whispered, completely ignoring what I said before.
