Run. Just Run.

Chapter 9

Ashley hears James' scream of 'mom', and she rushes in, to find James kneeling over his mother, who was laying face down, a pool of blood around her. She stands here in shock.

"Mom! Why are you bleeding?" James asks, half crying, half screaming. "Did you get shot? Who shot you? Please don't die!" He says with tears in his eyes.

Mrs Browning feebly opens her eyes. She tries to speak.

"It was......it was...." She fights to say. "Margaret. And men. They want Ashley."

"They shot you?!? Why would they shoot you?!?" James asks, sobbing.

Mrs Browning ignores the question and becomes very serious.

"James. Listen to me. You take Ashley and you two get out of here. Far away. Go. Now!"

"No way am I gonna leave you!" James says in protest.

Mrs Browning grabs James' hand and looks into his eyes. "Protect her. Go now. And don't walk, run. Just run."

With that, Mrs Browning laid her head back down on the cold, hard floor and closed her eyes. James is screaming sobbing at this point.

"No! I won't leave you! You're not going to die!" He keeps saying over and over. Then he just starts nonstop sobbing.

He feels someone come up beside him and he feels arms wrap around him. He opens his eyes and sees Ashley laying her head on his shoulder, crying. At the sight of Ashley, all he can think about is his mothers warning. He puts his arm around Ashley and jumps up to his feet, pulling Ashley with him. Adrenaline kicks in. He pulls Ashley out of the kitchen, away from the figure lying on the cold floor.

"Come on, we've gotta get out of here." James says, choked up.

"Hold on." Ashley says, still sobbing. She runs over to the home phone and dials a number.

"Ashley! Come on, we've gotta go! Now!"

Ashley holds up one finger telling James to wait a second.

"Hello? 911? Yes. There's someone here." Then she glances over at James and whispers so he can't hear her. "She's dead."

Ashley leaves the phone on the counter, knowing the 911 dispatcher will trace the call and an ambulance will be there in minutes.

"NOW we can go." Ashley says as she runs up to James and takes his hand.

James and Ashley run out the front door, and without so much as a glance over their shoulder, run into the woods. While they're running they hear the sound of sirens in the distance. Ashley's spirits lift the tiniest bit, knowing she did the right thing.

They keep running, no idea where they're going, just running. Away. Its not like them to just run, they'd rather stand their ground, but after seeing the havoc these people could wreck, they knew better. Also, James' mother's last words still rang clear in both of their minds. And regardless of how emotional thinking about that made them, despite the rush of feelings that crept over them when they thought about it, those words keep repeating over and over in their minds, ringing as if they are trying to never be forgotten.

Run. Just run.