Coloring Outside the Lines

Chapter Thirty-Six

The night is anywhere but silent. Sobs are heard and the baby is bawling. The red headed girl, who I recently found out is named Brianna, is a complete mess. She's been screaming and crying and yelling through the door. My heart breaks watching her. One of the two remaining women tries to comfort her, but Brianna screams at her as well.

One of the two men has somehow managed to fall asleep. The other is leaning against a wall, staring straight ahead.

I'm sitting in a corner, head leaned back, trying to block out the sound. My leg is numb, I can't feel it. The blood has completely soaked through my gray jeans and is pooling on the ground. I tied it tightly earlier, with my sweater so the blood is somewhat contained. Still, I've been drifting in and out of consciousness.

But before I can so much as close my eyes, the three old guys throw open the door and stomp inside. Immediately, everyone sits up, more alert.

"Everyone up, now," the tallest man hollers. "We've got to move! They've got us surrounded."

I am wrenched to my feet by the dark haired man. My leg burns in pain so much that I am forced to lean against the wall and a few tears slip onto my cheeks.

"Go, go! Move, people," the bearded man says, shoving the children out the door.

We all step into the dimly lit hallway and are forced forward by the two men behind us. The dark haired man leads us from the front. I am hobbling and trying to keep my weight on my right leg, but the pain is overwhelming me. Tears are falling freely from my eyes now, and I have to stop to rest against the wall.

"Did we say you could stop?" The bearded man yells, approaching me. "Move! Come on, stop your crying. I'll sacrifice some lives if I have to."

He throws my shoulder forward, and hits my back with the front of his gun, forcing me to start walking again. My head feels light and I can feel myself slowing down. I am silently begging somebody to find me, to come in here and get us.

I am going to die today.

And I never had the chance to say goodbye to my mom, or my dad. Jacob, Jack, Sierra though she wouldn't talk to me. And Ray.

His condition worries me the most. Last I saw him, he was on the ground, shot in the back. Thinking back on that memory makes me feel sick to my stomach, so I force it out of my mind.

I press forward as stealthily as possible with a bullet in my thigh. I am shoved every once and a while, when I get too slow.

"Take a left," the tall man yells ahead. "The code for the door is 53119. Sean, don't let 'em escape."

The dark haired man, Sean, nods and opens the door in front of us. Footsteps are heard behind us, and shouts to stop are echoing through the hallway.

"C'mon, Sean! Hurry up, they're gainin' on us," the tall man says.

"It's not working, Mason," Sean says.

Mason pushes forward through us and up to where Sean is standing, messing with the lock. "Move over, lemme at it."

After a moment of messing with the lock, Mason lets out a frustrated growl. There are shouts and footsteps getting progressively closer to us.

"Just go," Mason grunts. "Back exit. Paul, take 'em to the back." He hits his head against the door angrily.

"People, move! Now! You wanna be slow? You can be slow when we kill you," Sean yells.

I make my legs move one after another. My head is pounding from the lack of water, and my stomach is empty. My left leg is bleeding again and I feel like I'm about to puke. Of course, if I slow down, I'm going to get shot. I have to keep going.