June 10th, 50XX246Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlRUOeaZtyZ
Thursday
The day turns into the afternoon and they are only a short distance from the cave they will be staying in overnight when they see a production crew filming something at a picnic stop location.
"You're kidding me." Franny whispers. "Kidding what?" Kyle responds confused as he drives when Hannah speaks up.
"It's Kia, that famous reporter. Look, we went to school with her."
"Huh, so it is. Wonder what she's doing out here. Say, the rest of you want a break to stretch your legs? Hannah and me want to have some fun for a moment." Kyle smirks.
"Allow me to join you." Franny says.
"Nice." Hannah responds and Kyle pulls over his van. Everyone gets out to take a walk and Franny waits with Kyle and Hannah for Kia to finish talking on TV.
When she is done and goes off air, Hannah raises a hand and gives a small wave. Kia looks straight at her and her face drops.
"You have got to be kidding me." She says.
"Well, we're not." Hannah fires back, Kia approaching them.
"How long has it been?"
"Too long. We're in our late 30's to 40's." Franny speaks up. "You became a famous reporter. I heard that through the grapevine years ago, but I've never actually watched anything of yours."
"And 90% of the year I was in we're Rainbow Teens. So shameful, and I see you all still are and Julian is over there with Kate Bennson too." Kia fires back.
"Can I ask why you all we're so-"
"You've never felt strongly about something before Kia, felt enraged, that things we're unfair?" Franny responds, taking the lead.
"Depends on the circumstances. I heard you Kyle and Hannah went to Juvie. Julian too.
Did you, Franny?"
"No."
"Well, that's slightly relieving to hear, Fran. What do you do now? Wait, dumb question. You don't need to answer that."
"It's been real fun, catching up, Kia. Cya around, we just wanted to taunt you." Hannah laughs, walking away with Kyle.
Franny turns to leave when Kia grasps her hand. "Wait."
"Yes?"
"I covered a story on you not long ago. Can I ask what you are doing? Did you really kidnap Kate Bennson from her parents? God, Kyle and Hannah are still idiots."
"Shh, don't say anything to them. They don't need to know I was an officer up until a short while ago.
They have never been the one to read the news.
"But why did you do what you did, Fran? Becoming a police officer would have taken you years. What was worth throwing a future you clearly built for yourself in the bin.
If you we're one, then clearly you grew up and changed."
"I did, and throwing it in the bin wasn't really my choice. Don't get me wrong, I'm not blaming anyone. I'm the one going along with this, but-"
"Just give it to me straight. Why did you kidnap a teenager, Franny?"
"Kate and my son, they ran away to be together and ran into a serial killer. I ended up pulling over the killer while actually looking for Kate.
Let's just say my son is no longer around and when I was going to return Kate to her parents, the why began the story and actions got darker than I knew.
Kate's step-dad is a monster, Kia. But you don't have to believe me-"
"No, I believe you. My Dad was a monster too... I heard you had a son, you adopted him from foster care?"
"Yeah, and I was proud of him. But I've been an absent parent lately and everything went downhill. I never planned for things to go this way, but you know what, I don't care anymore, Kia.
My life's always been a train wreck and people are all shades of fucked up. I'm done coping with this.
I just want to leave everything behind and start again."
"That's sweet in a way... Are you and Julian together?"
"What?"
And Kia points to Fran's fake wedding ring. "Oh, yeah... We got married and we're looking after Kate till her Mum leaves her Dad and I'll return Kate to her if Kate wants to go back to her.
She said she would leave him and send out temporary guardianship papers to me so my charges get dropped. Remains to be seen if she actually does."
"True. So, what the government said about you isn't true?"
"None of if is true. Well, except my mental state. To a degree that is true, but I'm far from insane."
"Can't blame you though. A serial killer murdering you son and you're the one who pulls him over? Shit."
"I know, I feel so lost. I haven't had the time to process it. Maybe I can later..."
"I hope you do for your sake. If you don't, it may kill you. I've reported on all kinds of stories before, I've seen the reality of darkness and pain."
