Prologue

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Sweat and blood made the torn fabric of Shiro's clothes stick to his skin.
He looked back at his boyfriend, Matt Holt.

The young man looked no better than Shiro did. His hazelnut eyes were wide with fright and adrenaline as he scrambled through the forest brush.

"How much farther?", he whispered to Shiro when he caught up.

Shiro shook his head, "I don't know, but we can't just stop here. We're still too close."

They were on the run from their abductor, Zarkon.

Zarkon had kidnapped them when they were young teenagers, and brought them to an abandoned home where more kids were being held prisoner.

They were there for years, but tonight, they managed to elude the guard dogs and escape. Now they were running for their lives.

Shiro's head snapped to the side. His black eyes squinted to see in the dark forest, but he didn't need to see it. He could hear it.

The pounding of paws.

The low growls and high pitched barks as the echoed through the trees.

Shiro's heart hammered in his chest.

The guard dogs.

Zarkon found out we left.

"Come on!", he shouted. He grabbed Matt's hand and they sprinted the forest.

It was dark, and cold. The dog were about to surround them, and they kept running into branches and bushes.

"We aren't going to make it!", Matt sobbed.

"Yes we are!"

Shiro was starting to run out of breath.

Maybe we aren't going to make it....

Matt suddenly ripped his hand out of Shiro's.

Shiro spun around in shock.
"What are you doing?!"

Matt wiped the tears from his face.
The look of fear on his face was now replaced with determination and uncertainty.

"It's obvious. Both of us can't escape. I'd rather it be you..."

Shiro grabbed Matt's face and shook it lightly.
"No. We said all those years ago that we'd get out together. We can still do it, we just need to keep running, if we can-"

He was cut off when Matt kissed him gently.

"Say hi to Katie for me. Tell her I love her", Matt whispered, "And I love you too."

Now it was Shiro's turn to cry as Matt ran back, coming face to face with Zarkon's biggest dog: a Great Dane with oversized ears named Sendak.

Matt turned his head a little, just enough that Shiro saw him mouth "Run".

Now freely crying, Shiro took one last look at Matt......

And sprinted like his life depended on it.

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