Everything burned.
The muscles in my legs. My feet. My lungs. But Kieran had made me promise to run.
As far as I could. As fast as I could. And so I would, but only for his sake - not mine.
He didn't need me distracting him right now. If he believed I was safe, I reasoned, he'd keep his focus on staying alive.
Come back to me.
Whatever it takes, come back to me.
I'd been doing well, at least in terms of not tripping or slipping on something for once. So of course, it was while looking back over my shoulder for the umpteenth time that I finally screwed up.
My left sneaker caught an exposed tree root. I pin-wheeled for balance, got it back - and promptly lost it again. I hit the ground hard.
And immediately went sliding downhill.
Further and further, until I finally hit something s