And then Franny clutches her head.
"Franny, are you okay?"
"Oh god, it hurts so bad."
"Fran? Julian! Julian! Hannah, Kyle!" Kia calls out and they come running, Sadie with Kate.
Franny collapses to the ground and Kia just catches her, weakly bringing her to the ground.
"Mum? Mum! Dad, what's happening?!" Kate cries. "Kate, stay with Sadie." Julian tells her, the rest of the adults approaching Franny and Kia.
"She's seizing?" Kyle says. "Julian?" Hannah asks, looking at him for an answer. Franny's shaking and it lasts about a minute.
She's disoriented when she awakens. "Franny, you fell. Are you okay?" Kia asks her, bending down to hold her hand.
"What happened to me?" Franny breathes out. "Ouch, chest hurts a bit."
"You had a seizure, missy." Kyle says.
"I had what?"
"Franny, do you have any underlying health conditions?" Hannah asks and she shakes her head, winching from some pain.
"Julian." Kyle says go Julian.
"I-I don't know what to do."
"Fran, do you want to come with me? I can take you to a urgent care centre or even an emergency room..." Kia suggests.
"But it would be the end of my journey. I'd be arrested." Franny coughs.
"As true as that may be, if you die from something being wrong with you, you won't be around at all to see the future change." Kia speaks up.
"It could be stress I guess... We've had a tough few days, but what if it is not? You could die possibly, Fran." Julian tells her.
"And? My son is dead and my life is a train wreck, Julian. There really isn't anymore I have to lose.
What if I don't want to do this anymore?"
"I'm out." Kyle says, walking away and Hannah remains.
"Umm, I-I don't know what to say. Maybe you should go with Kia, Franny...
Come talk to us later, Julian." Hannah says, then leaving and she looks conflicted. They just confused the shit out of them, they're now suspicious about what's going on.
"Franny, listen to me. You still have me, Kate and Sadie. The only way from here is up, you can still make something of your life!"
"Julian, my head and chest hurts so bad."
"Julian, let me take Fran with me. She will likely be arrested, I can see you're lying to Kyle and Hannah which I would too.
But I have a lawyer, a top Star A one. I'll call him and see what I can do for Fran. Fran, if you leave with them and you have more seizures, headaches and so fourth, you chance of survival is at risk in the wilderness." Kia warns her.
"Fran, baby. Go with Kia. It's okay, I'll track you down, I sware. Kia, can you find out if Kate's mum made an allegation of abuse against her husband?"
"That shouldn't be too hard, I can do that."
"No, I'm not going to a hospital." Franny says wearily, climbing to her feet.
"Baby." Julian pleads. "No, I'll come with you all." Franny says, standing.
"She doesn't seem like she's thinking this all through." Kia whispers.
"I know." Julian whispers back.
"Just keep an eye on her I guess. If if gets bad, do the right thing. Drop her off at a hospital, I have to go... I'm sorry." Kia says, slipping away.
"I always do." Julian responds, leading Fran back over to Kyle's van.
"She's coming with us?" Hannah says.
"What happened to you, Mum?" Kate asks. Fran looks to Julian and shakes her hand. "I'm just kind of tired, baby."
"Okay!" She responds, hopping inside Kyle's van. "Right... Well, let's hit the road again. We're not far from the cave.
Sorry, Julian. It's just we hadn't seen Kia in-"
"You don't need to explain it, Kyle." Julian says, climbing in after Fran to make sure she makes it in okay, Sadie assisting. Hannah shrugs and goes to hop in when Kyle stops her and slips her a gun, she conceals it instantly.
"What is it?"
He gestures to Franny and then Hannah looks pissed.
"Traitor." She whispers, it hitting her.
---
Franny spends what is left of the afternoon into the evening, being unwell. She's shaking, running a fever and vomiting, unable to keep any food down and her stomach hurts.
Everyone is around a campfire, Kyle's van parked just inside a cave.
"Mum." Kate speaks, looking up from her food.
