My lungs feel like they are on fire, my heart is beating a thousand times per minute. Sweat is pouring down my face nonstop, my legs are burning and moving at lightspeed trying to keep up with Max. The same thought is swirling around my head, you can’t stop they will get you. This is the only thing that is keeping me running. We have been running for two days straight only stopping to sleep, and eat. We can only stop at night because they might spot us in daylight. But at  night I can barely sleep, the noise of the aircrafts flying above keeps me up. Every so often I hear gunshots behind us in the city we left.

We left two days ago, and have been moving since. We are running away from our life back in the city, well what used to be our life the head figures took that away from us. The head figures are a group of elders that have been around since the creation of the city. They created the city because our whole world was suffering from poverty, it was a great idea. They just didn’t execute it well, the head figures enforced strict rules and laws that were a huge inconvenience on our lives. We couldn’t live like that, so Max and I decided to leave. The head figures found out and implanted a search, there is a reward to find us six thousand dollars. 

We left and ran straight to the mountains, we thought it would be a good place to hideout until we can start our own city. Our plan is to get far enough in the valley so the aircrafts can’t spot us. Once we pick a place our goal is to build a cabin and to start a family of our own. we think we have made it three hundred miles, but the searchers are still right behind us. 

Finally we decide to call it quits for the day. “Do you think we are far enough out to start a fire,” I ask but barely being able to say the words because I’m so cold my body is shaking.

Max looks at me as if I’m crazy,“No if you focus enough you can still see the city lights, which means the searchers are to close for sure.” 

I replied with a nod and try to get warm, my best option is to snuggle up close to Max to try and get some of his body heat, but he is pacing back and forth like something is wrong. “Maz what’s wrong, you look worried?”

“Nothing.”

“Well then we need to get some rest we have another long day of running ahead so come to bed,” I try to say nicely, but it comes out more like a demand. He walks over and lays down with me, I get all comfy resting my head on his chest. I look up to the black sky spotted with stars, it reminds me of a painting my mother had hanging in the hall that my sister made. A feeling of guilt rushes over me, I left them without even a goodbye.  I push this to the back of my head and close my eyes to try to fall asleep. But my mind won’t stop, thoughts are racing around my head. I end up barely sleeping, and having the sun wake me up at dawn. 

“I think this might be our last day of moving, tonight we can set up a permanent camp,” Max tells me as we are getting ready.

“Oh yay! Then we can start building a house.” 

“Yeah a little cabin for us to live in.”

“That sounds perfect!” I tell him, while I start imagining what our house might look like.

We finish packing up our things and start on the run. We had been running a little over a mile when we hear an aircraft coming towards us. Max yells, “Run towards that tree up there, it might shield us from their view.” Right when he finishes that we start sprinting to the tree. We don’t make it to the tree quick enough, bullets start raining above us. I can hear the bullets flying right pass me and hitting the ground. We are about ten feet away from the tree when I hear Max let out a shriek. He had been hit, I know if I stop I will get shot too. Tears are streaming down my face by the time I make it to the tree. 

I can’t take it anymore I just collapse, I let my sadness overwhelm every part of my body. The searcher must think I am dead and turns around to go back to the city and report this to the head figures. When I can’t see the aircraft anymore, I make my way to Max slowly not knowing what might come next. I am able to tell he is still breathing and that he was shot in his right calf. I take a shirt out of my pack and wrap it around the wound hoping it might help. I help Max sit up and try to talk to him. “Hey Max can you hear me?” I ask in a concerned but calming tone.

“Yes,” he mumbles through the pain. We rest there for a while, I wanted him to get some more energy before we try to move again. After an hour or so I think it might be better if we try to start our journey again because someone might try to find us. Max ends up being alright, for the rest of the journey we took our time and had frequent breaks. We ended up settling two days later in the mountains, we now have a little cabin and four kids.