We stumbled through the night, unable to see very well. Carly was blinded by being a normal human, and I, by the excruciating pain shooting through my leg. I could barely walk from the agony. Every time I walked, I felt the bullet gouging deeper into my flesh. Hopefully, it hadn't torn my tendon or ripped up the muscle too badly. Yet, I was still walking, so something had to be working.
"Zack?" Carly whispered to me. "Where are we going?"
I winced, nearly falling to the ground, but managing to catch myself on a tree trunk. I could see the pity in Carly's eyes as she looked at me, but we both knew there was nothing she could do for me. The blood was sticky on the back of my pants, and was constantly being made thicker by the freshly sprouting gore. The morning insects, gnats and black flies, were settling onto the matted blood, going into a feeding frenzy over it. I tried to swat them away, but they would not leave. Tiny Lydeckers.
"There's a place…up ahead…I think…that we should be able to stay at," I told her in between hissing breaths. Oh God, it hurt. Burned through every part of my body it did. I began to wonder if Lydecker knew what I had done to Kyle, and therefore purposefully used a more painful kind of shell. No, he doesn't know…how could he?
But, even I, shouldn't question Lydecker.
He's not a stupid man, nowhere near that. On the other hand, he's remarkably intelligent. After all, without him, I wouldn't be where I was today, (even if that included running for my life close to every second of every day). He's a determined s.o.b, with serious alcohol problems, not to mention the overwhelming mental issues-i.e. torturing children, (should be put in prison for that). Had he not abused me when I was little, I may have actually been able to tolerate him now. But, on the same point, I wouldn't have known him because I wouldn't have been part of his wacko experiments. So, anyway you look at it, I was pretty much destined to hate him.
"How much farther is it?" Carly asked.
"I don't know…hundred…two hundred yards."
She nodded, causing her golden hair to jingle in the auburn light of the morning. Far in the distance, I could see the sun slowly rising, starting to spread its rays over the earth.
Finally. Morning was coming. Night seemed to have gone on forever. But, then, considering the events that had occurred…well, I guess it had a reason to.
The sun caught Carly's blond hair and shimmered upon it, revealing the matted blood and the scratch on the side of her pale cheek. I was surprised she hadn't said anything about it earlier. She definitely was stronger than I thought.
With the light illuminating the forest, I could see where I was more clearly. Perhaps now, we could pick up the pace and get going.
"Let's go," I told her and pushed myself away from the tree. My entire body lurched before I could straighten myself out and finish walking.
"Do you need some help?"
"No, I'm fine…"
Carly watched me with compassion, wanting to help, but not knowing how without setting me off. She had seen me angry before, and most likely, didn't want to see it again.
I stumbled out in front of her, taking lead. She followed behind, ready to catch me if I fell. With my fierce determination, we made it all the way to my destination without having to stop. Yet, by the time we got there, I seriously thought my leg was going to fall off.
A tiny cabin sat before us, and I knew that this was it. This was right. Carly grabbed me by the arm as I hurried up to it, and I didn't push her away.
Nearly slamming into the door because I could no longer support myself, I knocked weakly on it, feeling the bullet under my kneecap. Once I knocked, I righted myself and leaned on the doorframe, struggling to breathe in between my clenched teeth.
There was a long pause as Carly and I waited for a response. One second, two seconds, three…
Finally, the door opened, and a man walked out. He looked at Carly, confused. Then, he saw me, and rushed to me before I fell over from pain and exhaustion.
"Zack!" he cried and grabbed me under the arms. "What in the world have you been doing?"
I smiled weakly, trying to show that I was still strong. "The usual, just the usual, Zane."