Look After You- Niam Horayne

Running- Chapter 16

Niall's POV

Running. Running. Running. It's all I did for two days straight. My energy levels were low, but I carried on making my way to nowhere in particular, just anywhere to get away from reality. I'd taken two litres of water to get me through, but my body was craving nutrition. But food wasn't entirely on my mind, it was more to where was I supposed to go? I'd only bought a half-full bottle of my tablets, which definitely wouldn't get me through.

I was now walking through unfamiliar woods, and although I didn't have anything to display time, I could estimate it was around five in the evening. Large, tall trees were towering above me like distorted limbs reaching out to get me, and they raised goosebumps on my arms. The muddy floor was full of leaves and sticks which snapped and crunched beneath my shoes. My eyes were weary, glancing around at any noise which occurred in the growth.

Birds were chirping and squirrels were loudly active. What scared me the most wasn't my surroundings, but where I was. Even if there was any reason I should return home, I couldn't. There was no way back, I was utterly lost. It felt like I'd been running in circles this whole time, because the forest never seemed to come to an end. It was sempiternal, and I fucking hated it.

Liam's worried face was twirling around my mind like a washing machine, no matter how hard I tried to forget about him. It'd take a long while to push away my feelings, but I had to. There was no denying how much I loved him, but that didn't make it right. I couldn't end up like my father, selfish, always doing the wrong thing. I had to do right by Liam. He was too valuable to play around with, he deserved better.

I felt like I'd forced him to help me. He didn't have to care, but it was just in his heart. His warm, kind heart which I'd fallen for. I'd messed around with his feelings, and got him to believe he liked me too when he didn't. It was all clear when he'd pulled back from my kiss, I knew it. He didn't want me. I was just a care kid to him, which he had to pretend he liked because it was his job. I meant nothing.

I pushed my aching legs forward until my eyes settled on a small wooden house in the centre of a narrow bush. It was beige, only two windows at the front and the door crumbled. The cottage was old and looked abandoned, so I made my way towards it. The gravely path was noisy as I speed walked to the front door which seemed to be falling off its hinges. It'd have to do until I came up with a plan.

Although I wasn't entirely positive it didn't have any owners, I shoved open the creaky opening and stepped through, immediately getting hit with the smell of damp. It was musky, causing me to cough and splutter. To do list: Get some air freshener.

The house didn't have any furniture apart from a large leather sofa. There was no walls separating rooms, it was just one huge space. No upstairs, just an open room with a couch in the centre. The walls were a plain white (kind of grey now due to dust) and the floors were wooden. Sleeping on the sofa... It wasn't my bed back at the care home, but it'd have to do.

I dropped my backpack on the floor and took a seat on the dark brown sofa. It was crumbly, most of the material peeling off but it wasn't uncomfortable. The worst part of this place was definitely the smell, and it was freezing. At least I'd bought my jacket and coat, not to mention winter socks. I patted the dust off my jeans and T-Shirt, before sighing.

"Hey! You! What're you doing in my house?" I jumped as I heard a booming, high pitched voice. I glanced around and froze. Oh my fucking god.

It was Will. He looked exactly the same, just a bit taller. His mousy brown hair was longer, though, wavy, falling down to his shoulders. His light brown eyes widened as he realised who I was. His pale skin had whitened- impossibly- and his plump pink lips were gaped. I couldn't believe it was my Will- the boy I'd left long ago, the boy which had begun my depression. It wasn't my father which started it, it was him.