Run

Chapter 20

The deep, dark woods.

The sounds of our footsteps.

The sound of their gunshots followed us.

"Quickly!" He said.

I ran faster.

"You go first, Lauren." He said

I went first.

"You have to go, Lauren."

I left.

But I stayed long enough to watch him fall.

I clutched my bracelet in my hands. The piece of metal was familiar, I knew it was mine. Tears kept falling, like a waterfall. Aidan's soft, warm hand held mine. He didn't say a thing the entire time.

"He's gone," I sob. "Why am I looking for a dead person?"

Aidan gently puts a hand on my check. I force myself to look at his chocolate brown eyes in the darkness. He wipes away my tears with his sleeve. "You had hope." He said. "You listened to your heart."

"My heart should've told me he was dead." I scream.

"Lauren, you don't-"

"If I knew he was dead, then I'd never even escape the Institute. Maybe I have no fudging idea who the hell he is but he could've helped us, right?" I ask. "But he can't. You know why?"

"Because he's-"

"Because he's dead." I cut Aidan off. "He's as dead as we are in this forest."

He bit his lip but didn't say anything. Instead, he stood up, took the bag we found, then walked away.

I sit there, on the ground, holding the bracelet. I didn't exactly know where I got it from but I knew it was mine.

But what if it isn't, Lauren? I asked myself. But I knew. I knew it was mine. I unclasped the ends put the bracelet around my wrist. I stared at it for a while, admiring the only object I have from my past.

I look down at the ground. The blood smeared ground. The ground smeared with my blood.

"Someone found you in the middle of the forest, unconscious, with a gash on your forehead and a bullet wound in your shoulder." I recall Dr. Henderson telling me.

This is where I lost him and where I got shot. I probably only remember Spencer's name because he was the last person I saw.

But who was he? A friend? A brother? A cousin? Who knows, I could've even run away with my dad. That'd be weird but could maybe happen.

I take a few breaths. This wasn't a waste of time, Lauren. I tell myself. You escaped because they were treating you poorly. Now, you can start a new life. A better life. You can find your parents.

"What if I don't want to find my parents?" I mutter to myself.

I hang my legs over the edge of the cliff. Stupid idea, I know. I could fall and die. But that would be fine, to me at least. Aidan would probably do something stupid without me.

I stare down. Down to what should've been my death. Why do I even feel guilty? I don't even know the guy. The drop was 99.86 meters down. There was nothing at the bottom but rock. But not pointy rocks, just a rock floor. Or that was what the screen that appeared in front of my vision said.

Honestly, so many weird things happened to me these past couple months that I'm not even reacting to that.

Go talk to Aidan. The voice said. Oh goody, it's back!