Sorry for the wait guys, thanks to my beta for smoothing out the story again.
Hope you enjoy
On the Run
Chapter 2
Something's not right. I can sense it in the air.
I lay on the floor in a cold sweat, listening intently for the source of my discomfort… but everything is silent. Maybe my dream spooked me and I'm overreacting, but this is the second time in two days I've felt this insecurity. I don't have a watch so I have to crack the door open ajar in order to check the window. Almost sunrise. My body clock has yet to fail me.
I very hastily shove my stuff back into my pack and I don't bother changing out of my clothes because let's face it, I'm only going to work up a sweat again today.
I leave the building quickly and start to run as fast as I can in the direction of another abandoned skyscraper that I have visited occasionally. It's about a four hour walk away from where I spent the night, but all my instincts are telling me to put as much distance as I can between that building and myself. It's not safe. I'm so on edge right now that I'm not even bothering to keep the side streets. I'm climbing over blocked roads, clambering my way over huge piles of rubbish and debris. I don't have time to find a different route, I need to keep running.
My lungs burn and my clothes are clinging to my body, but the building I'm after has just appeared in the distance so I give it my final push to get there. I don't usually run because I very rarely feel like I have to. The only time I have ran like this was about a year ago. I was just emerging out of an old apartment building when I caught sight of a Dauntless Patrol Officer about a block down from me. I can remember how terrified I was that they'd find me and kill me so I ran as fast as I could in the opposite direction. My life truly did depend on it.
Finally I reach the building and after climbing inside through one of the doors broken glass window panels, I head straight upstairs. By now my legs are aching and I'm not sure how much longer I've got until they give way completely, but I continue to make my way up to the top. I'm not running though at this point, it's more of a steady plod. About half way up I stop and finish off my water because I'm well aware that this building still has working plumbing, and I wolf down one of my cereal bars. Once I decide I can be bothered I carry on up the stairs, but I'm slow and sluggish and in desperate need of a nap and a shower.
When I get to the apartment I always use I slip inside and lock the door. I stay here every now and again because I feel fairly comfortable here. I retrieve a sleeping bag that I stashed away in one of the cupboards, and I'm so relieved to find that it is still mould free! Fucking yes!
I roll the sleeping bag out on top of an old mattress that I've managed to drag out of another room and decide that I'll just have to have a nap before I get cleaned up. I don't mind lying in my own filth for a bit, just while my legs recover enough for me to make it to the bathroom. I'll most likely end up sitting in the shower anyway. I throw myself down and land on the mattress with a thud. I remove my boots and socks and flop backwards on top of the sleeping bag. I may be okay with lying in my own filth now but I know I wouldn't appreciate it later. Oh dear god my legs are burning.
-x-
It's just after midday when I startle awake from my nap due to a vicious cramp that shoots all the way down my left leg. Fuck, fuck, fuck!
I jump up and attempt to stretch it out, but by now my leg looks like it's having a mild seizure, so I limp into the bathroom after grabbing my shampoo and turn the shower on. I strip out of my soiled clothes as I wait for it to warm up. Once it's warm enough I climb in and stand under the stream of water letting it soak my face and hair. I didn't get to shower yesterday so this is a complete godsend! My years on the run have lead me to know which buildings have running water so thankfully I don't have to go weeks on end without a wash down.
I pick up a bar of soap that I left here and get to work washing my body. I always wash my hair last because I seem to have an unnatural amount of it and I can't fucking stand it when I end up standing in a clump of it that's fallen out from being under the sprays pressure for too long. I let the hot water run down my body and my leg muscles finally starts to relax. I watch as all the dirt and grime, which had previously been occupying my body, runs down the drain. Well that's fucking gross.
I plop down in the shower and sit with my legs crossed facing the water as I massage some shampoo into my hair. The complete serenity and peace I am feeling at that moment makes me wonder if maybe this is the best that I've ever felt, and I turn around where I'm sat and just let the jet of water rinse my hair.
When I decide that I'm done I turn the shower off and step out into the chilly air. The hair on my body stands on end at the temperature change. I don't have a towel with me so I'll have to air dry which I don't mind doing, but I ring out my soaking hair over the tub and stick it into a bun at the top of my head before I slip back into the main room and begin rummaging through my pack.