"What, Kate?"
"You're sick, you we're shaking on the floor earlier. You should go to a doctor."
"I can't leave you, baby."
"That was a seizure." Sadie whispers to Kate.
"Oh... You should go to a doctor. It's okay if you have to go. I can continue on with Julian and you come find us later."
"Are you sure?" Franny responds, voice wavering.
"Fran, look at me." Julian says, taking hers and Kate's hand.
"I've done this before, I will look after Kate and Kyle and Hannah can take you back into town. I'll find you later.
I have connections, I know how to track people down."
"Mmm, okay. I'll go. I just want you both to know I love you and you too, Sadie." Franny tears up.
"Stop it, you will make me cry..." Sadie responds. They all give Franny a hug while Kyle and Hannah hang back.
"There's no way you are pregnant are you, Franny?" Hannah asks.
"No." Franny responds, looking to Julian. "We haven't done anything."
Kate pouts a little. "You want a sibling?" Sadie teases her.
"Okay, good to know..." Hannah responds. "Just try to get through the night and we will take you and drop you off at a hospital, Fran." Hannah smiles and everyone turns in for the night.
---
Sadie hears whispering and the sound of scraping shoes. She briefly peeks her eyes open, unsure how long she has been asleep to see Hannah is towering over Franny, gun in hand.
They know she's a cop, they'll execute her. Those back stabbers and Sadie sees Franny's gun lying nearby, upholstered and reaches for it, trying not to alert Hannah she is awake.
Her hand grips around, feeling the cold smoothness yet heaviness of it and raises it at Hannah, in line with her head. She switches the safety off and it makes a small click.
"Woah, hang on now!" Hannah says, seeing Sadie awake and armed.
"You lower your gun and I'll lower mine." Sadie says.
"She's a cop."
"And? That doesn't make her a traitor! People do what they need to get by in this country and Franny has being running for days with Julian, both working together to look after Kate.
She abandoned her job. You think that makes her loyal? The government will jail her likely and if she's lucky, kill her.
Death would be better than punishment and even torture. I was sent to a troubled teen camp in the middle of nowhere and it didn't help me, Hannah.
That's why I am out here in the middle of this country, on the road. Do you know what this is like?
Things we're bad, but nowhere near as bad when you all we're my age and Kate's back then. Juvie is nothing compared to the troubled teen industry that replaced it.
She had a son, Hannah.
She likely took the job so he could eat and have a roof over his head and his now dead so Franny said fuck reality and took off just like we all are.
Tell me, why are you and Kyle out here?"
"Running..."
"Exactly. So don't kill Franny when you don't have all the facts."
"I'm sorry." And she lowers her gun when Julian yells out and he raises his gun and Kyle does too, waking.
"No!" Sadie screams, Kate waking up wide eyed and Franny stirring, looking out of it when a gun discharges by accident and Sadie panics, seeing a bullet hole right through Hannah's skull and the gun in her hands smoking, the kickback hurt.
Hannah falls to the floor and Kyle looks angry. Eyes filled with fire.
"You four have four seconds to run, I sware to god!" He snarls and Sadie grabs her backpack, Kate's and pushes Kate to run, screaming at her to run, Franny's gun still in hand.
Julian pulls a confused Franny into his arms, grasping their bags and starts running.
Our group of four disperse into pairs of two.
Sadie and Kate. Julian and Franny.246Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9EqOo6nulN
As Kyle yells threats and starts firing in every direction.
Sadie and Kate scramble up the hill, diving behind a tree. Sadie pulls her to her feet and they keep running up the hill, out of sight.
Julian sprints along the cave's cliff face and then feels his foot slip.
"Shit!" He says, feeling himself drop into cold water, letting go of Franny.
The water is strong, it buffers them about and he feels his face smash into a rock, drawing blood and he blacks out.
There is a final gunshot, and Kyle's body falls to the ground, having turned his weapon on himself.
He was in love too, just like everyone else and his life also a mess. He doesn't want go on without.
246Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrypkHVFCTS
