Meet Me

Chapter 19 - Run

"Be very careful about what you think. Your thoughts can ruin your life" - Unknown

Connor collapsed to the floor. I had shot Connor, I had shot Connor. And, it had been easy, why was it easy? I couldn’t believe what I had done. A thousand thoughts rushed through my brain. The thought that I put into words wasn’t anything to do with Connor though.

“Ash…” I said through gritted teeth. “Get Katherine and Owen and fucking run.” He nodded and rushed off. I was going to face the consequences of my actions alone. Just like I had millions of times before. I hadn’t thought Ash would actually leave, so here I was.

Connor was on his knees, clutching at his wound and gasping for air. Blood seeped through his shirt: brilliant shades of red. He wheezed and didn’t move. Neither did his ‘followers’. He tried to yell, but he couldn’t say a word. His eyes flashed with anger, helplessness and revenge. It was etched all over his face. But there was also something new, human. It was barely there, however there was a tiny amount of it. I was feeling braver than usual. I was high on the thought of death.

I took a few steps towards him, then knelt in front of him. A guy like him would come back to haunt me, I was very sure. No pun intended. I mean that. “You think you can waltz in here and make my life better, or worse I am not too sure. Guess what. You can’t. We are more alike than you would know, aren’t we? You can set your thugs on me, but all in all you won’t kill me. I’m useful and I am your sister.” Now I could use it as a benefit, I would use it alright. I wasn’t too sure what I was doing, but I thought I was doing something good.

“Kate, stop. Don’t turn into the monster I know is buried deep within you.” Kyle pleaded.

“Don’t make me shoot you too, Kyle. I actually rather like you.” I admitted

“You can’t be drunk, so are you flirting with me? This seems oddly familiar.” He was right, it did seem oddly familiar. I wasn’t drunk, but I was high. High on killing. It wasn’t such a good feeling as you might imagine.

“Kate!” I heard Connor say.  He was no longer on his knees, but on the floor. He had his hand where I had shot him and was trying to pull out the bullet. “Ah fuck!” Connor yelped. “Kate, you shouldn’t have done that.” He warned. I knew I shouldn’t, but I didn’t care. I didn’t care about anything anymore. Why should I? My own life was on the line and I had shot my own brother. I was losing all humanity. Worse, I was losing all hope. How did people manage to hold onto theirs? Mine was slipping away so easily it almost wasn’t there anymore.

“I will kill you, sister or not. You did this to me, you will pay. As they say, you can run but you can’t hide. I found you before. I can find you again.” Connor coughed and began to get up. I didn’t know how he would find me if he was wounded. Then I remembered that he had everything at his fingertips at the prison.

“Kate. Get lost. I mean it, get lost! Make sure you will never find us again. Sorry to say that.” Kyle’s eyes showed that sorry was exactly what he was. I didn’t expect Kyle to be the reasonable one. Not after everything we had been through: Robberies, drugs, the whole bad ass stereotypical activities. I looked deep into his eyes and knew he wanted me to be safe. He hadn’t said for exactly how long he had known I was his sister, but perhaps he knew before the apocalypse? Maybe he felt like my brother back then because he was my brother? That was the most definite answer.

“How can I get lost when I am already lost?” I sighed. Kyle opened his mouth to reply to me, but didn’t say anything. We listed to Connors groans for a while. But then, finally, he did say something.

“Stay lost. I promise I won’t find you. You think you’re strong but you’re not. Connor will destroy you and everything you love. I love you, Kate. Sister or not. Friend or relative. Remember that.” Why was Kyle telling me this?  What was the point in any of it? Then, it dawned on me. He had switched sides. He was no longer on Connors side. Connor would hurt – no kill – him.

“Come with me!” I blurted out. “Get away from him.” Kyle shook his head slowly.

“I need to stay here, Kate. Now get your ass out of here before I drag it out!” Kyle ran towards me, kissed my cheek once, and then pushed me away. At that moment, Connors group started to sprint after me as fast as they could. I ran and ran and ran.

 I gave Kyle a glance, then ran out of his life – wanting for it to be for good this time. Wanting him to be safe and have somebody. If he died, I didn’t want him to die alone.

My legs carried me faster than ever before.  I had no idea where Ash was anymore. I didn’t know where Owen and Katherine were. They’d better not still be in the hut. If they were, they were as good as dead. I’ve said that phrase too many times. It doesn’t make it anymore truer than it is though. I whipped around, looking for any sign of life. There was none. I heard yelling and shouting in the distance – male voices. I knew they were part of Connors gang, so I sped through the woods. I ducked and avoided trees and their snares. My breathing hitched and I didn’t know where I was. In more ways than one.

I collapsed onto the dampened floor and caught my breath. The weather turned. It was the worst type of weather in this situation: snow. The delicate snowflakes danced and swung at angles. They suck to my braid and I melted them with one touch.

They were cold, even though they were tiny, and yet so dangerous. If it stuck, I wouldn’t live much longer. For the past two years, my group had always stayed somewhere when it snowed. Luckily, it hadn’t snowed the year before. I closed my eyes and tried to listen to the sound of them falling. They were silent. I wasn’t ready to give up just yet. I would never give up. Keeping that in mind, I stood and made my legs pound faster and faster. Despite my body telling me no, I told myself yes.

Suddenly, I was grabbed by a mysterious set of hands. I screamed and began to kick out. I thought it was one of Kyle’s gang. It wasn’t. It was Ash. Owen and Katherine were nowhere to be seen.

“Where are they?” I demanded. Ash was supposed to keep them at safety while I intimidated my brother. Is intimidated the right word? I believe it is as it goes. Ash opened and closed his mouth like a fish gasping for life.

“I don’t know. When I went to grab them, they weren’t there. I looked over the hut quickly. Nothing. Not even a trace.” I began to panic. I dreaded the thought that they had either left or Connors group had got there before Ash. “Kate, is he alive?” He didn’t need to clarify who ‘he’ was. I nodded. Ashes face showed something new.  I wasn’t too sure at all what it was. I had never seen the emotion before, on anybody, so this was new to me. It was close to determination, but holding onto anger.