AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Run faster.
Harder.
It might mean life or death if I don’t.
Instead of running away from the danger like a sane person would, I run toward it.
Fearlessly.
Relentlessly.
But the road is filled with so much blood and chaos, and no matter how fast I go, I can never seem to outrun its cruel madness.
And then, suddenly, I stop.
I freeze.
My legs are unwilling to move an inch closer to the horror now lying before me.
The blood of the innocent stains the cold concrete, turning the ugly gray to pools of red crimson.
My blood.
My heart.
Those are the things I now see splattered on the ground.
Something inside me snaps like a frail twig demolished by a harsh wind, and that’s when I truly run.
Not out of desperation, but rage.
So much rage.
An angry wrath consumes me from within and refuses to let go.
The adrenaline that swims through my veins as I furiously trudge on, however, can’t compare to the inexplicable feelings of loss and misery that clash within my soul.
Just as I start to give in to my grief and anger, the flash of sapphire eyes reminds me to resist the lure of my emotions.
It only happens for a split second, but those blue jewels are followed by a shout, reminding me of a word that I forgot even existed—hope.
Just as the foolish thought washes over me, a bullet pierces through air, and the sound of it hitting bone is so deafening, it springs me awake from my slumber, forcing me to face what is now an uncertain reality.
My breathing comes out in bursts as I try to wipe cold sweat off my brow with my forearm, but just as I try to wipe my forehead clean, crushing pain paralyzes me for a moment and my breathing becomes even more erratic. I count to ten, inhaling through my nose and exhaling through my mouth, pushing the debilitating pain away. Once the ache is somewhat manageable, and my breathing slows, I try to open my eyes. Unfortunately, my lids refuse to cooperate since the harsh light above me is so bright it’s almost blinding.
Where the hell am I?
What happened?
These questions bombard me all at once as I force myself to open my eyes, pain be damned.
My lids carefully flutter open, slowly at first, just until my eyes can grow accustomed to the white light overhead. The smell of antiseptic fills my nostrils with bitter undertones of some artificial fragrance from cleaning materials. It’s a distinct smell that can only be found in a hospital or clinic.
Hospital, why am I in a hospital?
My panic quickly subsides when I find my baby sister snuggled up beside me in the small bed, holding my free hand so fiercely in her sleep it’s as if she’s afraid I’ll vanish. A tender smile begins to curve my lips, but it’s wiped away when I hear nurses and doctors talking right outside the small room, confirming my initial suspicion of where we are.
I’m in a hospital.
