1 | running

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Tap. Tap. Tap.

Taryn watched as a little bird in front of her tapped its beak against the stone path, creating a pleasant rhythm. It was a peaceful morning—no noise, no stress, no chaos. Just the sound of the wind blowing and the faint creak of rusty signs can be heard.

Closing her eyes, Taryn leaned back on the wooden bench, enjoying the rare moment of silence. She let her body rest as she was still a bit tired from doing her chores. A faint smile began to appear on her lips when she felt the wind caress her face, causing her hair to fly in multiple directions.

But of course, if there was one thing she learned in this world, it was that not all good things last. Not long afterward, the sounds of people yelling reached her range of hearing, breaking the girl out of her trance. She glanced around, curious of the source of the disturbance.

"Say that again, I dare you!"

"Ha! Didn't know you losers were deaf too! Let's just say that, when I complete my training and become an MP, all of you will be kissing my feet!"

Hearing the familiar voice, Taryn sighed. This again. Reluctantly, she got up and began walking towards the commotion. It didn't take long for her to find them as the individuals were being particularly loud. It wouldn't surprise her if they somehow managed to wake up the whole area around them.

She turned around the corner, where she found the cause of the ruckus. A boy with ash-brown hair was standing smugly in front of four bigger boys, all of who were glaring fiercely at him. The latter looked ready to pounce, while the other was too busy bragging about himself to even notice their hostile stances. The moment she saw one of them raise a fist, Taryn broke into a sprint, hastily grabbing the arm of her friend. She stepped back immediately, ignoring the boy's complaints and dragging him with her.

"Jean!" She hissed, before facing the others with a fearful expression. "Sorry about that! He didn't get enough sleep, so he's a bit off his rocker. We promise we won't bother you anymore!" She pleaded. The group before her looked a lot older than the two of them, probably around fifteen. Taryn gulped at the sight of their murderous stares and yanked on Jean's arm harshly, implying that they should leave already.

Unfortunately for her, the boy never knew when to shut up, even in situations like these.

"Maybe I'll visit you one day and let you losers catch a glimpse of my medals!" He laughed, all the while Taryn was clutching onto him for dear life. His words seemed to anger the group even more as they started to chase after the both of them.

"You little shit! Come back here and I'll show you what a loser is—!" She heard one of them shout, making her to panic and run for her life, pulling Jean with her.

They ran in every direction, sometimes taking a few detours to make sure they wouldn't be found so easily. They ran and ran until they were out of breath and their limbs started aching. They only stopped when she deemed it safe to do so, in an alley so quiet that other voices could no longer be heard.

"Hey, hey, hey—let go!" Jean snatched his arm away from her grasp. Panting, the pair collapsed on the ground, their legs too tired to keep on standing. Just how long have we been running?

"What did you do that for?" He asked the girl beside her, whose face was so pale he was surprised she hadn't fainted already. "I'm good at throwing punches! I could've fought them myself!"

"Yeah, if you're up against one person," She replied, shaking her head in exasperation. "But against four? Not to mention that they were way older than you? You didn't stand a chance, Jean. They were going to beat you to a pulp."

hopeless | jean kirsteinWhere stories live. Discover now