12 Hours (A Dɴғ Fᴀɴғɪᴄᴛɪᴏɴ)

Chapter 3- Run and Reunions?

  Chapter 3: Run and Reunions?
- George's POV -

After my encounter with Dream, I was back on my own and on the move. He was already gone when I went to thank him, leaving me displeased and annoyed when I couldn't get any answers -which I clearly deserved might I add-  like I wished I did. I knew however that'd I owe him if the time ever came to it and brought us together again. He did save my ass after all.

I was now 3 hours away from safety and I couldn't have wanted time to move any faster than I did now. I was hungry, dehydrated, and desperate for sleep that I was too scared to have at a time like this. I was also extremely unprepared and at a very big disadvantage when it came to effective fighting. Dodging attacks, maybe, but 1v1 with an attacker would be much more difficult for me than you'd think.

My tactics and strategies for survival solely relied on hiding, stalling, and running away. So physically being caught or confronted by Daredevils was very rare until just so recently. Or I could only assume Dream was a Daredevil. He said he wasn't but a lie could only hold so much of the truth.

I glanced back at my broken phone screen and smiled tiredly when the time signaled there was only 2 hours left until I was completely safe. If you can call hiding in a pantry safe. It was cramped, I admit, but checking the pantries for a "prey" was least likely to happen. I hoped at least.

Rolling my shoulders tiredly, I sighed in defeat and shut my eyes momentarily to ease my throbbing head.

Creak-

Short lives, my eyes shot open, hand instantly moving to the hilt of my sword as I tried to listened for another noise.

Nothing.

Keeping my movements still and calculated, I merely leaned back an inch when an arrow plunged right through the pantry door, sticking into the wall inches away from where my head once was.

A trickle of blood slid down my cheek as I remained still and quiet, fists clenching as I attempted to calm my beating heart to a humanly pace. That was too close for my liking.

Moments of silence settled in the room, the only thing sounding in my ears being the thudding of my heart. Or so I thought. A loud thud interrupted the silence and something smacked against the pantry door from outside making it shake briefly.

Then, silence. A trickle of sweat formed on my forehead as another creak suddenly sounded from the room and I shakily took in a deep breath.

"I never forget a face, so get out of here while you still can. It's not always that I do charity work." An unfamiliar voice grumbled as a set of heavily booted feet crossed the room. The voice must've belonged to a male my age, I assumed. His movements sounded flexible and skilled too so it's also a possibility that that was the case.

I didn't waste time however, cautiously laying the palm of my hand against the pantry door as I readied myself to flee. Here we go. The pantry door slowly creaked open under my touch and a scream clogged itself in my throat instantly as I bit down on my tongue and looked away from the sight.

It was uncalled for. The corpse laying right at my feet, dead eyes wide and red and staring back at me with what was once off-guarded surprise. An arrow, similar to the one that almost impaled me, was lunged into the person's head, blood pouring everywhere and staining the wooded ground red.

And so, I was on my heels. Sprinting out of the house with speed that would undoubtedly cost me whatever energy I had left. But I didn't care. Not when I could take the opportunity to run. I didn't know why the person let me free but, again, I didn't care. In fact I didn't give two shits.

All that I had glued in his mind was running. And the corpse that would've been me if I had stayed any longer.

//

The cool water splashed refreshingly against my face as I ran my wet hands over flushed face and hair, hopping to rid the image of the day's events with the water that dripped down my chin and nose. "Getting my stuff back is going to be so annoying." I groaned quietly, tilting my head back and closing my eyes ever so briefly. A minute of uncoordinated shut-eye can probably get me staked. Hey, maybe even a human torch.

Deciding to get on the move again and start searching for resources, I stood up with a little stretch and grabbed whatever belongings I was able to get my bruised hands on. "Where am I even supposed to start searching?" I groaned again as I began exiting the forest. It was times like this that I was willing to socialize. Well, not particularly socialize, but maybe listen to someone's opinions I would've never cared to listen to before if I  wasn't a scurrying rat and more like a raging tiger.

"-raging tiger." I scoffed to himself. "More like raging stomach." I sighed, feeling my stomach grumble and slowly begin to ache from hunger.

I kept walking straight until I was back on the main road and I could feel my heart tighten as I strolled through the center of the street, shielding my face with a scarf. The streets filled itself with blood and death, dead bodies laying unburied and remains from now destroyed houses flooding the sidewalks if not the spot they were originally built in, Despite it being safe hours, I couldn't help but feel constantly alerted and on edge.

Come on, come on!  It was least likely to actually find anything. Most stores and houses were wiped clean, leaving nothing behind but useless remains and broken or burnt furniture. Avoiding the fact that blood and chaos also painted the sidewalks, I kept my attention sharp for anything that could be of use. I even contemplated on going back to my home but figured it was least likely that I'd actually find anything left behind if not burned to ash crisps. "Crazy bastards.." I mumble to myself.

Another thing I noticed were the posters and half burnt, if not fully, flyers stuck onto electricity poles, alley walls, and some even flying around in the air. One specifically, as I walked closer, was a 'wanted' poster. The words 'wanted dead or alive' were drawn in a blood red -almost threateningly- and a single dagger stabbed it to the post. Directly on the 'wanted' person's head.

"I've been hiding for too long. I need to get out more." I mumbled as I walked closer and detached the weapon in curiosity, tucking it away for resource purposes.

"Ahh, so I see you've found my posters."