Escape

Jason

*Hey guys! Just letting you know this is kind of a long chapter, so bear with me. Sorry about that!! Enjoy!*

The air is thick and wet. Sweat drips down my face and I stare blankly ahead, my eyes trailing the long road. My hands feel almost broken, the calloused fingers gripping all of my items. My feet hit the ground at an even pattern. The sun's harsh rays beat down across the pavement, causing illusions to fly through the air. And though my eyes study the road ahead of me, and my tired body proceeds forward. My mind drifts. To her face, to those dark brown eyes, to the things I've done. I think of the blood on my hands. The screams I've caused. The inability to feel anything. The fact that I'd done this. I did this to them. They're gone now.

I'm gone now. The voices in my head were their fault. The people my team killed are on their hands. The things we did, all their fault. Gracie always knew. That's why they took her from me. That's why my sister, the only person I loved is dead. I was blind. But what am I now? I certainly can't see correctly, for all I see is darkness. And If I were a human unbroken, not destroyed. I hope I would see colors in this world. I would recognize laughter. As I walk along, my mind plagued by these thoughts, my knees become too weak to carry on, and I collapse.

I cough, my lungs heaving, my stomach growling, and I look up at the bright blue sky. A bird flies above, singing a song as it goes. A soft yet sad melody that could make me break right here and now. But I can't, not after what they did to her, not after what happened to my friends, not after what I did to be free. I breathe in and relax my body for the first time in days. I close my eyes and see it.

Their lifeless bodies, the dead eyes, the tears, the pain, the pity, the desperation. The people I left behind. The ones I used to know. I used to know how to make them laugh. What made them happy, sad, proud. I used to cause a smile across their faces. Smiles I will never see again. These people I took the freedom to choose a destiny from. Yet I go on. A dead man. A man who has nothing but the things he carries on his back. A man who limps his way forward. Never out of the shadow of his past. Because though I wish I could get better. Become the boy I used to be.

You can't come back from the things you've done. And they will take you to your grave. I'll never be who I used to be. Before everything. Before I had my friends' blood on my hands.

I crawl through the from the fire escape and into the kitchen. The apartment is dark and no noises are heard. Cade must have cleaned up after dinner because the only thing on the table is a piece of paper. I sigh and walk into the living room to hang up my coat. And as I walk in I see a ridiculous sight. The boys must have tried to share the couch because Ryker's upper body is hanging off and Seth is stuck in between the couch cushions. Ryker usually sleeps on the couch, but now that Seth is here, he might have to move into my room, and I sure as hell am not letting him sleep in the girls room, or Ryker stay in mine. I can worry about this later, I've been working for six hours and am super tired. I place my coat on the coat hanger and stumble into my room. I rip off my bandana and collapse on the bed. Before I know it. I drift into my dreams. More like nightmares.

"Jason, I'm scared." Gracie cried. I pulled her into my arms and began to sway back and forth. My hands stroked her hair, hoping it would soothe her.

"It's ok. We're gonna be ok. Mom and Dad will stop them. We're ok." I spoke too soon for gunshots were heard throughout the house.

"No!-" I wrapped my hand around my little sister's mouth before she could get us found. Footsteps could be heard making their way up the stairs and a deep voice rang out .