The Runaways

Chapter 3 (Part 1) - Biting the Bullet: Jack

 I am too scared to look so I decide to close my eyes. It's probably not the best idea to yank a bullet out of someone with your eyes close but I refused to look. I feel warm blood running over my hand. I can feel the knife digging into her skin. I can hear her screams piercing my mind edging me to stop. But I could almost hear her voice ringing in my ears telling me to keep going no matter what. Suddenly I feel the blade hit something hard. The bullet!!!! I move the blade slightly to the side and force it down deeper. Her screams pierce my ears making me go cold inside. I hate this. I hate bringing pain to my twin sister. I dig the blade underneath the bullet and slowly maneuvered the bullet wiggling the blade and then pushing it out slightly. I was still too scared to look at it so I did my best to get it out without opening my eyes. And then my blade hits air. My eyes pop open. The minute they did I wish they hadn't. Both my hands and Lily's arm are covered in blood and I am kneeling in it. Lily's arm is still gushing, and the bullet lays on the ground next to me. The entire knife is soaked and there is a gaping hole in Lily's arm the size of a walnut so you could see the inside of her arm. I quickly dabbed the wound with the liquids in the order she told me and grabbed the stitching needle which I had already prepared. This time I knew I couldn't close my eyes. I dug the needle into her skin bringing it across the wound and back carefully. I noticed that the farther I stitched the less blood spilled from her arm. Finally, I finished stitching and tied the ends together. I applied the liquids one more time. I wrapped the wound in the soft thick medical bandages over and over and over again until no blood was seen. "done" I yelled. Lily sat straight up and looked at my work. I could see her shaking as she wiped a tear from her cheek.

"not bad Jack." She said her voice steadier than I thought it would be. I dropped the knife on the ground next to the 3 bottles that were now knocked over. I breathed a sigh of relief and looked up at the gross ceiling. I could feel my heart pounding still. The sound of her screams and the look of her wound were bored into my brain now. "I'm going to go take a walk" I say slightly nauseous. That was the most traumatizing thing I have ever done.

I hoisted myself to my feet and started to walk. I expected one of them to come after me, but they just stood there clearly as traumatized as me. My mind was swimming with thoughts. We had no place to stay no place to go no place where we weren't going to get caught no preparation no tools no nothing, nothing, just 5 kids and a little pouch. It was hopeless. I couldn't wrap my mind around everything. I did as I always did when I was confused or frustrated or traumatized. I focused on the present. I paid attention to every sound every movement every step. My footsteps, the drip drop of the water falling from the walls and pipes, the draft from the sewer, the smell, everything that was happening. Even that wasn't working. I sunk down against a wall and tried to forget but I couldn't. I heard footsteps coming down the hallway. I looked up expecting to see Iris coming towards me but it was not Iris, it was Lily. "hey" she said sitting down next to me

"hey" I replied. I didn't know what else to say

"so...how you doing?" she said clearly lost for words. I just sighed. I didn't know what else to do. "look I know that was traumatizing. The first time always is. You did good, Jack. I can't thank you enough" I just nodded and sighed again. Lily wasn't very good at awkward situations like this. "you know the reason Reese and Amanda won't do it, the reason they pretended to play dumb was because there scared. You were brave enough to step up and do it because you knew that I needed you. If that's not caring and brave, then I don't know what is. You know I can see why Iris likes you so much. Jack don't beet yourself up you always take the blame even though it's not really your fault. You're a great brother who just makes mistakes. Your human. We all make mistakes and we all learn from them. And you're the best friend I've ever had. Now come on. We got to go before that maniac comes back and tries to kill us again." She says determinedly