Wanderlust

I felt the sweat collect on my forehead, I stayed hidden under the bed. I saw the pairs of black shined boots cross around the house. Multiple intruders, the only one I saw was the one that stood at the bed. They were so close I could make out the pine needles stuck to the sole of their boots. The floor creaked under their weight and my muscles twisted in tension as they paced around the room, as if they knew I was watching, waiting to see if they would leave.

I watched the pair of boots leave the room and I let out a silent breath of relief but I almost shrieked when a loud bang echoed around the house. I then heard struggling and I saw no one was hiding anymore. I crawled out from under the bed and stood unsteadily, seeing everyone entangled with someone else. Punches being thrown, dodges and gunshots being thrown. I'm still the worst shot out of everyone and my self-defense skills are better but they've never been tested like this. I grabbed my gun from the back of my pants, a rub against my thigh reminded me of the few small knives I had in my cargo pocket still. I crossed in front of a room and was grabbed from behind almost instantly.

I struggled, kicking me feet out wildly. I dropped my gun and was thrown to the floor. A soldier had a sick smile on his face, like I was easy pickings. I was but I had fight in me, I had to if I wanted to live. He must have thought I was clueless because I easily brought my foot up and kicked him in the face. He fell back, and got up, flinging myself on top of him. I took a knife out, raising it to strike but my arm wouldn't work. I couldn't kill him, I couldn't do it.

His nose spewed blood, looking up at me with a knowing look. He knew I didn't have the guts to do it, he was just waiting. A gunshot came from my left, the bullet slicing through the soldiers head with a bang. I jumped, falling off of him. I looked of and saw Jay running over to me.

“You okay?” He asked, dragging me behind him. I nodded to him, my injured arm seethed in new pain. “We have to get out of here, some of use will stay behind to fend them off but you need to get out of here.”

“No,” I protested, “no way.”

“Yes,” he shoved me towards the back door. “Run and don't look back. We'll hold them off and be right behind you.”

He opened the door and I stumbled out and I did as he told me to do, I ran. I sprinted as hard as I could, weaving through the woods, not looking behind me. When I saw a large tree to hide behind, I noticed that no one was following. I was alone and I hated myself for running. I rested behind the tree, catching my breath as I looked at my arm. It had completely soaked through the gauze, a small line of blood circled around my finger as it dripped onto the leaves below me. My heart was pumping so hard, the blood had no where to go but out.

I stayed down in regret, fuming in indecision on whether it would be ill advised to go back or not. My thoughts were interrupted when I saw the barrel of a automatic rifle peek through the brush in front of me. I patted myself for a gun, for something. I was empty, so I shot a false warning.

“Who's there? I'm armed,” I warned, sounding not as tough as I wanted.

Out stepped a heavily and dark clothed man, and I coward back a little as the number went from one lone man to half a dozen. I was frozen in fear, knowing that I was most definitely out numbered. Instead of my impending doom to come get me, they filed around me, stepping over the tree. I turned and looked wondrously after them. Are they here to help? Who are they? I followed quietly, none of them turning to pay any attention to me.

“Hello?” I asked hesitantly. “Who are you?”

One of them turned and held a finger over their covered mouth, signally me to quiet down. I knew that they were helping us then, they were about to ambush the regime soldiers. Without a second thought, I took off ahead. I raced through the trees, whipping past the threshold of the wooded area and back into the battle field. I heard the gunfire still going on and I raced over to the back door. I flung it open and as I stepped in I stopped in my tracks for the slightest of seconds when I saw the bodies of soldiers strewn down the hall. None of them were one anyone that matter, none of them were the people that I've grown to care for like family.

I saw a gun a few feet away and bent down to retrieve it. I kept a tight grip on it, thinking that my knives wouldn't be any good when my throwing arm is injured, although I'm not a bad aim with my left arm either. I walked towards the sound of a struggling voice, hearing a crash as I entered the front room. I could see the others had moved outside, but Millie was battling a soldier inside.

The soldier tossed her around like a piece of paper in the wind, she was no match for the towering man alone. I ran up and jumped on the soldiers back, putting him in a choke hold. My arm framed pain but I kept a tight grip around his neck. Millie looked at me like I was crazy but searched for a weapon. The soldier clawed at my hands, his thick hands wrapped around my wrist tightly. He threw me forward over his back, my body bouncing off the floor like a rubber ball.

“Shit,”I cursed under my breath in pain. I rolled over onto my stomach, seeing Millie going in for her attack. I tried to steady the gun in my hand but I realized that it wasn't in my hand anymore, not after that. I looked around frantically, seeing it across the room. I got up but was knocked down my Millie.

“Sorry,” she apologized, getting out of the reach of the soldier.

He grabbed at her and in a violent act, hit her across the head with the handle of the knife he produced suddenly. She fell to the ground limply, unmoving. My blood ran cold as I acted without thinking, jumping protectively in front of her frail position. The soldier responded quickly as he wielded his right fist back and swung it swiftly into my face. I heard a crack as I crashed into the wall, barely standing. My world spun for seconds until I saw him coming for me. I stumbled away from him, trying to get my grips gathered. I tasted the blood as it flowed into my mouth, my jaw singing in sync with my arm.

