FEAR | stray kids

VII - you must keep your soul like a secret in your throat

"Ok," Jisung's voice said shakily, "Change of plans then. You're going to have to carry our bodies out of here. Whilst running."

"We're running away from the police?" Felix whispered, looking terrified.

"Jisung's right." Minho said, his heart pounding against his chest as if it was trying to burst out of his body. "We're in too deep now. There's no way to bullshit our way out of this."

No one attempted to argue with him. It was plain from the fear in everyone's eyes that there wasn't time to think of another option.

"I hate this." Changbin said quietly, and crouched down to pick up Chan's body.

Jeongin picked up Hyunjin, and Minho carried Jisung. They all looked so frail and limp, so vulnerable, and it was an agonising sight to see. 

Minho walked over to the warehouse door, and stopped in front of it. "All of you follow me. I'll open the door, and as soon as it's open we're running, okay?"

"Which way are you going to run?" Changbin asked.

"Left." Minho replied. "I'm not certain but I think there's a forest past the other warehouses. It should give us some temporary cover at least. Okay, I'm gonna open the door. Get ready."

He placed his shoulder against the door, and taking a deep breath, pushed. As soon as the door swung open his legs were moving.

It felt like an eternity and a millisecond in which time was passing in that moment. His eyes were temporarily blinded by the distant flashing blue lights, the sirens piercing his ears, and he swerved left, heading towards the edge of the warehouses, where there was a forest. 

He didn't know if the others were behind him. He couldn't afford to look back. All he could do was keep moving, and hope that they'd all be out of sight when the police cars pulled up.

He reached the edge, saw the fairly tall fence obstructing his path. He wasted no time in throwing Jisung's body over, and hastily climbing over himself. He was fairly certain the metal had dug into his fingers and made them bleed, and he might have twisted his ankle on the landing. But he didn't dwell on the pain, instead scooping up Jisung into his arms again and sprinting into the trees.

We're way in over our heads, and it's your fault, Minho! Jisung's words from earlier echoed in his mind, something he couldn't find himself disagreeing with anymore. 

But there was nothing he could do to change the past now. All he could do was keep running, keep fighting to stop everything falling apart. He could feel the gravity of the situation set in now, more so than ever before. His aching legs, the blue lights flashing behind him, the limp body he carried in his arms.

It's your fault.

The wind stung in his eyes, he blinked away tears, trying desperately to still see where he was going. His heartbeat was the only thing he could hear now, it rang through his ears like a million gunshots hitting his chest. He didn't even know if the others were still behind him, he couldn't hear them, and he was so afraid to look back, so afraid that he wouldn't see them there.

He looked anyway. One brief glance. And it was enough to ease some of the tension in his chest. He slowed his pace, knowing that they'd been running for what felt like an eternity, and they all deserved some rest. 

"Let's-" Minho panted when they were deep in the trees, "Let's stop for now." He laid Jisung's body down in an area of shrubbery, his arms aching from carrying the weight. The others followed suit, everyone catching their breath in the stilted silence of the forest.