I dig to the bottom to find my changes of clothes. I set aside my clean ones in a neat pile on my makeshift bed and grab the dirty ones and head back to the bathroom. I have the jeans that I've been wearing for the past few days along with a grey pair of tracksuit bottoms that I can't wear at the moment because it's far too hot, so I'll probably wash them and stash them away somewhere. Then I have a plain grey tank top and a dark red top. It's quite fitted and has a fairly low neckline. It's probably the nicest thing I own so I try to avoid wearing it. Then I've just got 2 bras and a heap of underwear.
I'm sure there are people in the mall that would wash these properly for me if I did something for them in return, but I don't grow food and I can't fix things so I'll have to wash them myself. Not that I mind.
I turn the shower back on and dump all the clothes in the middle of the tub in a pile so that they're all soaked through in no time at all. Then I take the bar of soap and get to work scrubbing at every inch of material until I'm satisfied that they're clean. I rinse them under the shower again before ringing them out and hanging them up on a makeshift clothes line by the windows that I manage to crack open.
By now my body is relatively dry and my hair has stopped dripping down my neck, so I slide into the new shirt that I picked up the other day and I climb into the sleeping bag to finish off my nap.
-x-
Fucking hell, it's dark! How long have I slept? Is it still the same day? Have I slept for a week? Well if I've slept through one millennium I might as well sleep through the next…
-x-
The next time I open my eyes the sun is up, so much for a quick nap. My hair's still damp so it must just be the next day and not a millennium like I had initially though. I do tend to have a flare for the dramatics. I feel groggy. I must have needed that sleep. Like really needed that sleep. I might stay here for another day to catch up on all of the extra sleep that I've not been having recently. Probably safer if I stick here one more day because I feel safe. Well, as safe as I can feel.
I take my hair out of the bobble and head into the bathroom. I start to carry out my morning routine, brushing my teeth and washing my face. I can't do anything with my hair while it's wet so I comb through it with my finger and spend time picking through the knots, perched on the rim of the bath as I do so. The cabinet above the sink has a cracked mirror and I can't help but stare at my reflection.
The bags under my eyes aren't as bad as they were a few days ago, but my face is burnt by the sun and my freckles are out in full force, splattering across my nose and cheeks. Fabulous. There's a small scar on my cheek from the incident in Dauntless. I've been trying to tell myself it's not that noticeable, but it's the first thing my eyes are drawn to whenever I look upon my face. It's not even particularly big but it's just there and I can see it more when I smile. But that's a rare occasion so I don't tend to worry about that.
Before I leave the bathroom I check on the clothes that I hung up. The old trousers are still slight wet but the tops and underwear are dry, so I put on whatever my hand grabs first. Not that anything coordinates anyway. I slip on the black t shirt that I wore last night before beginning to try and squeeze into the new jeans that I had set aside. They're a size too small, and I'm really having trouble getting my ass into them. Like real trouble! I clench my cheeks in a last ditch attempt and heave them up, and finally they're on. I just about do them up so I decide today I'll eat the light pineapple instead of anything heavy so I don't risk ripping these jeans.
God I think the circulation in the lower half of my body has been cut off. I think I'll have to break them in... Not today though, I think I'll go back to bed. I undo the button on the jeans and I'm pretty sure I hear the jeans rejoice as I yank them down. How is this harder than putting them on? I almost lose my balance trying get my feet out, so I decide to sit down. Yes that's better. The jeans are tossed unceremoniously to the side. I'll probably end up taking them back instead of breaking them in. I can't wear those if I want to keep my legs. For now though I'll have to keep wearing my old jeans. I suppose they'll do.
-x-
I rise with the sun the next morning and as I get ready I have the urge to visit the old school. Old Joe mentioned he used to go scavenging there years ago and that he found loads of old recipe books and cooking equipment there. I don't want anything like that though, I think I just want to explore. If I come across anything useful in the process then that would be great, but I'd be willing to bet that everything good has already been taken. I suppose it's worth a try though.
I stuff my things back into my pack and put on my now dry jeans, roll my sleeping bag up and shove it back into its cupboard before propping the mattress against the wall and heading out. I feel fairly confident about today. Those two days of sleep have done me wonders.
After a solid hour or two of walking I'm making my way up to the old school building. I scan around for where I'm pretty sure there's a hole in the side of the wall. When I eventually find it after circling the building I climb through. It's not a small hole so thankfully I don't have to duck, but I do have to do a bit of climbing over parts of the broken wall. I haul myself over and work my way through the classrooms on the ground floor.
The first five or so rooms I'm guessing were for maths, fucking numbers everywhere. I've come to the conclusion that I probably wasn't very good at maths because the feeling of pure distaste I've got in these rooms feels natural.
