Losing Eight Lives

32 | Away

She looked so familiar. I started at her intently, trying to figure out her identity. It was on the tip of my tongue when Jace finished the thought for me.

"Linda," Jace greeted.

"Where are you going?" she repeated.

"We are getting out of here Linda. And there's nothing you can do about it." Jace said confidently.

In the poor lighting, I thought I saw her smile. "Where are you going?"

"Why should we tell you?"

"Where are you going?"

There was a short silance. Jace looked back at us, and whispered, "What should we do?"

My heart pounded and my hands trembled. We were almost there. "Maybe go around her-?"

"Kids!" a voice yelled behind us. I turned around to find someone else standing in front of a small car, waving her hands. "Come here! Now!"

"Where are you going?" Linda screamed, and charged in our direction.

I turned and ran as fast as I could to the person with the car. I didn't look behind me, I studied the shadow who now ran around the front of the car and jumped in the drivers seat. When I reached the car, I yanked the passenger door open and threw myself in, slamming the door as soon as I was sitting.

Before I even looked at who the car belonged to, I watched out my window as Jace, Cam and Becka ran towards the car as if their lives depended on it. Linda struggled to run, since she was in work clothes, but was still fast enough to keep up. Her mouth twisted in movement, chanting the words, where are you going.

Becka reached the car first, and opened the back door behind me. She swung in and slid to the farthest seat from the door to let Cam and Jace jump in right after her. They slammed the cardoor, and looked through the window, at the approaching threat.

"Lock the doors, lock the doors!" Becka said breathlessly. A click filled my ears, and then it was silent, except for the heavy breathing coming for my friends and I.

I glanced to the seat next to me, and finally saw who it was. Catherine stared out my window fearfully, and seemed to be waiting for something. Her hands rested on the wheel and her breathing was quiet.

A thud filled the air and I snapped my head to look out my window. Linda slammed her fists into the glass and had a look of pure insanity on her face. "Where are you going?" she screamed repeatedly.

"Go," I whispered hesitantly, while staring at Linda in a trance. A hairline crack crawled across the glass, and Linda pounded her fists harder. "Go!"

The car jerked forward and drove fast out of the Area 9L parking lot. I sat up and looked out the back window to see Linda trying to run after us, but she tripped over her work pants and faceplanted into the road. I quickly looked away, and swallowed.

We drove for a few minutes before Catherine finally spoke. "Where are we going?"

I slowly turned my head to face her, and took time to breathe before answering. "My house."