Eating my experiences (13)

TOME 14

I awoke with stars in my eyes and a deep sour taste in my mouth. I had only been unconscious for a few minutes according to Alex, who stayed by my side while Zach looked for supplies amongst the items in storage here. My time when I fainted felt timeless, and frenzied, but dreamless. I always felt worse for wear upon waking, but I'd always had problems with such things as I was born with POTS.

"Are the windows big enough for us to get out?" I asked as Alex helped me slowly sit up while I rubbed my eyes trying to focus them.

"Yeah, I think so" Alex and Zach said in near unison, laughing softly afterwards.

"Good, we should get moving, I certainly don't want to be in here longer than necessary." I leaped to my feet in a rush, only providing me with a swift bout of dizziness. Alex steadied me as I provided him a sad smile, feeling like a burden. We crossed the basement to the nearest window, evidently facing the river as I could hear it from where we stood. The windows looked narrow, but maybe just big enough to make it out, if we were lucky.

I turn to each of my friends, hoping for reassurance which they do not give, neither of them have been known to lie to me in the venture of sugar coating. They both knew me too well, they knew I valued honesty above all else. Taking in a deep breath I begin hoisting myself up, and out of the small window which pinches at my breasts and bottom, but I make it out.

Next is Alex, as we decided that taking Zach out last would be best as he would be the one to be recognized as a captive of this modern castle. Alex is rather slender and swooshes out smoothly. He had been working out lately as there was little else to do, eventually having to let go of a bit of his modesty. He stands, wiping plumes of dust off his pants before shooting me a timid smile while shyly scratching at his now grown out hair.

Now is Zach's turn, the moment of truth, the moment we had traversed three days for had finally come and I could feel my heart beating as if trying to escape my rib cage in response. My eyes involuntarily began to swell with water as I felt something off, this had been too easy. My stomach turned again and I could now feel the distinct slush of vomit rising into my mouth. I coughed and vomited all I had eaten in the last god knows how long before hearing the patter of guards round the corner.

"I heard someone over here, sounded like puking. What? That's the kid boss likes, we gotta get him!" I heard the familiar voice of a local homeless man from before this whole implosion of society. He had always been a kind man, so I was happy he found some solid footing, but not at our expense.

I spluttered the last of my vomit before sputtering in a shaken voice, "Run, follow me" as I ran towards the river. I was not a strong swimmer, but an even weaker runner. Alex and Zach obediently followed me into the somewhat swift river, where the guards gave up. I bobbed up and down in the water, hoping I would find a shore soon, when I felt Zach's strong arm scoop me up and towards the bank of the river, maybe half a mile away from where we jumped in.

I was coughing up water on the bank with Zach clapping my back to aid me, when Alex ran up. Apparently he had caught the shore just a little ways farther down after seeing us make it. Now we needed to make it back to Aurora, who I had promised I would come back for, but first to get our bearings, I didn't know the path of the river well, and would not dare following it back. We needed to get away from the river swiftly if we didn't want to be caught.

We walked away from the river to the first main street we could find, River street, a street I knew well from my commute to the second job I had held in Santa Cruz, perfect! "I know where we are, it'll only be another twenty minutes or so to get back to the CBD store, we're gonna make it, but the store is really close to those apartments, so we may want to take a back route." I had adopted a stern, commanding tone, to which Zach gave me an almost satisfied look, something I found myself blushing at, spreading a large smile on his face.

We walked cautiously, looking around corners as we went, hoping we would find Aurora ready to go.

TO BE CONTINUED.....