The next set of rooms look like labs. Not going to find anything useful in here, it's already been picked over but I just skim through them just in case there's anything useful, but of course it's already been taken to the mall. A thick layer of dust and grime covers everything, and as I open doors I see some of the dust lift, only to settle down again. There's mould in most of the rooms and the paint is chipped and peeling off. I have to climb over desks and chairs that have fallen over or are broken and squeeze through cracks in doors. I come across a giant room called the auditorium but I decide not to go in there as it's not very well lit and I have no torch, plus it wouldn't surprise me if the wooden floorboards were rotting.
Eventually I arrive at the lunch hall. It doesn't smell very nice in here, so I aim to get my search done as quickly as possible. I don't hold out much hope of finding food in here as I suspect this is where a lot of the food in the mall would have come from, but I give it a try anyway. I have to climb over a counter to get into the kitchen and I quickly start opening cupboards and draws. After I've turned the place upside down I come out of it, just as I suspected, empty handed. Fantastic.
I quickly climb back over the counter and rubble and search around for a staircase. None of the rooms on this floor have been successful so I'll try my luck upstairs. The first staircase I come across has fallen through on this level but I refuse to believe that there is only one set of stairs in this whole building, so I head back the way I came in and decide to look on that side. I think I vaguely remember seeing one near the hole in the wall.
Fuck yes here it is! I start up the stairs which are like all the stairs in this city, they go up about 12 or so steps then there's a bit of level floor and then it carries on to the left and then the same again until you reach the next floor. Parts of this staircase have crumbled away so I'm careful how I go. Once I'm on the first floor straight ahead of me is a dead end, which I initially think is odd until I notice the door to my right. It's jammed by something on the other side so I really have to push, but I just can't get it open. So instead I head up to the next floor, hoping to find that it has the same layout as the floor below, and sure enough it does! However there's a hole in the wall where the door should be. That's what I like to see.
I step cautiously through it and head down the corridor a few steps until I reach a classroom door that's hanging off its hinges. However just as I poke my head through the door I hear an ungodly commotion outside, shouting and banging. All of my instincts tell me not to peek out of the window but to run and hide instead but just as I turn to flee I realise that one of the voices sounds so familiar… Since the accident in Dauntless I've experienced so littlethat I would call familiar since I've been constantly putting my life back together, so why does this muffled voice in the distance draw me in? Before I even know what I'm doing I'm stepping slowly towards the window.
Fucks sake. Feet stop! It feels like my heart has stopped as I reach the window and I have no idea why. I glance down at the street below and see a group of men dressed completely in black surrounding a wild looking man wearing torn up clothes and…Hey I know that guy! That's the Factionless man who mugged me! And he's wearing MY bag! The fucking cheek of... Oh shit he's pointing at me. And everyone's turning to look. Shit.
I feel my heartbeat return in full force when the biggest of the men in black turns around. He's got dark blond hair and has tattoos running down his neck and I swear to God I must know him as well because fear instantly grips my heart. It's everything I can do to not shit myself when he scans the building and looks directly at me. Shit yes I definitely know those eyes!
Neither of us hesitate. I dart out of the classroom and down the corridor to the other staircase quicker than lightning, and I'm praying it's not collapsed up here too. I assume he's run for the hole in the wall.
I'm only on the second floor so I have to be quick because I can already hear someone on the stairs further behind me. I round a corner and I can see the staircase I can't get down, however I can probably get up it even though one side looks ready to crumble. I don't have time to think about it so instead I bolt up the the stairs.
I can hear feet in the corridor. Fucking hell this guy's fast! I've only just made it to the next floor when I can hear his feet on the stairs, my heart's going a mile a minute as I start up the next one but by the time I've reached the middle platform thing he's right behind me and I have no choice but to turn around and face my imminent death.
I turn around at the same time that he grabs me, so I nearly topple over from the sheer force of the action. I probably would have if he hadn't slammed me up against the wall. I'm face to face-well face to chest - face to very toned chest, holy shit I can see his muscles through his shirt, fuck me! No wait I'm going to die, I need to stop checking him out! But I don't want to… strangely.
I can't help myself. My eyes to dart up to his, wow they're blue. Familiar and blue. He shouldn't feel familiar! I've only seen him once before and that was when I was strapped to a table and he was trying to get me killed. Not that I didn't deserve it.
He's standing uncomfortably close to me and I have to really tilt my head to look up at him. His face is so manly, but beautiful at the same time. I can see the beads of sweat that have formed on his forehead (Jesus I can't imagine what state I must look if this Adonis is even feeling the strain of our cat and mouse chase) and I'm unable to do anything other than look at his face. His expression is neutral so I have no idea what he's thinking. I'm just waiting for him to pull a gun on me, but he doesn't.
