The Runaways: K.A.O.

I

  The children remained quiet as I drove down the road, the ride grew long and unbearable. Our surroundings were dusted with sand and debris. The only things you could hear were the small groans from our mouths as we hit hard potholes. 

I'm sorry.

"Vanessa?" A voice called out. 

I'm so sorry. 

Grumble.

  The noise caught me off-guard, I turned around to see the culprit of the noise. Each of the kids looked down or away from me, almost as if they wanted to avoid any eye contact with me. It was not their fault.

I sighed. "You guys hungry?" I asked trying to put on my best front. 

  All of their faces lit up with my question, except for one, all except for Michael. He examined my expression but I only continued to smile his way. It was the least I could do for them. I opened the trunk and grabbed my hiking bag full of food. 

"Crackers, applesauce, and peanut butter." I should have more food in my back pack. "And beans, and chips, and cereal." I said. 

   I don't know why I expected something else than what we picked. 

  The five of us began to chow down. Eating the food made my nerves curve and it made me feel more energized. I could feel it retuning strength to my stomach, and it made the kids happy as well. We continued to eat outside of the car until we were full enough. 

"The airport's not too far. Let's try to hold out, okay?" I asked as we gathered back into the car. 

"We've made it this far, haven't we?" Michael gave me a look of reassurance. 

"Yeah." I nodded, starting the car back on the course towards the airport. 

  As we approached, I noticed the kids got more and more restless. The awed at the large building, and though it held the most threats, it also held the most opportunities. We were likely the only humans left in this state, and possibly in the surrounding states. The battle was hard, and the encounters were harder, but the airport was only a push forward. 

My fingers trembled as we grew closer to the airport, I've only been on a plane trip once. After my father's incident, I've decided to never to go on a plane ever again. It was too hard to go places run only or majorly by Others. 

I felt a jolt. 

"I don't trust this place." I braked the car and looked around. 

"Keep going." Michael pointed forward. "There's nothing we can really trust."

"I know." I gulped and continued forward. I pulled into the parking garage, breaking the admission gate in the process. 

  As expected, the parking garage was empty. 

Mostly.

"What should we do once we're inside?" Michael asked. 

"I'm not really sure." I stepped out of the car, the kids followed. 

  Gino's memory card wouldn't happen to have all of their secrets, would it?

"How do we get in? The entrance is blocked." Michael spoke up again noticing the sealed doors. 

"We'll have to use the other doors." I felt a stiff pain in my leg, where my wound was. 

  Carol grabbed onto my hand, and Terry grabbed onto my other hand. We advanced out of the parking garage to the main entrance, which was boarded off with wood. The condemned look was not enough too keep us out, we slipped through the messy boards. 

  The inside of the airport was horribly kept, the grounds were covered in black stains and bullet holes covered the walls. Streaks made by a vehicle covered a large portion of the ground where the walls were boarded up. In the farthest corners, broken glass was swept around the entries. 

"Someone's here." I felt my heart jump, it didn't feel safe. 

"Vanessa?" Michael turned to me. 

"We have to leave." I shook. 

"What if it's a person?" Kaylah stopped in her tracks. 

"What if it's not?" The fear of losing them left me hesitant. 

"We just have to find out." Michael continued forward. "We've only got to stick together, right?" 

  The words struck my heart, and they pulled tightly at my heart strings. Since when did they get this much stronger than I? Why were they so determined? 

Why can't I stop questioning... them? 

  What are these kids to me? Are they my friends? Are these kids only following me because I am forcing them? Whatever I think of them, will they even think the same of me? I hung my head down, disappointed in my thoughts. 

Click! 

"Hey!" I called for their attention, we froze. 

"What?" Michael looked at me. 

"I heard something." I looked around, my heart sped up. There was something here, and it wasn't here to help us. 

  We advanced through the halls quietly and cautiously. We couldn't afford to get separated or to lose anyone else. I watched our backs and Michael watched our front, Kaylah looked from left to right for us. I pushed Carol and Terry into the middle, they would be the most vulnerable since the were the smallest. 

"Over there." I whispered, I seen something glaring in the setting sunlight. 

"What?" Michael turned around, the glow began to waver. 

"On my cue, we're going to run alright?" I backed them away from the light, whatever it was. 

"Okay." Michael slowly pushed everyone forward. 

"Get ready." We backed away. "Get ready." It got closer until it revealed a cloaked person. 

  "Now!"