4 IV

Samty blinks tiredly from where he lies on his side, right hand still holding his left arm yet his body didn't have the strength to grip it tight like the last time. The stray lights that passes behind the great canopy of the trees seems like burning laser beams to his vision scattered around him. Both eyes are still bleary from the pain a moment ago, unshed tears dampening his eyes lashes. He tried to focus his sight on his clothes that are still thrown out next to the tree trunk but the dull buzz inside his head did no good to help him even an inch. His body free of any pain from earlier but he doesn't have the strength to scratch at his continually burning nape nor push off the heap of body on top of him. The broad chest that slowly rises and falls heavily weighs across his lean body, making it a lot more difficult to breathe. Nevertheless, he still found the time to imagine how his bones will be breaking underneath it even in the clouded state of his mind. But inspite of it all, also against the hand that's still covering half of his face, he manage to inhale a lung-full of air. The scent of iron angrily invading his sense of smell that eventually visited his taste buds as well. Samty felt the buzz not only to his head but to his system now too.

It felt like a ton of weight had been lifted inside his chest, excluded the body, yet the cry of his relief dies on his throat behind the large hand while an electrifying jolt spikes up on his spine.

"You g-gotta...stay quiet, s-sorry"

Someone said, or whispered—he doesn't care cause he still is exhausted even though something had shook all his organs inside and want to instantly nap right then and there—in a strained voice hovering close to his ear that wasn't pressed on the soil as the body that was pinning him down before on the ground moved away from him. Relieving him from the death as his veins on his shoulder breathes and immediately circulates blood to chase away the numbing muscles he little have. But when he thought the other will leave him there unmoving and a bit helpless on the ground to go aid for himself, two hands grips him on his arm and leg. He can see the struggle and pain and being spent dances on his saviour's face as he pulled him but he still did nothing to help the other, letting himself be dragged under a very thick bush. Dirt had by now all clinged to his exposed still-have-red-patches skin, some sticking to his face and hair, yet he found himself not bothered by it all. Though he grimaces when he felt something sharp pricks his thigh, his mind didn't paid so much thought in it since it's in the process of regaining it's rationality, still, from the previous torture he had.

A hand once again covered the half of his face—though he was sure the other didn't intend to do that yet he's face is just so small under the big hand, so it happens—when he let's out an unwanted whine from the little pain he has and another rush of adrenaline runs inside him when a drop of blood slid his way into his mouth. His eyes dilated.

"Hmp!"

Feeling more alive and energized for some unknown reason, his eyes are wide while they stare ahead the roof of leaves they have. And before Samty had the chance to cage the bloody hand between his agitated teeth, it got retracted by its owner as a strained whine of pain travels up to his ears. By the loss of the warmth the hand have, his head quickly snap to his left where the agony of pain resounded and his clear vision landed squarely on the crumpled face of the now-identified-as-a-man man. His eyes stared longer than necessary between charcoal locks, closed tight eyes, high nose bridge and cut lip the other have with Samty laying motionless on his back. But his eyes worked themselves to lower his view slowly and they found their way on the exposed shoulder blade of the other. It's clean and fresh and  looked full of tasty—a twig snaps.

Samty got pulled back at his senses when his ears caught the deafening crack of a branch somewhere around them. He let out a gasp of air, felt like he had swam his way up to the air surface after being stuck down under the freezing water. His whole body vibrates with an intense emotion inside of him, eating slowly what remaining sanity he has. But he desperately grab on that little bit of sanity as his heart tries to hammer its way out his ribcage when he forces his eyes to look up at the face next to him. The latter's eyes weren't staring back at him as they were continuing the task of being close as his hand is clutching his side above the dampen black shirt while the other is between his own teeth. Trying not to be loud as possible as one can when you have pain shooting up to your body.

Samty heard voices far from a distance.

"They're coming"

He clearly mutters under his breath as to not startle the other from his own agony. Surprising even himself that he had the strength to speak something out as his throat seems to be blocking all the air going in and out of his system. His mouth is so dry but the words were clear under all these difficulties.

"The police, they're coming"

"I-I kno-no—hmp!..ugh!—I know!"

Samty blinks owlishly on the twisted face of the man as his mind seems to memorize every edge of what he was seeing, didn't even bother to move a muscle to help as the other painfully shifts and now also laying on his back like him. He only stared silently with something whirring inside of him. The breath of exhaustion escaping on the latter's opened mouth and the now dulling scent of iron from the blood makes his mouth suddenly water from unexplainable hunger. His heart is also easily slowing down its beats and soon footsteps were captured by his ears.

"They're here!"

He said with new found alarm on his voice and craned his neck to his right to see under the small gap of the bushes the guests they were waiting on to, all while swallowing the thick saliva that pooled inside his mouth. His impressive hearing range can hear the rapid steps they are taking and Samty is still patiently waiting for their arrival. The more seconds passes by the more closely his brows gets on meeting across his expectant face.

"No, m-mos-t of them ar-e...far off to the east b-ut I...I-I guess s-some—fuck—nevermind, shush, t-they're coming in quick!"

