Nate

I press my back to the door and take a second to catch my breath. The witch looks at me and seems to be about to say something but then changes her mind. I push off against the door and head to the back yard. Or at least what was once a backyard. The grass is patchy and anything still in the ground is brown. I start to climb the chained fence lining the property. I look back and see the witch is gazing up from the ground.

“What are you doin’?” She looks up at me and shakes her head.

“I’m not a climber.” I take a breath and close my eyes. I jump down and grab her.

“Don’t scream.”

“Don’t wha-” I launch her into the air and she lands on top of the fence. Luckily she clings to it and doesn’t fall back down like a dumbass. I climb up the fence and jump down to get to the other side.

“Alright jump down.” She looks shocked and skeptical. I can’t say I blame her. “Don’t worry I’ll catch you.” She looks at me and seems to be mumbling to herself before she lifts her left leg and then her right over the fence though her grip stays firm. “Now this is the part where you let go.” I try to keep the amusement out of my voice but the glare on her face tells me I definitely failed.

We continue inside the house and I lead her up the stairs. “Is there a reason for all the bunny hopping?” I walk into a room and rummage around until I find what I’m looking for.

“Here put this on.” I throw her a couple of shirts and a pair of sweats that look light and around her size. “If we’re goin’ to keep movin’ you gonna need that.” I move and stand outside in the hall. The old, cracked wood groans with each step and movement. I hear the rustling of clothes and the bu-bum of her heart but besides no other sounds are heard.

She eventually comes out and I look her over. She put all the shirts on and the sweats have a couple holes throughout but it is a big improvement. She looks like a street rat but not a homeless one at the very least. Her hair might get in the way, seeing as it goes past her waist but that's a problem for later.

I don’t say anything and just start heading down the rickety stairs. It takes a few moments but she starts following me out of the house. We do this several times. Going in and out of the houses. Sometimes we leave straight away, others I grab some necessities. I found a sturdy backpack and lightly start to pack it.

Inside I put an emergency kit stacked with gauze, thread, several needles, and tape. A bottle of rubbing alcohol. A bottle of salt. A roll of duct tape. Along with a few lighters, matchboxes, and pocket knives I found. The little stuff everyone thinks is unimportant in a crisis, or is dead and can’t appreciate it.

“What are we doing?” I pause and stop to look at her. She takes this as a sign to keep going. “I mean I obviously know what we’re doing, but why all the switching? The NTSCU can probably still track us through them. It’s not like we were covering our tracks.”

I look at her and contemplate just letting her wonder what the hell we’re doing but I figure there should be some communication between us. At least for now. “A lot of these houses are interconnected through their yards. We moved a couple streets over and circling back to the area we came from.”

Her eyes widen and her mouth opens a little. “Hopefully we’ll lose them for good or at least buy some time.” She nods her head and then rocks back on her heels while gnawing on her lip.

“Why did you help me.” I smirk at her and decide to have a little fun.

“Well, I guess I could tell you.” I walk past her and start to walk backwards keeping eye contact while heading toward the front door. “But I think I’ll save that for if you make it out of this mess alive.” She narrows her eyes at me. She starts to move forward with confidence and completely passes me.

“When.”

“Hmm?”

“When I make it out alive you’re gonna tell me.”

“Sure, sure whatever you say witch.” She rolls her eyes at me.

“Vanessa.”

“Vanessa.”

“My name.”

“I’m aware.”

“Then use it I don’t call you that strange guy.”

“Now that’s just offensive. I’m so nice.”

“Sure we’ll go with that.” We walked out and after making sure the coast was clear, continued on our way. I circle us back and we end up back at the shop. I eye it and can’t help but want to stride straight back inside and pretend none of this happened. But sadly I can’t, the situation won’t allow that. I stop us in our track as I hear voices come our way.

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I grab the witch - Vanessa - and hold her against me as we hide in the shadows of a crumbling wall of the building next to us. Four of the NTSCU walk nearby and stop. One of the men has his gas mask off and for the first time we see one of their faces. He looks normal I guess. Except for the large scratch mark that is across the left side of his face nothing about him stands out for the most part.

Vanessa wiggles in my arms but after tightening my hold on her she stops. I bring my mouth to her ear. “Stop movin’. The last thing that we need is those guys finding us.” She twists around a little and I lower my hand from her mouth.

“Can you see what they're saying.” I freeze at her words and feel tense and don’t want to answer in fear that she'll be afraid of what I think is happening. “They’re body language. You seemed to be able to do that before.” It takes everything in me not to heave a breath of relief at her words.

I look at them and see the two men looking at something. Then they turn slightly in our direction. I feel a cold shudder run through my body. That can’t be. I tell her what’s happening. “Shit that’s not good.” She looks that way and this. “We have to leave this area. Now.”

For the first time she looks confident and in control of the situation. They’re walking our way now and it doesn’t matter for all the sneaking around we’ve been doing. This time she grabs me, and we dash in the opposite direction. We round until we’re in the back of the building again. We go further until a building directly from where we first come out comes into sight.

It’s a little building that houses several cars and other miscellaneous items. I remember going for drives in cars with my dad. The feeling of the air rushing through my hair. It’s nothing like it. Sadly gas is limited and only the rich have access to such a thing as gas and vehicles.

Bam. Bam. Bam. Several shots ring out and hit the walls outside. I pull us low to the ground, at least to delay the inevitable. I hear Vanessa mumbling in between the rounds of shots going off around the building. The door is amazingly not being shaken. I almost want to laugh at the thought that they didn’t try knocking it down in an effort to not waste anymore time.

