Chapter 5

Chapter 5
 

 

We jump down and run across the dying lawn to the tall, metal gates. I glance over my shoulder and hear Nathan yell. He has fallen. I see Master's men run out the heavy front doors of the building and run toward Nathan. He is grasping his ankle and yelling in pain, "NATHAN!!!" he turns to look at me then turns back and sees Master's men running toward him. He stumbles to his feet and limps across the lawn. The skinnier man jumps towrd Nathan and grabs his arm, plunging a steel knife into his neck. Nathan falls to the ground screaming, the man stabs him multiple times in the neck and chest. He lies on the ground, blood gushing from the wounds. The man looks up from him and sees us jumping the fence. We rush to escape. Austin quickly climbs over, then Thomas, me, and last, Erika. She climbs as fast a she can but snags her shorts at the top of the fence. I hear her scream and turn to look back, she can’t get down and I can see Master’s men running after us coming faster and faster closer to the fence.

I turn back and rip the fabric of Erika’s shorts that were holding here to the fence like trapped prey. I pull her down, a rusty spike on the fence digs deep into my wrist. I scream in pain and help Erika down, her foots slips and she falls over the side of her fence gashing her thigh on a sharp metal pole. She yelps and falls to the ground. I wrap my wrist in the fabric from Erika’s shorts and it becomes saturated with blood. I quickly pull off my sweater, help Erika up and tie my sweater tightly around her leg, she winces in pain and we begin to limp across the parking lot. I see Thomas and Austin holding the door.

I turn to see that Master’s men are jumping the fence and are now halfway across the parking lot. I push Erika to Thomas and reach for Austin’s hand but suddenly I am jerked back by my hair. I turn to see that one of Master’s men is holding me by my ponytail. He is wearing a cracked, bloody name tag with “Keith” etched into it. I want to scream or faint but I’m not going to give up now, I throw a wild fist into the air toward his jaw and knock him to the ground. He holds tightly to my hair and I fall with him onto the knife he had in his hand, it stabs deep into my arm. I scream in pain and pull the dagger from my shoulder, I swipe at my hair with the knife and leave the man lying on the ground with my freshly cut ponytail grasped tightly in his hand.

I run toward the door and fall through the doorway kicking it shut with my foot. Austin slams the lock into place and helps me up. He wraps my arm in a clean towel and guides me over to Erika who is lying on her stomach, blood flooding the sweater that is wrapped around her leg. I untie my sweater and re-wrap her leg with a clean rag. Thomas helps her up and we all walk slowly out of the room and into the dimly lit hallway of the school. We walk up the hallway toward the front door and step out into the warm sunshine and fresh breeze of Apollo Falls.