The Aftershock - 2

continued from http://timjude.blogspot.com/2011/05/aftershock-1.html

"Dunno dude, I can hardly hear a thin'."

*BANG*

This time there was no mistaking, it was a gunshot. Soon the world came back into our senses, we were in some clearing or park. For all I could see was the green of the grass almost blackened under the darkness of the night and a thin cover of trees towards the boundaries.
Our hearts started to beat faster, well obviously we were supposed to be frightened, but I could't comprehend the gravity of the situation. My head slowly hummed, while my heart beat like a hammer against my chest.

"We should get outa' here". Ted pulled me up, I wobbled a bit.
We somehow managed to get each other up, but we were too late, for soon we saw two men with flash lights walking towards us. They were shining it in our eyes, so we could't get a glimpse of their faces.

"Whatcha' kids doin' up here in the night", Asked one of them. He was really tall, with a well built muscular body, and he had a really rough voice. He could have been easily mistaken for a giant.

"N'thin', we were just passin'by, thought we'd rest a bit before headin' home." I blurted out, somehow.

And it was then I saw the shot guns in their hands, and it was my feet that did the talking. I ran straight into the tree cover, I cared for no one at that moment, no one at all, not even the other three.

"Hey Kid waitup", I could hear the man shouting back at me.

I didn't stop, for all I cared was to save my sorry little ass. I ran into the trees.

*BANG*

I heard the gunshot behind me as I ducked in behind a tree, and flares brushed past me. One of them caught me in my left arm, It was like a pin prick, and then a quick spasm of pain, and I felt like my hand had been ripped off my body. I was scared, I could hear the other man shouting at the shooter for being clumsy, for missing his mark.

"I have to escape from these men, somehow I have to run away from them"

"What am I going to do with my arm?"

"What will happen if they catch me?"

Damn I was so confused and scared, I somehow scrambled back to my feet holding my left arm, trying to stop the bleeding. It was just a flesh wound, I breathed, a deep breath, before breaking into a run, I ran straight into the ever thickening foliage. It was dark, pitch black, I could just make out the outlines of the trees as I ran amidst them. I could see the long shadows cast by the flash light behind me.

"They are up on my heals, damn", I thought to my self.

I was so lost in my thoughts that I din't notice the ground sloping downwards. I stumbled upon a root and fell flat on the face. My nose hurt like hell, must have broken from the impact. A warm stream of blood rushed out of my nose, I got back up on my feet, rubbing off the blood as it streamed. I was really hurt this time, a bloodied arm and a broken nose. I waited, breathing heavily waiting for the pain to wade off. The faint light of the flash-light was growing thinner and thinner and soon it was dark again.

"They might have given up"

I slumped on to the nearest tree, hiding perfectly behind it, I was scared, dead scared, breathing heavily, and was just lost. It was dark, I din't know what to do. I didn't know what had happened to the other three, they would have been killed, and dumped in some swamp or taken hostages, hog tied and tortured. I sat there by the tree, and started crying. I felt helpless.

I don't know how long I had been under that tree. I was no longer high, everything was normal except for my beating heart. It was racing, it was beating as if it wanted to get out of my chest. I gathered enough courage and got up, I could hear vehicles, engines roaring. I walked towards the sound and soon emerged into a road. It had a long line of tree cover on both side of it, as it snaked through the green cover. I limped up to the road, hopping to get some help. From a distant curve I saw the two beams of light and soon two headlights came into sight. I limped forward and trying to flag it down, and as the car drew nearer, I felt a wave of relief passing through my body. I saw the beacon light, like the ones used in a police car. I was lucky. The car stopped in front me, and a middle aged cop stepped out of the drivers seat. I sighed.

"What happened son, You look terrible", His soft voice soothed my nerves.

I started to blurt out everything, what ever had happened that evening, about the shooting and how I had escaped, everything.

"Why don't you get in the car with me, I will hear your story, as I get you to a hospital". And as he said, he opened the rear door of the car. I was happy, and was not scared any more. I had got help at last. The door closed with a click.

He got back into the drivers seat, picked up his phone from the dashboard and dialled, and put the earpiece to his ears. I could hear the slow ringing sound, and then it stopped.

"I have got him, he is with me in the car."

To be Continued....