Luna Winters

Old friends

I passed the interstate sign and continued on. I wouldn't give up that easily. Though my leg felt like jelly, I kept running. It had been a couple days since I escaped, and I couldn't let them catch up. My stomach was grumbling like a lion but I ignored it. My legs were becoming numb. "Almost... There..." I mumbled through my lips. "Just... A little... Further..." My legs gave out completely. I fell onto a thornbush and was scratched. I pushed away and continued to be pricked. Eventually, I found my way out of it and hit my back on a tree. My whole body was shutting down. I was desperate for sleep. "So...    C-close..." I panted. My eyelids were heavy and fell. Only a little bit. Just a little bit of sleep. I thought to myself. The shrubs were suddenly soft and the tree was suddenly comfortable. "Why are shrubs soft?" I mumbled. "Wait..." I gasped and shot my eyes open. I was in a room. I began hyperventilating. "N-no... N-not again! I can't be back here again!" I yelled. Nurses flooded the room at my discomfort. "Miss, you need to calm down! You could hurt yourself!" I jumped up and regretted it.

My arm and joints all felt like they were going to break at any second. "I DONT CARE!" I yelled louder. The three nursed winced at my fury. "Call him." I shrunk back. "N-no... P-p-please! I can't deal with him again!" I pleaded. The nurses looked at me with confusion. "Who dear?" One asked. I also confused spat out his name.              "J-James..." The women looked at me with pity. "He's not gonna get to you again." A masculine voice said, "not ever again." My gaze turned to meet the owner of the voice. My eyes swelled with tears when I looked at his greying face. It couldn't be. "Hows life, pumpkin?" He asked, his voice cracking. I ran to him and jump-hugged him. "I-I can't believe your here! I thought I would never see you again, Alex!" He gave a chuckle. "I should've known you would get into trouble" I laughed too, tears leaving our eyes. "Sorry to interrupt this heart-warming moment, but I'm here too." My gaze passed Alex's shoulder to a man behind him. Alex let me down as I stared at the man behind him. "Hey, Luna..." He said. "J-jake..." I jump-hugged him as well but he wasn't ready. He stumbled backward and fell to the floor. We laughed as Alex peered down at us. "I presume you know him." We sat up nodding. "When he came to the door claiming he knows you, I was gonna throw him in the jail, but you woke up." I chuckled. "Miss, you really must let us test you." A nurse said from behind us.

I let out a sigh and sat on the bed. She did some standard tests like blood pressure and temperature. As I sat there, Jake and Alex never left my side. "Y'know" I began, "you two look a lot alike." They looked at each other. "Your not wrong, pumpkin," Alex admitted. "Weird." Was all Jake said. "But that's not important right now. Are you hungry?" Alex asked. "Starving" he laughed, "Should've known. Mary, would you get her some food?" One of the nurses nodded and left the room. "How do you feel?" Jake asked. "Like my arm could fall off." He chuckled. Alex turned to jake, "your names Jake... Right?" He nodded. "Hmph. I had a son named Jake." He looked down. "What happened to him?" I sucked in a gasp of air. "S-sorry, I didn't mean to be nosy." He looked back at Jake. "It's okay. Jake was... Taken from me, by another gang." They both hung their heads. "That's why Luna is so important to me. She's just like him." We all couldn't look at each other. It was such a melancholy moment. Mary came back with a platter of food and placed it on the bed beside me.

The nurses finished up and cleared out. They each gave me a piece of advice of how I should take care of myself for the next couple weeks. Once they left I looked up, "t-the wedding would've been next week" the other two looked up at me. "He'll never get to you now. I'll protect you." I smiled at Alex. "You can't protect me forever. Who's gonna protect you?" "It doesn't matter." I sighed. "Always so cocky?" He chuckled. "Always..." Jake leaned on the door frame as we had our moment. I looked at them back and forth. "You two should get a blood test" they looked at me confused. "Just to be sure. C'mon, let's eat something. You both look like shit." They laughed.

The base looked the same as when I left. When I went through the hallways, people instantly recognized me. They gave me hugs and 'welcome backs', I couldn't be happier. "I want to see the other leaders. If you don't mind." He gave a nervous chuckle "nobody has been the same since you left." I looked back at him. "I see. I'll talk to them." He nodded. "You would be a great leader." I smiled, "got it from you..." We reached the dining room and sat down as chefs came out and served us casual things like breadsticks or lasagna. We just sat down and caught up. Even Jake seemed to fit in just fine. When we finished up I asked Alex if my room was still intact. "Never touched it" he replied putting a hand to his heart. I giggled. "You two get that blood test done while I'm out," I said pointing to the boys. "Yes ma'am," Jake said rolling his eyes. I left to my room which was also the same as I left it. Even up to the leftover gum stuck under my bed. I laughed. "Teenage years" I smiled to myself. I escaped my stinky clothes and hopped in the shower. The cool droplets hit my warm skin. I washed out the leftover dirt and twigs from my hair, watching it circle down the drain.

I shut the shower door from behind me and put a towel around my body. I opened the bathroom door and closet door before picking out my leather jacket, grey jeans, and black crop top. I also took extra care putting a pistol in my jacket and a switchblade in my hair after putting it up in a ponytail. I grabbed a bandanna and tied it around my mouth and nose. After leaving my room, I caught up with Alex and asked him if he still had my keys. He nodded. "Never leave without a bike, huh?" I nodded as he dripped the keys into my palm. I hugged him before I left. "Its good to be back" I admitted. "Don't forget about the blood test!" I yelled behind me as I headed to the garage. I hopped onto an extra bike and rode off to the other gang houses. I decided to call a gang meeting instead of one house at a time so I went to the closest one. I rode on the road at almost 100 for half an hour. One of the houses peaked up through the trees. I parked off the road and walked up to it. I looked around me and punched in the code.

(Play burning bridges 2:18- 2:30. Also provided at the top)

The door swung open and I entered. Most of the rooms had their lights off so I went to the ones radiating light. I opened the first door and gasped. Bodies. Bodies all over the room. The floor soaked in blood. My foot was standing in their blood. Even I wouldn't go this far. A flood of fear passed my mind as I ran to the top room where one of the leaders stayed. I ran up flights of stairs without care if I tripped. I reached the top and broke down the door. Tears swelled my eyes. "No. No. No. NONONONONONO!" I yelled out at the top of my lungs. There he was. Trapped by rope onto a chair. Bleeding out even after his death. He had cuts and stabs everywhere on his body. His neck was cut open. This was my fault. If I hadn't run away... "WHY ME?!" I screamed. "Why... Me...?" A note was attached to his jacket with my name on it. 'Come back. Or else.' My hands shook. He knew I would come here. I furrowed my brows. "If it's a war he wants..." I gritted my teeth. "That's exactly what he's gonna get." I hopped on my bike and rode back home. To where it all began. Where my life fell. He was gonna be sorry he ever messed with me. "I'm coming for you, James" I hissed. "And no one can save you from what I'm going to do."