He heard the other's hushed voice and, just like a switch had been pulled somewhere, pairs of feet came into view from where they lay. The irritation and anger he felt to the jewelry, the sole reason of everything that is happening right now, earlier came back as he chants two words over and over in hopes of helping themselves from their dreadful circumstances. Although he wasn't entirely sure if the man laying beside him is in the same page with him of also hiding away from the authorities.

'Turn back, turn back, turn back, turn back, turn—'

"Wait! I think I saw someone there!"

Samty heard the booming voice of the owner of the eatery that ceases all the limbs from their frenzied footsteps. Everyone stops their legs from moving and shifts their body to look at the way where they had come from. The first to run towards the pointed way are the feet that is wearing dress shoes instead of boots like most of what he sees. Soon, everyone follows, albeit a bit hesitant, and Samty watched with bright mirthful eyes the retreating back of their legs as they turned to trace their way back. He's just so thankful the old man has a vision like a sixty year old man he is.

"They're gone!"

He said with a sigh of relief after a couple of seconds with nothing but the chirping of the birds and other sounds from, the wild is what he hears. His eyes closes for a fraction of seconds as his body visibly relaxes from the tension it had build from the presence of the crowd. He wanted to celebrate the triumph they had even if it's this little and no definite answer if they are really safe but when no one answers to what he had said he turned his head back to the left and saw an unconscious man laying limply on the ground.

Samty's heartbeat skyrocketed.

"H-hey! Don't die on me, man!"

He reached out a tentative hand and shook the man on his shoulder as they both still lay. None he get as any means of response and Samty swears if this git is just pretending then he might as well stain his hands and do him. He gave another dizzying shake but to no avail, only the lolling of his head from right to left is the answer for his aggressive attempt. Samty bit his lip as he pushed himself to sit on his bum while staring down the heap of body in front of him. He weighs his choices but finally decided to lean in and place his ears against the man's chest to check. And boy did he breaths out a relief when he hears the faint pulse of his heart.

"You're alive! You scared me there—sorry!"

Samty looked with terrified eyes when out of reflex his hand lightly punched the man on his stomach who, in return,  gave out a pained whine on his senseless state. His hands roaming above the body, unknown on the things he can help if ever he is any of help for the other. This man just saved Samty not long ago and it's a very nerve-wracking information that he can't pay him back if ever the other dies right on his watch considering the lips that's turning into a bluish purple.

With determination burning in his eyes, Samty pushed himself to stand to go and look for a stream of fresh water to firstly clean his saviour's wounds as it to be not infected. He might not know any more things on how can a wound heal faster but his father always tell him to make sure it is far from any infection it can get. With this in mind, he wipes the sweat and dirt mixed on his face and looked around him to navigate his way to the only stream he had encountered of the most time he found himself wondering alone in here without the knowledge of his father. Only, when he was about to take a step forward to his left, an arrow zooms past beside his head. Stopping as the sharp end of it got pierced on the trunk he once had sat down. Samty's hand quickly flies up to his cheek when pain radiates there. Feeling a trail of uneven skin underneath his fingers as the object had merely scratch him.

He again found himself sitting on his buttocks on the soil ground seeing that his legs failed to support him as fear, for the nth time, frozen all his nerves making him immobile. His mind thinking all the possibilities how can he escape with an unconscious injured man under his thin frail body—only how will he do that if his body isn't cooperating with him, uselessly staying still like a stone statue on the ground. But planning an impossible escape mission wasn't really necessary when a woman on a black shirt under what looks like a tiger-skin jumps in front of him. Making herself a barricade between him and the knocked-out-cold man. All scare sure must wash off his system from the surprise attack if only there wasn't a small knife pressing on his throat. Threatening to cut him open as he can feel the sharp side of it digging on his skin. His black irises staring straight on the honey-brown ones with another fear for his life bubbling up on his chest.

If the authorities wouldn't put him on a cellar once they captured him, this woman in front of him also wouldn't but surely slice his throat in a blink of an eye.

"What did you do to my brother?!"

It's icy cold and danger lingers in every words she uttered. Her piercing gaze drilling holes onto his soul and all he can do was stare with wide eyes and tremble like a hopeless kid. But his nose welcomes something that unknowingly registers on his mind as fear and he doesn't know what to do with himself when the other withdraws her weapon and leans back to her own space to pull the unconscious man in a sitting position.

"Come on Fermon! Wake. Up. I left you for a second and now you're dying?!"

Samty only did manage to get his mind away from all the horror he had encountered of when the two figures were already a meter away to him. The woman has the man's arm draped across her shoulder as the unconscious man left all his body weight on her. Slightly wondering on how can she support the body of a man which he can clearly see is much thicker than her. Or how did she find them despite how hidden they are behind the bush and the the great shadows of the trees. But everything was thrown away for now for he needed someone, something—anything to survive in this excuse for a life he is currently living. So he chance his luck and brave out.

"Can...c-can I come with y-you?"