Chapter 64
Chapter 64
5 vouchers
The crowd was staring at me like I was some kind of animal. Their eyes were all on me, angry and waiting. My heart started beating so fast I thought it would jump out of my chest. I felt like I couldn’t breathe. Everyone was chanting now, shouting for me to shift, to prove I wasn’t human. The pressure was crushing me. I took one step back, then another. My hands were shaking so bad I had to clench them into fists.
I looked from face to face, my throat tightening more with every second. Some of them leaned forward like they were waiting for a show. Some had already made up their minds about me. I rubbed my sweaty palms against my jeans and tried to drag in a breath, but it got stuck in my chest.
Damien was saying something but I couldn’t hear him anymore. His voice sounded far away, like he was underwater. The crowd’s voices were getting louder and louder until they all blurred into one big noise. My vision started going blurry around the edges. I couldn’t feel my legs properly. Everything was spinning.
I blinked hard and tried to focus on him. I really did. I saw his mouth moving. I saw his shoulders tense. I saw one of his hands lift like he was trying to get to me, but none of it reached me. It was like I was trapped inside my own head.
I took another step back. Then another. And then I just turned and ran.
I heard somebody yell my name. I didn’t know if it was Damien or someone else. I didn’t care. I shoved past a low branch, nearly slipping as my boots hit loose dirt. My breath came out rough and shaky, and panic kept pushing me faster.
I didn’t think about where I was going. I just ran as fast as I could. My feet slammed against the ground, breath coming out in short gasps. I could hear people shouting behind me but I didn’t look back. I kept running through the trees, branches slapping my face and arms. My lungs were burning already but I didn’t stop. I couldn’t stop.
The woods got thicker the farther I went. Roots stuck out of the ground and caught at my feet. I threw one hand out to steady myself against a tree, then pushed off and kept going. My hair kept flying into my mouth, and I kept dragging it away with trembling fingers.
Tears were streaming down my face. I wiped them with my sleeve while still running. “This is so fucked.” I muttered to myself between breaths. “They know. They all know. I can’t stay there. I can’t.”
I stumbled down a slope and nearly went flat on my face. At the bottom, I caught sight of a narrow stream cutting through the trees. I dropped to my knees beside it, cupped water into my hands, and splashed some over my face. My fingers were shaking so badly half of it spilled before it reached my mouth. I swallowed once, coughed, then pushed myself back up when I heard something crack deeper in the woods. My head snapped up. I spun around, breathing hard, then took off again.
I ran until my legs started to feel like jelly. My chest hurt so bad but I pushed harder. The ground was uneven and I almost tripped a few times but I caught myself. I kept going, running deeper into the woods. My hoodie was sticking to my skin with sweat. I yanked it off while still moving and threw it somewhere behind me.
I ran for what felt like hours. My feet were hurting, my side was cramping, but I didn’t slow down. I felt like hell i didn’t know why or how kade must have fucking spread the news of me
damien’s face kept flashing in my head anyway. The way he looked at me before I ran. The way his body
11:43 Thu, May 21♫
Chapter 64
11
5 vouchers
turned toward mine. I shoved that thought away so hard it almost made me dizzy. I didn’t want to think about him. I didn’t want to think about the baby. I didn’t want to think about anything except moving.
I kept turning left and right like I was trying to find a path, but there wasn’t one.. I dragged the back of my hand across my mouth and tasted salt from my tears. My ankle twisted on a root and I cried out, grabbing the nearest trunk to keep from falling.
Eventually my legs gave out completely. I stumbled and fell hard onto the ground. My knees hit the dirt and i cried out. I tried to push myself up but my arms were too weak. I collapsed onto my side, gasping for air Everything was dark around me. I didn’t even know where I was anymore. The trees all looked the same.
I lay there breathing hard, chest heaving. My whole body was shaking. I felt completely drained, like I had nothing left. “I can’t do this anymore,” I whispered to myself. “I’m so tired. I’m so fucking tired.”
Mud clung to my palms and knees. I rolled onto my back and stared up through the trees, blinking at the bits of sky between the branches. My lips were dry. My throat felt raw. I tried sitting up again, but pain shot through my side and I dropped down with a weak groan.
Tears kept coming. I curled on the ground, hugging my knees. My mind was blank except for the fear. I thought about the baby, about Damien, about everything that had gone wrong. I really thought I was going to die out here. Alone in the woods. No one would find me.
I pressed one hand over my mouth to stop the sound that almost came out. My shoulders kept jerking anyway. Dirt clung to my cheek. I could smell damp leaves and wet earth all around me. Somewhere nearby, water kept dripping.
I closed my eyes and gave up. I couldn’t run anymore. I couldn’t fight anymore. I just lay there waiting for whatever was going to happen next.
The last thing I remember is hearing footsteps getting closer. I opened my eyes a little and saw some people standing over me. My heart dropped.
Oh my god, I’ve been caught.
11:43 Thu, May 21 ♫
