「 IV ; breathe 」

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FOUR ; BREATHE

FOUR ; BREATHE

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     ELEANOR, TARON, ROBBIE, AND RAY are walking at a fast pace down the sidewalk with roughly twenty other people around them. The straps of Eleanor's rucksack are slung over her shoulders and she is grasping onto the sleeve of Taron's jacket, who is holding the bat on his shoulder. Robbie is carrying the box of food.

"What's happening?" Robbie asks, noticing that the four of them aren't the only ones who seem to be leaving their homes.

"I can't tell you now. We... we've only got about another minute," Ray replies. The teenagers look at him, wondering what in God's name he's talking about.

The four of them walk to a car that Ray's friend, Manny, was previously working on. When Ray first left the house after the lightning strikes, he suggested to Manny a way he could fix the car.

"Please, please, please," Ray mumbles as they approach the car, begging for it to be working once again.

"Ray, I'm standing right beside you. Can you please answer me?" Robbie asks. Ray doesn't respond as he looks in the car, finding the keys. Meanwhile, Taron and Eleanor glance at the other people around them, who are running and panicking much more than they are. Taron looks at Eleanor and then at her hand, which is still grasping his leather jacket. A trace of a smile spreads on his face.

Eleanor notices him looking and lets go, saying, "Sorry."

"Don't be," Taron replies.

"Get in, all of you," Ray says. Robbie walks around the car and gets into the passenger seat, the box of food in his lap. Taron opens the sliding door of the van and gestures for Eleanor to get in. Taron follows her, shutting the door behind him. The bat is still in his hand, however the tip is resting on the floor of the car. Eleanor's bag is on the floor by her feet.

Ray gets into the driver's side and starts the ignition, thanking a higher power when the engine turns over. He puts the car into drive but is stopped by Manny, who begins complimenting Ray's knowledge of cars and his correct information to get the car working. Manny trails off, however, when he sees that Ray's whole family plus one is in the car. Manny walks around to Robbie's side.

"Ray, open up," Manny says, apparently oblivious to the events going on around him. Robbie, Eleanor, and Taron all look at Ray, wondering what he plans to do. "Open the door, come on."

Ray reaches over Robbie and opens the door, saying, "Get in."

"That's funny. You gotta get out of the car. You can't take it." Ray attempts to make Manny calm down, but he continues. "It's not my car. It's not your car. Where are you going, anyway? Daddy's acting crazy, kids — "

"I don't have time to explain — "

"You're busting my chops. I got a shop to run. You know — "

𝐫𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬 & 𝐫𝐨𝐚𝐝𝐬; 𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐨𝐧 𝐞𝐠𝐞𝐫𝐭𝐨𝐧Where stories live. Discover now