3: Upside Down

                                    

                                          
Nate practically dragged Nyx across the grass away from her school towards the woods. Nyx couldn't focus on anything other than running, and her heart pounding in her ears. Nate just kept yelling for Nyx to run faster. The fear started to feel like a giant weight pulling down Nyx's legs. Nate kept his grip on her wrist firm so she wouldn't fall behind.
After a few minutes, they stopped to catch their breath.
"Are you okay Nyx?" Nate whispered through his panting breaths.
"Am I okay? No, I'm not okay! Nothing about this is okay!" Nyx yelled as she started sobbing. She was right, she was very far from okay. She was probably never going to be okay again.
"Nyx, listen, we will go to my uncle's house in the next county over and we will figure this out, okay? I will try my hardest to keep them from taking you away, I promise." Nate grabbed Nyx's shoulder and gave it a squeeze, she felt a little better.
Nyx lifted her hood over her head and tucked her hair into it, trying to hide as much of her identity as possible. They walked swiftly through the woods, although Nyx was silently panicking. She had no idea what would become of her if she were caught, or what would happen to Nate if the authorities found out he was hiding her. "Hey." Nyx looked over when she heard Nate speak through slightly panting breaths. "I know you're scared, but we're gunna go see my mom and ask for her help." He said as he gently massaged his stab wound on his shoulder.
"Are you sure?" Nyx asked him as she stuffed her hands in her hoodie pocket, her voice was still shaking.
"Yes, I'm sure. You trust me, right?" He asked her as they started to near the end of the woods.
"Of course I do." Nyx responded sincerely as the woods came to an end and they entered a nice and quiet neighborhood, Nathan's neighborhood.
"Okay, so when we get to my house, you hide in the shed in my backyard while I talk to my mom, with some luck, she'll help us." Nate whispered to Nyx as they approached his home.
"How can you be so sure that she won't just turn me in?" Nyx's voice shook as she asked. Nate gripped Nyx by both of her shoulders and it forced her to look him in the eyes.
"Just trust me, she loves you." Nate smiled then turned to walk into his home, Nyx turned to enter Nate's backyard shed. When she entered, she saw a bunch of standard garden equipment and a big riding lawn mower. She sat down on the seat of the lawnmower and stared off into space, fidgeting with her fingers in her lap. Her mind started to wander, showing her the image of that guy choking and gurgling on his own blood. I killed him...but, how did I do that? Don't be dumb, you're an Odd One. Now, you've dragged Nate into this mess. You put him in danger. Nyx was jolted out of her thoughts as she heard a subtle knock on the shed door and Nate's voice.
"Nyx, come out it's okay."
She hesitated, then scooted off the seat of the lawn mower and opened the door. Nate took Nyx's hand with an easy smile and led her towards the sliding glass door behind his house. After Nate slid open the door and led Nyx inside, Nyx was then embraced by Nate's extremely loving, if not slightly overbearing, mother.
"Oh Nyx, are you alright? Nate told me about your...problem, don't worry my darling, we will take you to my brother's house, he lives on reservation land where authorities will not follow us." She hugged and gently swayed Nyx in her arms. Nyx couldn't contain herself anymore and broke into sobs. Nate watched with somber eyes as she sobbed in front of him. He sighed softly before moving to the sink and turned it on. He cupped some water in his hand and rinsed the slightly sticky blood off his face. He then turned back around and dried his face with a dish towel.
"Nyx, we should get going, they might expect us to come here if they managed to identify me." Nate gently grabbed Nyx's shoulders after she backed away from Nate's mother. He bent down slightly to be eye to eye with her.