The car wasn't actually a car. I should've noticed how tall the lights were before, but I didn't. I was more concerned about what they were after. But once it rammed us, and we were the ones to swerve a little, I peeked up at the SUV and swore. Of course, it was a shiny black Expedition. Like you'd see FBI agents in. And we were in some piece of shit rickety, multi-colored Ford.

They rammed us again and the truck was shoved forward. The SUV quickly got over to the side, rolling down the passenger window. A woman I'd never seen before poked her head out, trying to yell over the wind to Kit. "Pull. Over!" she was screaming.

I was in shambles in the back, not really paying attention, because I was pretty sure that Kit didn't say anything back. Just kept gunning it down the road. I saw lights ahead and I realized that Kit was probably just praying that we got into town in time.

"Get down!" Simon was yelling as I tried to crawl towards the back of the truck. "What are you DOING?"

"My backpack!" I said, maneuvering around him. He tried to stop me but I got through and grabbed it. The look on his face was something like disgust, and I could practically hear his thoughts. Of course. All Tori cares about are her things.

Instead, he said, "It's just a fucking bookbag."

I ignored him, tugging the straps on my arms. It may be a bookbag, but in it was the only things I owned. The only things I had anymore.

And then, because Kit had no intention of pulling over, and the Edison Group Groupies seemed to know that, they slammed into us. Just a little warning nudge.

Chloe screamed, Simon yelled. I froze.

"Tori!" Derek yelled. I snapped out of it, looking over. Chloe was huddled in the corner, Derek standing behind her, bent over and bracing himself on the truck like a cocoon around her. "Get in." he growled, motioning me over. I looked down to Chloe, who was crying and looking at me pitifully. "TORI!" he yelled again.

Get in there? I wanted to scoff. But God, it did look like the most secure place. I scrambled in beneath him, clutching Chloe like the scaredy cat little girl that I can be sometimes. Simon was argueing with Derek, saying that we should all hamper down but Derek has this hero complex, and he wasn't giving in. Finally, Simon stood beside him, bracing himself for a crash.

He got it. The SUV slammed into us, hard this time, and the truck started to careen into the ditch by the road. My mind was screaming JUMP OUT but if I survived and everyone else died, I'd feel like complete shit. Still, my survival instincts would've put that out of my mind and I would've done it anyway had it not been for Simon and Derek's bodies blocking Chloe and I from going anywhere.

The truck didn't topple over though, it only skidded over. At one point, it went up on it's right wheels, and I thought I might piss myself, but it went back down with a jarring thud. Derek and Simon straightened.

The SUV stopped quickly and I looked around, at the woods that bordered everything. What the hell were we supposed to do in there? Just run around until they inevitably brought troops to catch us?

The truck's engine cut on again and it revved up a few times, but tires were spinning. My shoulders involuntarily slumped as I felt myself giving up on any kind of escape. The SUV's doors opened and the people filed out.

But I can't go back in there, I thought suddenly. I can't. So I hopped onto my feet and vaulted over the truck's tailgate. And I started to shove on the truck's bent up backside as hard as I could. Simon followed suit, and when Derek and Chloe started toward the back, I looked to Chloe. "Not you." I snapped. I knew it was things like that that made me seem like a bitch, but really it was all in the sake of surviving.

Sheesh. Chloe couldn't even get into the truck without assistance. She'd only slow us down. And her ninety-five pound body couldn't help that much. Derek scowled at me but told Chloe to wait while he hopped down and helped.

Sure enough, five seconds later, the truck was lurching forward. Kit gunned it and we all hopped back in just as we threw gravel, getting back on the highway. The Edison Groupies ran back to the SUV and now that my wits had been gathered, I threw an energy blast that way, watching the front tire sizzle and melt.

The SUV wasn't so fast anymore, and after a few more miles, they stopped on the side of the road. Kit never eased off the gas.

The window slid open and Lauren stuck her head out. "Car switch coming up. And be careful. I'm sure they radioed us in. We have to assume they know exactly where we are."

We all nodded in agreement and the window slid closed again. Kit drove through the town slowly, keeping an eye out. At the gas station, a man screwed on a gas cap and went inside to pay.

I hadn't seen it but Kit had, swerving into the lot hard enough to make me tip over in the back. The truck came to a stop and Kit jumped out, his face looking excited but scared. We all followed quickly, sneaking across the lot like secret agents, looking over our shoulders and walking all stealthily. I almost laughed at us.

We all climbed into the side door but Kit and Lauren climbed up front. Chloe and Derek slid into the back and Simon and I sat in the middle seat. I didn't delude myself into thinking that he was happy about it. Suddenly, fingers skimmed through my hair and I turned around quickly. Derek had his hands up, examining the blood on his fingers. He looked back to me with a disappointed smirk. "Dad, we need to stop soon."

"Alright." Kit said, driving the speed limit down Main Street. "But we have to get out of this town first."

"No!" Derek barked. Everyone quieted. He took a deep breath and shook his head slightly. "Tori's bleeding pretty bad."he said with his usual aloof emotionless voice. Like he hadn't just snapped.

"I am fine." I said seriously. "Let's get somewhere safe." I glanced to Derek and said nonchalantly, "Calm down Fido." It's something I would say normally, and right then, normality was what I was striving for after his little outbreak.

"You sure?" Simon asked. But I could tell that he didn't actually want to stop. He wasn't actually worried. He was just being polite. Being Simon.

I nodded. "Yeah." I said. Thankfully, Derek didn't say anything else. But as I turned to face the front, I saw his angry scowl and his eyes glaring at me.