Running from Monsters (The Broken Trilogy Book 2)

Chapter Fifteen

Mia stormed up the stairs and started throwing what little she had in her backpack. She didn't know what her plan was going to be. Run away? Return to the hunters. Go home to her parents- her real parents. Not whoever that was downstairs. 

She sighed and looked out the window to the snow-covered fields. Through the glass, she could catch a glimpse of her face and the black stripes that covered her body. Where could she go looking like this? It didn't leave her with many options.

There was a knock at the door and in walked Jay.

"I saw you come up here after talking to your mom. Are you okay?"

"That's not my mom and no I don't want to talk about it." She shoved the last of her things in the bag and paused, clenching her fists around it. Now what?

"Okay, so... I'll just leave you alone then." He turned to leave.

"She knew I was in the basement at the Rutherfords," she blurted out before she could stop herself.

"What?" He turned back around. "How? When?"

"Doesn't matter. She knew, and she didn't get me out. And now she had the audacity to say that she knows what's best for me."

"And what's that?"

"She wants me to run away." Mia shook her head and looked over at Jay. "Clearly she's insane and what she thinks is safe and best for me is misguided." She put her backpack on and made her way out of the room. 

"Pack your things. We're going back."

"Back where? To the hunters?"

"I'm going to get Ethan. I want to leave as soon as possible."

***

For most of the drive, no one spoke. Andie kept switching between radio stations so there was music to fill the air. But the tension from Mia and Lora's argument could still be felt in the air.

Occasionally, Ethan would say something about the weather or where they should stop for food to try and lighten the mood and get Mia to cheer up, but it never worked. Mostly because when they stopped, she had to stay out of sight because of her new beastly appearance.

Andie pulled into a gas station when they were about two hours out from the base and Mia couldn't stand it anymore. She needed to stretch her legs. It was nighttime by now so as long as she was careful, no one would see.

Andie pumped the gas, and Ethan went inside for some snacks. Mia threw her hood over her head and made sure it came down far past her forehead. She opened the car door and then immediately put her hands in her pockets.

"Mia?" Andie asked in a tone like a mother who knew her children were up to trouble. "What are you doing?"

"I just need to stretch for a minute. I'll hide over there away from everyone. Don't worry."

She walked over to the side of the building and silently thanked the stars that they weren't on too busy of a road. She bent over and stretched her back and legs while making sure her hood stayed up the whole time.

When she saw Ethan coming back out of the store with Jay, she made her way back to the car and crammed herself back inside the backseat.

Ethan handed her a deli sandwich and she ate it without complaint even though it looked a little suspicious. After all, nothing can kill her now.

The road they were on was curvy and hilly. Mia had no idea how Andie could see where she was going. They were going around a corner and then everything happened so fast.

There was a man on the road. Andie swerved. Mia pulled Kevin into her chest. The man hit the car and flew up over the top then smacked into the front window of the car behind them.

Andie's swerving caused them to drive straight into a tree and crushed the whole front part of the car.

Once everything went still, the first thing Mia did was check on Kevin. He was startled but luckily didn't look hurt. However, with his bond to her, could he get hurt?

Ethan coughed and tried to open his door, but it was jammed. The impact from the crash mostly was on his side.

Andie could open her door and they all slowly took turns getting out of her door.

"What the hell?" Andie said when she saw the wreck of Jay and Randell's car. The man from the road shattered the window and had glass sticking out of him from all ends. Jay and Randell were groggy from the crash and were struggling to move.

Mia stumbled over to their doors and opened them. She helped Jay out, but he didn't appear to be too conscious.

"Why was there a man in the middle of the road?" Ethan asked. He was holding his arm funny. Like it was injured. They all looked around and only saw woods. Nothing that could explain why there was someone all the way out here.

Andie struggled to help Randell out and Ethan checked the pulse of the man on the dashboard.

"He's dead."

"What the hell?!" shouted Andie.

"Okay, don't panic. Let's all just calm down."

"How are we supposed to be calm when there is a dead man on the road and both are cars are wrecked and we're in the middle of nowhere?" Mia asked.

"Good question." Someone stepped out from behind the trees. Behind him came a few others. Each one armed to the teeth and pointing rifles at them. "Now, let's all just calm down shall we?"

***

Oh, lordy has it been a while but it is good to be back. I've missed writing so much and after so long I'm ready to come back. I know how annoying it is to get into a story to find that it might never be finished and I didn't want to be one of those people. So, I can promise I will be finishing it. <3