crash, and the voice sounded again. “Misses Pike and Dobson, you’ve left us no choice. We’re coming in. Do not resist.”
Alice knelt down and yanked my upper body through the window. “Come on!” Alice hissed through clenched teeth.
Once free, I ripped the mask from my face and handed it to her. “Breathe, then let’s go.”
She sucked in a lungful of air and pushed me away from the lights and chaos unfolding in our front yard. Instinct took over. I clutched Alice’s hand and we ran.
I felt light headed as I pushed myself not to inhale the toxic air. We turned the corner and pressed ourselves against the dank brick wall. Soot and grime intermingled on the surface. Humidity made everything wet and miserable, and even the buildings seemed to weep with how horrible this place was.
My legs burned and I began to slide down the wall. Alice pulled off the mask and handed it to me. I greedily attached it to my face, my body clinging to consciousness.
“We have less than a minute before our lungs collapse if we can’t get into a building,” I spluttered, my voice muffled and hollow through mouthpiece of the mask. Oxygen had never tasted so sweet. It filled my lungs and I felt them expand like balloons. Relief. I took another deep breath and handed the mask back to her.
Footsteps rang down the hallway, accompanying a chorus of angry voices that were muffled by thick masks. “They can’t be far, we were advised they’d be home. Come on.”
Alice draped one of my arms over her shoulder and pulled me along. “Avery, we need to find somewhere to hide.”
We began our sprint again, every thirty seconds or so passing the mask between the two of us. Twice Alice held it too long and I nearly fell to the ground from lack of oxygen. Twice Alice came through in the nick of time.
We zigzagged through alleyways and dead bushes, accumulating cuts and bruises as we went. There was no time to stop, no time to examine the extent of our wounds. It was time to run.
The mask blocked my vision except for what was directly in front of me. I allowed Alice to guide me when I wore it, and vice-versa. We were so panicked, trying to avoid the voices and the hovercraft that I didn’t even look to the side to see a young man step in front of us.
It was like running into a brick wall.
My face crashed into his hard chest, and he barely moved. Alice bore so much momentum that she flew forward, skidding along the debris littered cement on her stomach. She cried out, and I skittered backward from the man I’d run headlong into.
Alice had the mask; she’d had it for forty seconds. Thirteen seconds before I was nothing more than a body bag. The man took a step forward and looked down at me. His hat masked his face, his voice velvet. “Running around on a day when the filtration system is off with one mask? That makes me think you have a death wish.”
Eight seconds. I didn’t want to die, but I’d be damned if this guy would have the last word before I passed out. “Being willing to watch someone die leads me to think you’re an ass.”
Three seconds. My lungs screamed. It felt like my chest would explode.
Just breathe in, Avery, and end it.
No. No. I wouldn’t do it. Alice would come. The man’s body swam before my eyes. His voice melted in my ears. “Not the first time I’ve been called that, but not for letting someone die.”
My eyes rolled into the back of my head. I wondered if I’d see my parents when I died. Alice’s scream pierced through my scattered thoughts.
Suddenly oxygen rushed into my nostrils. My eyes flew open, and I tried to figure out what happened. I looked up.
The man stood there. His hat obscured his eyes, but I could see his curious smile.
His mask was on my face.
I gripped the sides of the mask like a life vest and swallowed gulps of air. My chest heaved and red dots danced before my eyes. I tried to gather words to tell the man I owed him my life.
He extended his hand, and I took it
Alice knelt down and yanked my upper body through the window. “Come on!” Alice hissed through clenched teeth.
Once free, I ripped the mask from my face and handed it to her. “Breathe, then let’s go.”
She sucked in a lungful of air and pushed me away from the lights and chaos unfolding in our front yard. Instinct took over. I clutched Alice’s hand and we ran.
I felt light headed as I pushed myself not to inhale the toxic air. We turned the corner and pressed ourselves against the dank brick wall. Soot and grime intermingled on the surface. Humidity made everything wet and miserable, and even the buildings seemed to weep with how horrible this place was.
My legs burned and I began to slide down the wall. Alice pulled off the mask and handed it to me. I greedily attached it to my face, my body clinging to consciousness.
“We have less than a minute before our lungs collapse if we can’t get into a building,” I spluttered, my voice muffled and hollow through mouthpiece of the mask. Oxygen had never tasted so sweet. It filled my lungs and I felt them expand like balloons. Relief. I took another deep breath and handed the mask back to her.
Footsteps rang down the hallway, accompanying a chorus of angry voices that were muffled by thick masks. “They can’t be far, we were advised they’d be home. Come on.”
Alice draped one of my arms over her shoulder and pulled me along. “Avery, we need to find somewhere to hide.”
We began our sprint again, every thirty seconds or so passing the mask between the two of us. Twice Alice held it too long and I nearly fell to the ground from lack of oxygen. Twice Alice came through in the nick of time.
We zigzagged through alleyways and dead bushes, accumulating cuts and bruises as we went. There was no time to stop, no time to examine the extent of our wounds. It was time to run.
The mask blocked my vision except for what was directly in front of me. I allowed Alice to guide me when I wore it, and vice-versa. We were so panicked, trying to avoid the voices and the hovercraft that I didn’t even look to the side to see a young man step in front of us.
It was like running into a brick wall.
My face crashed into his hard chest, and he barely moved. Alice bore so much momentum that she flew forward, skidding along the debris littered cement on her stomach. She cried out, and I skittered backward from the man I’d run headlong into.
Alice had the mask; she’d had it for forty seconds. Thirteen seconds before I was nothing more than a body bag. The man took a step forward and looked down at me. His hat masked his face, his voice velvet. “Running around on a day when the filtration system is off with one mask? That makes me think you have a death wish.”
Eight seconds. I didn’t want to die, but I’d be damned if this guy would have the last word before I passed out. “Being willing to watch someone die leads me to think you’re an ass.”
Three seconds. My lungs screamed. It felt like my chest would explode.
Just breathe in, Avery, and end it.
No. No. I wouldn’t do it. Alice would come. The man’s body swam before my eyes. His voice melted in my ears. “Not the first time I’ve been called that, but not for letting someone die.”
My eyes rolled into the back of my head. I wondered if I’d see my parents when I died. Alice’s scream pierced through my scattered thoughts.
Suddenly oxygen rushed into my nostrils. My eyes flew open, and I tried to figure out what happened. I looked up.
The man stood there. His hat obscured his eyes, but I could see his curious smile.
His mask was on my face.
I gripped the sides of the mask like a life vest and swallowed gulps of air. My chest heaved and red dots danced before my eyes. I tried to gather words to tell the man I owed him my life.
He extended his hand, and I took it
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