I ran towards my gun, but the soldier was faster and yanked me back my the ends of my hair. I cried out in pain as I felt the strands detach from my scalp. I reached into my pocket and grabbed a knife, swinging my aim to somewhere. I stabbed his thigh, his hand letting go of my hair. I heard him fall to the ground, taking the opportunity to run towards my gun again. His hand wrapped around my ankle, tripping me up. I fell flat onto the ground, groaning in pain.

The gun grazed my finger tips as I reached for it. He pulled me back slowly, his feet hitting the floor loudly as he got back up. I kicked and kicked until I hit something that made him let go. I lunged for my gun, wrapping it up in my hand. I rolled around, aiming blindly. I hesitated for a second but my finger grew a mind of its own when he came at me. The gunshot echoed through the fried airway. I shut my eyes as it happened, feeling his warm blood spray all over me. I heard him fall to the ground with a loud thud. I opened my eyes, scooting back afraid at the sight in front of me. His brain and tissue littered the floor and walls, blood coated my hands as I felt myself hyperventilate at what I just did. I just ended a life. I killed him.

My thoughts directed me back to Millie's still figure, there was no time for self-reflection. I crawled over to her, shaking her lightly. I called her name but her head just rolled lazily in my grasp. My vision was spotty and I knew that I was almost empty, that I was going to pass out if I didn't cool down. I couldn't stop though, I couldn't leave Millie. I got up, stuffing the gun back into my pants as I reached and grabbed her under her armpits. I heaved her forward, choking back a cry as my arm pulsed more blood and pain though me and out of me.

The vibration of footsteps shook the floorboards below me. I kept pulling, I kept dragging as the masked strangers surrounded me. They ran past me, firing their weapons as they stepped out the front door. The back door was left open, I stepped out into the quieter air. The gunfire has died out, the only sound was my heavy breathing and Millie's unconscious body dragging against the dirt and leafs. I made it over to a tree, letting myself fall into one last heave. I fell against the trunk, my breath hallowing out. I let my eyes shut, a white static playing behind my eyelids. I could feel the cold sweat gather on me, making me stickier than I already was. I listened for anyone, to the wind.

“I thought I told you to be safe,” a familiar voice told me. A flash of a women eerily similar to me smiled, she was kneeling in front of me.

“I'm sorry, Mama.” A small voice answered and I knew it was me. A warm wind played with my hair. I could feel the goosebumps rise in the warmth.

“What am I going to do with you,” she ticked, wiping the blood off my elbow. Her hair was dark curls like mine, laugh lines gathered around her eyes. “Off with you. Remember to be safe, sweetheart.”

“I will.” The little voice answered. My Mother stood with a worried glance, but smiled anyways.

“I will.” I heard my voice answer to the memory. “I promised”

“Dahlia.” Someone shook my awake, my eyes fluttering against the light. “Dahlia!”

My eyes opened, meeting Jay's wide ones. “Millie.” The words flew out of my mouth but he shook his head.

“We just got her but we need to get out of here before more of those bastards swarm the place,” he told me, giving me a helping hand to my feet. I stumbled and my face shook with pain, my arm beating a throbbing pulse through me. “Let me help you.”

“I'm fine,” I breathed, my eyes drooping.

“No you're not.” Jay sighed quickly, picking me up. I head fell back but I picked it up as I saw the ground moving below me.

“I can walk,” I weakly protest. “Let me down, Jay.”

“No way, you can't walk and we're in a crunch here,” he huffed, jogging toward the Jeep's.

I saw everyone running around, Millie sitting limply in on of the Jeep's. Jay slid me into the back seat of the same one, letting me fall into the seat. I tried to sit up, my hands slipping against the fabric. I could see the strangers helping up, loading our things into the Jeeps. Everyone was moving in a blur, a streak of motion my eyes couldn't keep up with. I pulled myself up, swinging my legs over the edge of the seat, seeing a unknown person climb into the driver seat. They started the vehicle, shifting the gear into drive.

“No,” I reached forward. “Stop.”

They ignored me, my hand falling against their shoulder limply. I heard the other Jeep start up and I turned to see what was going on but the seat shifted beside me and I looked to see myself face to face with Jaden.

“Relax, you've done enough,” he lightly pushed me back, turning my jaw to the side to examine it. I waited for the biting tone, the remark but all I saw was concern as his eyes flickered from a semi-conscious Millie and my face.

“What's going on?” I gulped, my lip stinging as I talked.

“We're leaving, going to a safe haven of sorts,” he answered lowly. His face scrunched up as he saw my arm. “They found us.”

“They?” My body fell completely into the seat, my head sinking into the top of the cushion.

He leaned away from me, looking to the stranger driving the Jeep. “Don't stress about it to much, you need to relax.”

“I'm fine,” I grumbled, my eyes slipping closed for a brief second. The flashing image of my Mother ran through my mind and I registered the new memory, even if it was a small one. “I promised.”

“What?” Jaden looked confused, but was probably passing it off as a side effect of my injuries.

“Nothing,” I answered shortly, closing my eyes again to picture the small, but hopeful memory again.