Chaotic (sequel to Psychotic)

Chapter 5

For the second time in less than 24 hours, my body became so jittery I grew nauseous. The nerves felt like they were literally eating me alive from the inside, making my stomach churn and my breathing sharp. We had gotten away with it twice, going into town, but I was more afraid now than ever before. Maybe it was because I knew that the more days had dragged on, the further word had spread. Maybe it was the fact that I knew we couldn't be that lucky again, this time very possibly being our last. 

Or maybe, I was just overreacting. Breathe, I told myself. I had been fine with the idea just hours ago. And once we actually walked onto the streets I would be fine. It was just that initial step, those first few people you encounter that could be average pedestrians or FBI agents. Once I got past the few first awaiting behind the trees, only to realize they had not actually been waiting and weren't actually staring but were just going about their own jobs and lives, I could be calm. But that had not happened yet, and here we were, scared and shaking behind the last few trees that separated their world from ours. 

I instinctively grabbed Harry's hand for comfort, portraying my fear and worries in that gesture alone. He must've felt it, the shaking, because he squeezed my hand in his, slowly rubbing the back with his thumb. Like last night the action comforted me, slowing my dangerously-pounding heart. 

I looked at him standing there, unmoving. He was not shaking and showed no signs of fear on his face. Not a feature of his countenance exhibited anything but calm. And I left myself wondering how he does it. 

"Ready?" he asked, not looking at me but the spaces beyond the pine needles in front of him. 

"Yeah," I said. I wasn't. 

He tok a deep breath and clenched his jaw before saying the words. I had been hoping they wouldn't come so soon, that he would have to think it over first or wonder what he was really about to do. But they came too quickly, our actions then too quickly following them. "Let's go." 

And I took a step. Out of the trees that hid us. We were now vulnerably out in the open, and every face became that of a policemen or someone out to get us. If anyone recognized us, that was it. Sure, I had cut my hair and Harry wore his baseball cap, and we had even decided to use fake, popular names in hearing range of other people so that at least those names would be hidden still. I would call him William and he would call me Mary when we were in public. But that did not make me feel any better. 

We kept a steady pace down to the sidewalk at the end of the small hill from which we came. There was not a soul walking the streets. Nobody had been there to see us emerge from the woods, but the lack of human activity made things a little eerie. 

I absorbed the view, noticing a few buildings lined along the road here and there. Most of them looked like old shops, and not very fancy ones, either. But that was good for us; a gossipy, rich town would be much more risky for two fugitives. Here, with the rusty walls on a store ahead, we seemed to fit right in. 

When our feet hit the pavement, a car finally passed us. Then, a few steps later, two young girls enjoying the crisp winter air took a stroll along the path, divulging that people actually lived here. Immediately Harry wrapped his arm around me, pulling me closer into the warmth of his jacket. Even better, now we looked like an every-day couple just going for a walk. Nobody would be able to tell otherwise. 

In his arms and the not-to-long glances the girls gave us, despite maybe looks lusting after Harry, I knew we would be okay. They suspected nothing, and I hoped anyone else we happened to come across would be the same. 

This occurred every so often, where we would see a car pass or people walking around or someone go into a shop. Life existed in this town but not so much of it that I was afraid.