Flickering Light [Part 11]

Two doors. Three windows. They’re coming through doors. Teachers can distract them. Go.

After a moment’s hesitation, Cody was standing and ready to go. The blast knocked him back into reality. He didn’t look at who was charging in the room, only paying attention to his nearest escape route. He made his way towards the window, praying that he could break through it. Gunfire filled his ears, and spiderwebs of broken glass were the last things he saw before closing his eyes and ramming into the hole-filled window.

GO GO GO GO

Cody couldn’t believe that he was able to get through without getting hit. He landed in a pile of broken glass, and he felt a stinging up and down his entire right side. Glass stuck into his palm as he pushed himself up and began a limped run. His left foot gave a dull pain for every step he took, still sore from the hospital. More shouting reached his ears from behind him. In front there was tall grass and trees before the roads began.

Hide or run, hide or run, hide or run

Cody dashed into cover and kept moving. Limbs and thorny bushes scratched at him as he tried to push them away. He didn’t dare slow down for any reason until he knew he was far away from whatever the hell just happened. After ten or fifteen minutes of running, he paused to catch his breath and nearly collapsed on a large anthill. Not willing to wait for too long, he continued walking ahead trying to keep pressure off his bad foot.

Why do I always end up in these stupid forests?

He shivered and looked around. Dead trees lay here and there and dried leaves covered the rest of the ground. The weather was starting to turn warmer, but Cody still wished he had his jacket with him. A rustling to his right made him tense up, only to realize it was just a little squirrel. This world seemed to be much like his own, yet it wasn’t. They had some different names for things, gadgets that Cody didn’t know were possible, and a strange obsession with flashy boxes they called televisions and computers. Ian loved watching them whenever their parents would let him.

Oh crap, Ian! I hope he’s okay. Dang it, why’d I have to get that stupid detention and keep us both after school and now this crap. Jeez, I really hope he’s okay.

As annoying as he could be, Cody enjoyed being around him. Ian reminded him of his own little brother, never seen without a smile on his face and a positive attitude. Ian had listened to Cody’s stories about the other world with interest, and seemed to believe them. Cody wished he could do something for Ian, but his own survival was a priority. It always had been since he got separated from his family, and even when he had to kill his closest friend

Cody shivered again, but not because of the cold. The knife didn’t go down quickly, and he swore he felt Ty’s heart beat against metal while he was pushing it down. He pulled himself out of those thoughts and looked over his arm. The cuts weren’t worrisome, but there were enough little shards to cause plenty of small, pin sized holes for blood to escape. His hand was the same shape thanks to pushing himself off the ground in the middle of broken glass.

How many other kids have to put up with this crap?

Cody found the tree line as he thought this. A small highway ran to his left and right, disappearing from view in either direction. A few stores dotted the road farther down, but it was otherwise deserted. Cars flew by in either direction until one made a screeching halt in front of him, nearly getting smashed from behind by a large truck. Paying no attention, Cody slowly backed up, ready to jump into the trees again. But when the last person he expected got out of the passenger seat, Cody’s eyes grew wide in amazement and he clumsily ran forward.

“Father! You’re here!”

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[Part 10] [Part 12]

Yeah, I don't think that many other kids get thrown into completely different worlds and then attacked at school. Sorry, Cody.

As you see in most of my posts now, there's links to the previous and next post (except for this one, obviously)! Hurray for good ideas from friends. Until next week (or later)!