To the Ground

1.3 Deadly Decisions

    Scared was an underestimate. They were beyond terrified. Their brains were clouded with too much fear to think straight. Jasper frantically searched for Dahlia in the crowd of running teens. Weapons flew past him as a warning, striking the ground or the trees he attempted to hide behind.

    "What the hell was that?" A pitchy voice behind him exclaimed.

    Jasper turned but saw nobody. He stopped in his tracks, breath hitched as his gaze lowered to the ground to find a dead girl. A knife had entered her back. Blood squirted out from the gruesome injury, leaving red dots on the side of her ashen face. Jasper slowly knelt, shaking vigorously. His heart pounded painfully fast. He tapped her cheeks, hoping she would wake up -- somehow return to life. He could hear only his heartbeat and labored breathing. He didn't realize how loud Blaire was screaming his name.

    She found the boy on his knees, desperately trying to save a dead girl. His eyes were wide and apprehensive, focused only on the fate of the stranger before him. He paid no attention to the daggers that flew past his head, missing his ears by centimeters. The sight was pitiful.

    "Hey, come on!" She urged, harshly pulling him to his feet.

    He was seemingly too in shock to move. She held his arm as they ran, eyes staring at the ground and darting back and forth. The image of the girl's lifeless face was imprinted on his brain and he hopelessly tried to get it out.

    Moon's coal-colored eyes searched for any signs of danger around him and the boy he loved most slung over his shoulder. Rarity was just in front of him, so he followed close behind. His mind was far too full of worry to stop and think about the way back to camp. If Ezra were to die, he wouldn't be able to live with himself. If Ezra were to die, he would never forgive himself.

    A small image of the camp was seen in the distance. Ezra groaned in pain with each step, holding onto the back of Moon's sweatshirt tightly. Just a few more feet -- Moon encouraged himself. A few more feet and he could gather his thoughts to help his boyfriend. The camp was so close, yet so far. The only thing that mattered to him was getting Ezra to safety. But, before he could, a strong feeling erupted in his side. It spread up his body and down his leg, experiencing a burning pain much like Ezra. He clamped his lips shut, teeth gritting together as he tried to suppress the screams that threatened to sound. He nearly stopped in his tracks. Blood spilled out of his body and left a trail behind him as he continued running for the sake of Ezra.

    At last, they safely made it to camp. Moon set Ezra down by a tree stump near the fire and let himself collapse to the grass. The taller teen groaned in pain as he examined his side. A blade stuck out of his skin, sweatshirt soaking with blood. His eye caught something unusual. A cloudy yellow substance stained the blade, barely spotted past the red. He was in too much agony to worry.

    Rarity, Blaire, and Jasper rushed to the injured boys. Blaire let the leader go and the boy stumbled behind a tent and got sick, which the girls ignored. Their focus was the couple's bloody bodies. Ezra seemingly handled pain a lot worse, his skin paler and his hooded eyes screwed shut. Moon was more concerned about him than the fate of his own injuries.

    "I'll take Ezra," Blaire stated and Rarity agreed.

    The blonde ripped Moon's shirt at the bottom and proceeded to take it off. His wound was severe -- deep bruising around the blood that spilled. The blade went straight through him, piercing the back of his side and coming from the front. Her mind scrambled, thinking about the organs that could've been punctured.