Heathens -Twenty One Pilots

Figures

Josh's POV

It still hasn't properly sunk in, that we're free, for now at least. It all feels like a dream, almost as if I'm living someone else's life. Something from an action movie I'd watch when I was 10.

We've been driving for an hour, cutting through fields, changing direction randomly, doing everything we can to lose them.

Gerard is sitting up now, leaning heavily against the car door and breathing deeply with his eyes closed. Every so often he winces when we corner sharply or go over a massive bump, but he hasn't complained.

Panic is still in the air. It surrounds us.

It's in my knuckles which are white from gripping the steering wheel, it's in the trees that blur past the window as we streak past, it's in Tyler's wide eyes and bunched up fists.

And it only increases as the engine cuts off suddenly, causing the jeep to drive 30, maybe 40 feet before rolling to a stop.

I hit the wheel in frustration.

"On foot from here." I snap, surprising myself.

Gerard groans but starts to turn around anyway, lifting his leg slowly off the seat and wincing as he tries to put weight on it.

He's not going anywhere fast.

I exchange a glance with Tyler, he looks scared. Really scared. His hands are shaking and his lip is red where he's bitten it. I want nothing more than to hold him. To whisper in his ear that it will be ok. Hold his hand until he falls asleep and then to still be there when he wakes up. But we don't have time for any of that. I can't promise that things will be ok.

We dart around the car to open Gerard's door and grab an arm each as we pull him to his feet, almost all his weight is on us but he still pulls back towards the car.

"No." He groans. "You have to go without me. Please. I couldn't live knowing its my fault you didn't get away."

"I couldn't live knowing we left you behind." Tyler pleads, but Gerard still shakes his head.

"We left together, we stay together. Got it?" I snap, and finally, Gerard nods reluctantly and we start to jog to the trees with him limping beside us, mostly being dragged along. Every ounce of his being dedicated to remaining upright.

Almost as soon as we get under the cover of the trees, a loud noise grows above us as a helicopter circles overhead.

In a panic, I shove Gerard to the ground, ignoring his muffled yelp, and Tyler and I hunker down behind a bush beside him as he hauls himself to his knees, keeping his weight firmly on one side

" I'm scared Josh." Tyler whispers, grabbing my hand.

"So am I." I reply.

But then I realise. We have to go. The helicopter will see the jeep.

Hiding here will only help us for a short time. How could I be so stupid!?

So we move again, going as fast as we can, trying our best to walk through fallen leaves and tree roots so as not to leave footprints and going through the densest parts of the woods.

And we keep going. For an hour or more I'm sure. We walk up streams and double back on ourselves. Trying to hide our scent from the dogs we can hear in the distance.

And it works.

After what feels like days, we hear the dogs moving away from us, fading into silence as they're fooled by a stream.