Inside Out [BoyxBoy]

Chapter 16 - Blow

No one moved. We waited for the scream to end, but it got louder as we lingered in the practice circle. Jace remained on top of me, his eyes went towards the forest.

"NO—" the cry went on, and there was no doubt that it was Sunny.

"It's Sunny," I said.

Everyone broke into a sprint, speeding into the forest. An ache started in my head and my heart was racing.

Sunny was hurt. Suddenly I was imagining her bruising, blood covering all of her face. I shut my thoughts off, trying to convince myself that Sunny was strong enough to protect herself. Maybe it's not her. Maybe it's someone else. Keith's energy surprised me when he started on a sprint. He had his pace matched with Jace, and I tried to keep up.

The boys in front of me formed a line and disappeared into the trees. I couldn't see where they were, but I did hear them screaming.

"Wait!" I shouted, walking into the trees, following the sounds of their footsteps and heavy breathing. I tried to speed up, forcing myself to breathe evenly. I dodged big trunks of trees and realized we were already deep in the meadow.

Sunny is okay. She's going to be all right.

 I gasped when my foot stepped on empty air and I felt myself falling.

I yelled as I realized I had run off a cliff. Below me was a river stream. I would either drown in deep water or fall excruciatingly to the ground, a few feet across the stream.

Hands gripped my body. Jace had caught me in his arms. I was confused as he set me down into the stream.

The stream came up to my ankles.

 I breathed a sigh of relief, almost laughing at the thought of sinking in deep water. Jace, however, threw me a stern look which had me pushing back a smile.  

"Come on," Jace said, pulling my hand in his.

We scampered fast and I didn't know where we were going. The thought of Sunny covered in blood overpowered my mind again and I tried to calm down. The screaming had stopped, giving us no guide for which direction to go in. Jace kept my hands locked in his, refusing to let me go.

"They're already ahead," he said breathlessly.

"Sorry," I told him.

We ran faster, and the sight of the boys came into view in a circle on top of a hill. Jace pulled my hand as I climbed up, and if I had been calmer I would've insist he let me go. I was too breathless to speak.

Sobbing caught my attention.

Sunny was leaning against Keith's chest, his hand wrapped around her shoulders. I approached them but stopped when I noticed a dead body on the ground, smeared with bright red blood.

Adam.

"NO!" I yelled, the shock was so intense in my chest. "What the hell happened? Why is he—"

I darted toward Adam when Jace held my hand, stopping my movement. My mortal friend was lying on the ground, his T-shirt crumpled, and blood stains covered most of his face. His mouth was slightly ajar, and his eyes rolled upward.

This can't be true.

"Is he—" I tried to ask.

"Dead," Jeff said, his voice trembled. "I . . . I felt his pulse."

The world spun around me. I would've fallen but Jace held my back. I didn't want to believe what I saw. Adam had no reason to be here.  

"Somebody go get Dan," Jace shouted. "Now!"