Run

20k Special Bonus Chapter

Hey everyone! If you are reading this, or still have this book in your library or archive or something, I'm really truly grateful. To think that something I wrote at 12 years old would gain 20k (and slowly gaining more) reads is pretty unbelievable to me. So thank you.

If you aren't aware, this book has two books following it, both now completed and ready to binge (and the writing has probably greatly improved) so if you want to check it out...

Anyway, in the three (I think it's been that long) months since I've finished writing these characters, I've kind of missed them, so here I am with this little bonus chapter I've decided to write. It takes place in chapter 13 in this book, and if you need a brief refresher, it's where Spencer spots Lauren and Aidan in the halls, sneaking around. I've decided to write it from Spencer's point of view this time. 

Anyway, here ya go! :)

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"C'mon, pick up..." Spencer muttered into the phone as he stared out the window, towards what would be the city, if it wasn't for the thick forest separating the Institute from the world. It was thirty minutes to midnight, pretty early to go to bed for a college student, but considering that he's been up since the crack of dawn -- earlier even, he's been wanting to fall asleep. But just like every other night, he can't.

The call went to voicemail, his girlfriend's voice filling his ears, but it was just a recorded message. Spencer wanted to hear it in person, but he hasn't been able to in months. Maybe she's not picking up because she's given up on them. Long distance relationships hardly work out. Though they're hardly a city apart, it feels like farther, considering that, like the kids here, he was also trapped between these walls.

He places the phone on the side table, then slumped against the window, looking at the dark forest. There was barely a breeze, so the trees remained still, the tall barrier or green keeping him apart from the world he wanted to be apart of, the people he wanted to be with.

Then again, the only reason why he was here because he wanted to be with Lauren. It was his fault she was in here. It was his fault that she has no memory. But, he wasn't entirely sure if it was his fault that she still managed to remember his name. His mother surely thought so.

Spencer glanced back the the clock, the glowing numbers reading 11:26 PM. The initiates should be asleep by now. It's been a while since he saw his sister; a few minutes couldn't hurt. He'd go into her room and come out, she wouldn't even notice. 

He latched a gun to his side. The least he could do if he gets caught is to play the role of a guard on night shift. The weapons always seemed a bit too much to him. They were kids. Sure, they were capable of doing things mankind thought was impossible until recently, but they're still just kids.

The small living quarters the Olsen family shared at the Institute was still silent as Spencer slipped out of his room. It wasn't usually like this. Usually his father was watching something in the living room, whether it be a sports game or home videos of simpler times, and his mother was beside him, going through papers of the Evolutians. The lack of the glow of the television told him that Jake checked in early, and Julianna already let Spencer know that she was actually going to try to get some sleep tonight... unless that was just what she said to have him not poke into her own business. 

The Institute was a maze of its own, a number of halls and passageways at every turn. It was easy to get lost, but after the past year, the map of the building was imprinted to the back of Spencer's mind. Plus, after visiting his sister in the infirmary almost every day for the last year, he knows where he's going. The dorms aren't too far from there.

And then he hears it -- voices. One male, one female. Definitely kids. Spencer stops in his tracks, pulling his gun out and holding it in his hand. They weren't supposed to be out of bed. Maybe just having the weapon in position would be enough to scare them back to their rooms. 

The two turned the corner, landing in Spencer's sight line. Both stopped in their tracks, terrified out of their minds. Spencer's heart skipped a beat at the sight of his little sister, but he showed no expression, just watched the two.

Aidan turned to Lauren, his lips moving but from where Spencer was standing, he couldn't hear. However, he was able to read his lips. What do we do?

Lauren's response was a little louder. "I don't know. Run?"

"No." The word came out of Spencer's mouth before he could process it. "Don't. They'll catch you." Of course, they probably thought that Spencer was going to be the one that turns the two in. But he wasn't going to do that. 

Lauren looked straight at him, not knowing that the person in front of her was the person who's name she remembers. She doesn't know the bond that they shared, once upon a time, and she probably never will. Spencer could easily tell her everything right now, but he thought against it.

"What do you want with us? Do you want to turn us in yourself?" Lauren asked, her blue eyes trying to hide her fear, but Spencer knew better. He saw that look on her way too many times, she couldn't fool him. 

Spencer wished things could go back to what it was like before. It hurt to see that Lauren was scared of her own brother. 

"I'm not even supposed to be here," Spencer replied, careful with his words. "I was just looking for someone. That's all."

"Who?"

He could of just revealed it now. It was her that he was looking for. It was her that she wanted to see again, to take her back home to their house in the city and continue living life like the Institute never happened. But his mother would kill him if she found out. She'd kill her too, because that was the type of person she was. 

"That's none of your business," he said, a bit too harshly. Lauren took a quick step back, putting more distance between the two siblings, making the hug Spencer yearned for even farther away. "So are you going to go back in or should I actually turn you in?"

Uncertainty was spread on her face, as she looked back to Aidan. There was a long silence before the two began to back away, back to their own dormitories. But before she left, she turned back to Spencer, her eyes glaring. "Thanks, but if you say anything about any of this, you won't know what's gonna hit you."

Spencer thought it was funny, how even now she thought she had authority, even thought she could barely do anything to Spencer without other Institute staff figuring out. It was smart of her to back away. But Lauren Olsen backs away rarely, always going for what she wants.

Spencer smirked. "No problem. Anything for you, Lauren. Aidan." He knew as the names left his mouth that they were the wrong things to say. He walked away before the two were able to turn back around, questioning how he knew their names. Then again, who in this building didn't know their names?

He turned the corner just to run in to the person he didn't want to. Of course Julianna Henderson wasn't in her room, taking the day off. There was too much to do. 

Her stern eyes focused on Spencer, and he immediately looked to his shoes. It was not a good idea to get on her bad side these days. He held his breath until she began to speak.

"Kassandra is in den. Don't think you're off the hook yet."

He looked up, shocked by his mother's words. "That's all?"

Julianna pursed her lips. "You'll have much bigger issues if the two actually manage to escape. Don't you dare help them out of this building, you understand?"

He nodded, not wanting to get into more trouble than he's already in.

But what can he say? Wherever Lauren went, Spencer always managed to follow. And if she was going to end up breaking out of this place, Spencer was probably going to do his best to follow her out.

Spencer sighed, heading up the stairs. Maybe it would've been better to leave Lauren for the dead.