All of a sudden I see Vanessa stand up, and open the closest car’s door. She sits behind the wheel and tightly shuts her eyes. “What the fuck are you doin’!” Either she ignores me or doesn’t hear me. A lone NTSCU goon busts the door in and has their gun at the ready.

He shoots at me but thankfully he’s an awful shot and only gets my right forearm. Can’t help the slight scream I let out. I look down at my arm and see the hole seems to be burning in a way. What the hell. He looks to be going for another shot and I rush at him.

I quickly sweep him off his feet and bash his head against the ground a couple of times. Enough that blood is staining the dirty grey cement a bright red. I feel around and pick up their guns, a long hunting knife, and tuck them into my waistband. I look up and lights are shining in my eyes. I put my hand up and see Vanessa grinning like a mad man.

“Get in!” She doesn’t have to tell me twice. I walk swiftly to the other side and hop in. She presses things and all of a sudden I realize she has no idea how to drive this. I grip my hair and let out a groan.

“We’re still about to die.”

“Nate, shut up! Unless you can help me start this thing, keep your trap shut.” We both start looking for the way to start the damn thing. I look down and point at the pedals on the floor. I jerk up and edge back in my seat as the NTSCU all rush through the door.

The man with the scratch on his face becomes enraged as he looks at the fallen goon from before. I start tapping at Vanessa’s arm. “Come on witchy we gotta get goin’.” She slams her foot down, and she must be using her magic again because amazingly the car surges forward.

She turns and looks at me. “Rushing me won’t solve the issue.”

“Maybe, maybe not, but keep your eyes forward.” We swerve as she crazily spins the wheel. We crash into a few of the crumbled walls, but I don't think my neighbors mind. Soon we come to clear dusty paths. I twist and look out the back window. The NTSCU are just tiny dots as we go farther and farther away.

I can’t help but to let out a big cheer as the car goes on. I start laughing hysterically and soon Vanessa joins me. We stop suddenly when the car starts to slow. “What’s happening.” I lean out against the window to see if there's something blocking the road.

“I don’t know.” I look at her and see that she’s pale and a slight sheen of sweat is collecting on her brow.

“When’s the last time you ate.” She looks slightly confused and grips the wheel tighter in her grip.

“Why does that matter.” I nearly roll my eyes but decide to save it for when she can properly appreciate it.

“If you’re tired then you probably don’t have the energy to keep the car going.”

“Car?”

“The thing we’re in.” She shakes her head. “You’ve never seen one.”

“I’ve heard stories but where I grew up we didn’t have such things.”

“Where are you from?

“Eastward.”

“What the fuck you doing out here?” If possible she goes even paler.

“Long story.”

“Okay. Well once we stop which way you goin’?” She gets a suspicious look on her face.

“Why?”

“So I can go in the opposite direction.” She turns her head so fast I’m surprised she doesn’t have whiplash.

“What?!”

I get out and start walking and steadily ignore her though I can hear the sound of boots hitting the ground to catch up. I’m tempted to run but honestly don’t have the energy. I guess getting shot, twice, can tire even a Bobby out. Go figure.

“But you helped me.”

“Yeah I did. And now I’m walkin’ away.”

“Then why did you even bother.” I pivot and get in her face. She doesn’t back down. Instead she comes even further into my space. I get a whiff of her scent, and if not for my previous meals, would be salivating at the mouth.

“Listen, anybody knows the NTSCU are a hot mess in itself. You’re obviously who they’re lookin’ for,” though I don’t know that and she doesn’t need to know that, “and I couldn’t let them do that to you.”

“But-”

“You could have hurt me earlier and you didn’t.” I start walking backwards and further from her. “I’d say we’re even.”

“At least let me look at your wounds.” I raise an eyebrow at her. She rolls her eyes as she starts moving forward agaoin. “I’m not dumb or blind. It’s the least I can do for all the trouble. Please.” I could almost buy her act, not for the fact she seems intent to hang around.

“No thanks. Besides the sooner you’re away the faster the trouble goes.” I give her a shoo motion with my hands which seems to upset her more than my walking away.

“Why in the hell did you bother saving me then. Nobody does anything for nothing and I will not owe anybody anything in this life!”

“Excuse me but first off you don’t know me. I ain’t one of those people that holds favors over people’s heads just because they caught them in a rotten moment. If I wanted you dead I would’ve killed you myself. What they wanted would have been way worse, or have you not heard what they been doin’ with witches.”

She pales slightly at my words and lowers her gaze. “I’ve heard.”

“Then what the hell do you expect me to do? Hell did you think I would have left you there or thrown you to the wolves?”

“Anybody else would have.”

“Guess I’m not most people. '' I huff a breath. It would be unwise to stay with her. She obviously has a reason as to why the NTSCU was after her, bsides the witch thing. Plenty of reasons why she’ll probably see them again. Besides that I’m going to get hungry sooner or later and probably sooner.

I can still feel my wounds aching even now, especially my arm. I don’t know why but injuries always brought my hunger back faster and stronger than ever. I would guess it’s something with energy but then again I don’t know much about that science stuff. But she’ll be on her own. Despite the limited time we did have a little fun, and she can hold her own and is resourceful. That’s always a great thing. Oh goddess I’m going to regret this.

“Okay.”

Okay?” I heave a sigh.

“Yeah might as well continue.” She grins so brightly that it turns her cheeks a rosy pink. Huh. “Don’t get too happy, you'll get sick of me soon.” She surges forward and before I know it she has her arms around me. It’s awkward and my arms just hang on the sides and it’s over before I know it.

But she felt so warm and I can’t honestly remember the last form of physical touch that didn’t shortly after sign somebody’s death warrant. She glows as she looks up at me. “This is going to be great you’ll see.” Hopefully she won’t remember those words at her death.