Nightmares To Daydreams

Chapter Thirty-Six

The time locked in the basement made the sunlight blinding and for a moment you were groping blindly along the walls, eventually finding Spencer's arm in the brightness. You gripped his arm with as much force as you could muster and guided him to the correct end of the house, relying on the images from your nightmare rather than sight. Ever so slowly, your eyes began to adjust and finally you could see again.

"Spencer can you see yet?" He stepped up beside you and nodded, still squinting against the bright sun. You gripped his hand in yours and took off towards the old path you and Devin had created. It had grown up with weeds and brush since you last trimmed it but it was still more passable than the rest of the woods. You both sprinted along the path, but all of the injuries you had sustained along with your lack of clothes was making the progress slower than you were comfortable with. Every few strides you found yourself frantically checking the path behind you.

The brambles along the path were tearing at your bare feet as you tore through the forest with Spencer at your side. You were aching from the various bruises, gashes, and sprains Keneddy had inflicted upon your body, and your mind kept reverting back to running from Kam. You hadn't made it away then and the thought of being dragged back now was ripping apart your thoughts. The near suffocating terror was only made worse by the idea of getting Spencer killed if you failed. No matter how hard you tried, you could not push away the panic. You knew that needed to focus on getting to your moms house, on leading Spencer the right way, on getting him to safety and the medical attention he needed, but instead you were trapped in your own mind, barely aware of your surroundings.

As you glanced behind you again, you tripped over a rock and slammed into the ground, hard. Your ears were ringing and the light was suddenly too bright. You felt a strong hand wrenching you upright and for a moment a scream left your lips until Spencer pulled you tight against his chest, silencing you and reminding you of his presence all in one movement. In the momentary quiet the thundering of your hearts and frantic rustling behind you were the only sounds.

Your dark eyes met Spencer's in a moment of resigned terror. It could have been another animal, but the deep dread in your stomach said otherwise. You both took off again, hoping that Keneddy hadn't found the path. Your head was pounding with what was most likely a concussion and the brambles had created new gashes as well as reopening old ones from Keneddy. Normally, the run from the abandoned house to your mother's would have barely affected your breathing, but the lack of food and extra injuries had you panting like a dog. The hot sun filtered through the trees and was pouring sweat down your aching bodies. You were almost glad for the missing clothes, but didn't like the wholly exposed feeling.

Finally, you saw the break in the woods and pushed yourself harder towards it. The grass was a welcome reprieve for your bleeding feet, but soon the sharp gravel was in view and you steeled yourself for the pain ahead. The rustling behind you had only grown larger and you were pushing yourself as hard as you could, trying not to think about the damage you and Spencer were inflicting upon yourselves. A pained hiss slid between your teeth as you landed on the sharp gravel and felt the bottoms of your feet get further destroyed. Spencer glanced at you with a worried expression but you both knew you couldn't afford to stop. Keneddy could be anywhere.

Tears were streaming down your face from the pain shooting through all of your limbs. The panic was overriding the adrenaline's numbing effects and you were feeling everything with glaring intensity. Your right shoulder had to be dislocated and it throbbed with each step. Your left wrist was aching violently as if someone had taken a mallet to it. Your feet were absolutely shredded from the brambles and the rocks and each step felt like stepping on a laser. The brambles and tree branches had left knicks and bruises all over your bare arms, legs, torso, and face. You could feel your pulse hammering through each individual cut, giving your body and awkward throbbing sensation. Your thoughts felt muddy and your head felt like it was made of sludge, and the sunlight was making your eyes ache.