In fact he doesn't move at all, which is making me uncomfortable. He's just staring at me, like I'm staring at him, and now I'm even more uncomfortable and trying my hardest not to fidget in case he decides it's time to end my life, but of course I can't keep still and I shift my weight from one foot to the other which causes him to move. Forward. Woah buddy.
As if there was any space between us in the first place. I briefly wonder if he's ever heard of personal space, but my thoughts are cut short when his head dips down and just as my mouth is about to drop open in shock I feel his lips on mine. Right okay this is unexpected. And now I'm being pressed even more against the wall. His hand moves to the side of my face and I'm relieved that it's a hand and not a gun. His lips are hot on mine, but I still can't respond due to the complete state of surprise I'm in.
He takes a step back and looks at me again. I'm pretty sure my cheeks are bright red. I'm not sure if I'm scared or aroused or maybe both. Probably both. He opens his mouth I assume to speak.
"Iz-" Before he can even get his first word out, there's an ear-splitting bang and my right forearm explodes with pain, for a moment my vision disappears and I can only see a bright white light. I'm dead aren't l? This fucking dick has shot me after kissing me! Wait no I can't be dead because I can still think. My vision returns as quick as it left and the pain in my head is splintering. The huge, blond arsehole takes a step forward, trying to cradle my head looking panicked, but I shove him back as hard as I can and dash up the stairs.
I don't want your sympathy after you shot me you twat!
I'm on the top floor now so I barge through the door that leads to the corridor, and then through another door immediately on the right and stumble into a classroom, clutching my arm as I do so. My body is climbing over chairs and tables, probably none to elegantly, and I've just slipped back down onto my feet after hopping over a table when I'm slammed into the wall and spun around. Getting real tired of this now. This time he looks angry and I must look terrified. He's got both hands on my upper arms and he's shaking me.
"Do you know how long we've been looking for you?!" He shouts in my face but I'm too busy looking at the chain around his neck. It's silver and it looks exactly like my own. I woke up wearing it in Dauntless and haven't taken it off since. Slowly I lift my arm and reach for it, his grip on my arms relaxes as I untuck the rest of it from inside his shirt. Yes it's the same as mine. I glance up at him, his gaze is intense. I know him from somewhere other than the room that haunts my dreams. I'm racking my brain for where but I just don't remember. I take a closer look at the dog tag around his neck.
Izzy Murphy
Patrol group
A1
I look up at him. That's my name. Well obviously it is, but what I don't understand is why it's around his neck! He pulls on my chain until it comes out of my shirt and we both look at that too.
Eric Coulter
Faction leader
Patrol leader
Group A1
Wait hold the fuck on. Something clicks when I see the two tags together.
"Eric?" I whisper. I'm so confused that my head hurts. How we're wearing each other's tags and how I know that he must be Eric. He looks as if he's about to say something when people burst through the door, shouting and pointing guns at us. My heart rate picks up again and I'm struggling to escape but Eric has an iron grip on me. I'm wriggling like a fish trying to get away from him.
"Fuck. I told you guys to wait. Williams if you pull the trigger on that gun one more time, I swear to God-" Wait who is this Williams? He must have been the one who shot me! Eric is shouting over his shoulder. He sounds angry, letting go of one of my arms which I see as my window of escape, but I feel something sharp dig into the side of my leg and I'm out like a light.
-x-
When I wake up I'm in an apartment. It's clean and tidy and I know whose it is. It's mine!
Well it was my families, but when they died it became mine. Wait, how am I remembering this?! How did I get here in the first place?! Oh shit Eric!
I jump out of my bed and shove my feet into my boots that have been discarded at the bottom of the bed. I'm still wearing clothes so I don't worry about that and I race out of my apartment, not even registering that my arm doesn't hurt in the slightest. The corridors are familiar and I know exactly where I'm going, turning corners and running up steps like its second nature, which I suppose it is. Finally when I reach the right corridor I sprint up to the door where I know I will find him and pound on it until it swings open.
Eric is standing there in his boxers with a surprised look on his face.
"What are you doing? It's three in the morning!"
"Eric I remember!" I blurt out before he's even finished his sentence.
"How much?"
"Everything." And with that I am pulled through the doorway.
Ehhh so how was it?
The next chapter is going to be a little different but its all going to add up together in the end
Let me know what you think, I loved reading your feedback
