Waking up Blank [Published - sample only]

Prologue

I was running for my life. My feet slapped the concrete sidewalk as I chased after my best friend. We had gotten separated while trying to throw them off, but I was getting closer and closer to where I was supposed to meet her and couldn't find her. I was worried, terrified actually, about what could have happened to her while we were seperated. What if she had been captured? What if they already killed her?

I shook my head vigorously to get rid of those thoughts. I had to stay focused, they were after me, and now that I had seen what they were capable of, they were going to kill me. There was no way they would let me live on their own, I had to make it home. If I made it home then I would ruin their plans, because it meant that by tomorrow morning everyone would know the tragedy they were plotting. They would be exposed, he would be exposed, and they could never follow through with their plans. I had to prevent it even if it meant losing my life in the process, because no life was worth more than another, and there were so many other lives at risk than just our own.

The sidewalk curved with the bend in the road, and I caught a glimpse of headlights behind me. I glanced behind me to see the same dark car that had chased me here turn the corner. I could hear voices from the people chasing me starting to surround me. I was sandwiched, and if I didn't think quickly I was going to get caught.

I ducked into someone's backyard and hid in the bushes as I waited for the car to drive by. I could hear the crunch of loose asphalt crunch under the tires as the car slowly moved past. There were pounding footsteps around me, they were going to find me.

I thought back to the first day of summer, when Maddie and I had been in her backyard relaxing by the pool, trying to calm myself down. I had been growing restless as the hot summer, the sun shined brightly into my eyes, and warmed my skin as we laid by the pool. I had tentatively dipped both feet into the chilling water to take away some of the heat. The wind was causing the leaves on the bushes around us to shake, and the boredom was setting in. I lightly splashed my best friend's feet, trying to wake her up, but she slept like the dead.

We had been friends since first grade, first day, of elementary school, and have been inseparable since. Too bad we were vastly different in personality and behavior, but opposites attract, right? I had asked if we could go swimming, but she only lifted her white rimmed sunglasses from her face to glare at me for waking her up.

"If you want to swim you can, just don't wake me up again. I'm tanning." Her long brown hair was disheveled from the nap I had just woken her up from. I had flashed an innocent smile as the breeze caused a few strands of my blonde to pass in front of my eyes. To which she reponded, "Then swim, little fish, swim!" 

I heard shuffling behind me. I turned to see the bushes swaying in the breeze, but nothing else. I asked if she had heard anything, but before I could investigate she told me I was hallucinating, but now it didn't seem so strange that we had been watched. We hadn't known it at the time, but they were worried that we already knew something.

At the time we didn't, but I wish I had taken it more seriously. I had brushed it off as nothing more than an over active imagination. I had then jumped into the pool and sent a cascade of water over Maddie. If I had just investigated, then maybe we wouldn't be here now.

But that wasn't true, we would be here right now if I could change that day or not.

The light of a flashlight shined brightly next to me and pulled me out of my mental reverie. I froze as I saw two men pass by the bush I was hiding in. They were shining their lights into all of the bushes to look for Maddie or I and if I didn't move, I would soon be discovered.

My breathing had almost returned to normal, but I didn't have any more time to wait. I readied myself to run again as the two men went across the yard, I had to time this right or I would be caught, before I took off at a full sprint.

As they neared the other side of the yard, I crawled out of the bushes and raced around the house to the front yard where Maddie and I collided with each other. We each let out a scream, and then regretted it when we noticed it was the other. We smiled momentarily, thankful to see the each other still alive. We had split up to separate the people chasing us, but we always knew we could get caught, now we just had to make it to my house.

"Hey, there's someone over there!" someone called. There were footsteps in every direction, all convincing toward us, and before I noticed exactly where they were coming from I started pushing Maddie behind another house.

"Run. Run now!" I cried as the voices got closer. They were going to be on top of us soon, and there was nothing we could do except hopefully make it to my house. Then we'd be safe, at least for a little while longer, because I knew they would never give up after what we had witnessed.

We had taken off as fast as we could, but right now I really wished that we were track stars instead of a swimmer and a soccer player. We ran into Mrs. McAllisters' yard, running through her garden and probably ruining her gardenias. She wouldn't be pleased with us in the morning. We hopped over her fence and continued our escape, but I wasn't sure how much longer I could go on. My legs were ready to give out, my breathing was becoming short wheezes, and I had a metallic taste in my mouth as if my lungs were bleeding, but my fear was keeping me going.

"How much further to your house?" Maddie questioned through her breathy pants of exhaustion.

"Not much further," I panted as I heard a few people coming behind us, following our path through the yards that we had passed through. "We should change route, or they are going to catch up."

"Let's go onto the street, that way we can get them all back onto the street then deck behind the McAllister's house before going into your backyard so they don't know exactly where you live."

I didn't have time to agree. The voices got closer to us. I grabbed Maddie's hand and pulled her back onto the street. We raced down a dark street, the limited lights, and the cars were parked on the street gave us some cover. At first glance it looked like a peaceful night, but I couldn't stop running. 

The headlights caught up behind me, and could hear the rev of an engine. Maddie and I turned into more backyards as I made it closer to my house. The car behind us stomped on its breaks, and caused a loud screeching sound to pierce the night. I glanced behind me to see a few more guys get out of the car and start chasing after us. I looked back to notice Maddie was gone. Fear surged through me as I realized I was alone, but it faded as I felt her grab my wrist and yank me down behind the hedges that Mr. McAllister took such pride in.

"We'll never out run them! They have a car," Maddie whispered to me as we watched the guys that had gotten out of the car race around and hop over the fences to chase after us.

We waited a few minutes, listening to them give orders and look for us. Then after a while there was silence. We looked at each other tentatively, unsure on if we should keep hiding or if we should make a run for it. Maddie made the choice for us; I felt Maddie's hand slip into mine and we ran to my house.

We made it over the fence, and onto the other side with ease. I raced to my back door, and could feel the cold metal of the door knob under my fingers, but we didn't make it. As we crossed onto my back deck a pair of strong hands grabbed me, and forced me to the ground. My head hit hard on the wooden deck, then I was lifted only to be smashed to the ground again and again until I blacked out.

I don't know what happened next, but I had been sure I wouldn't see another day. Instead I woke up with  my memory gone, my best friend is dead, and someone trying to prevent me from telling anyone what I had once known, and they'll do anything to make sure I never tell another person. Even if it means putting me six feet underground.