Page 72 of Mayflower

24

SONNY

My head hurts from shouting.

My heart is wild.

My legs are shaking.

But they will listen. They will. They have to!

“Gaaaaaaa-rik! Roooooof!” I shout my friends’ names. “Gaaaariiiik! Roooooof! Staaaaaaahp! Staaaaaahp!”

I saw them on the camera, so I know it’s them. I also saw the reflectors. Those are from those Supermen shirts I got with my Ayana bracelet and snuck out to them.

That means all of them are here.

I stand in the field. The guards shout at me. But I don’t turn back.

It’s dark.

I can’t see much.

But I see the flares.

It’s them. I know it’s them.

“Gaaaarick! Iz’ me!”

An explosion flares right next to me, showering me with pebbles and dirt. It burns my cheek. It blinds. It hurts. But I wipe the tears off my face. It’s hard to see. Everything is blurry. Smoke burns my lungs.

I’m scared. So scared.

But they can’t get hurt. I won’t let them.

“Gaaaarik! Rooooof! Jooooonaaa! Staaaahp! Eeeet’s meeee! Staaaaaap!” I shout, my voice breaking.

I’m breathing so hard. Air is melting my insides.

I hear the cracking. Voices.

For a moment, everything goes quiet in the night jungle.

I stop too and wave my arms. I stand straight. I will stand straight as long as it takes.

“Don’t shoot!” I shout. “Don’t! Shoooooot!” I scream.

There’s a lone shot.

I duck.

But it’s not in my direction.

It’s in the air.

Then another.

“It’s me!” I shout at Garrick. “It’s me! It’s meeeeeee!” I repeat, croaking, because I barely have any voice left.

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