Title- Running

Author- Lidyipi

Rating G

Category- Pre-ep?

Archive- Wherever.

Feedback- Big Smile for any I get. kiki_infamous@yahoo.com

Summary- Samantha's point of view.

Disclaimer- The characters don't belong to me, but to CC.

"I'm running Jeffery," Samantha whispered.

She curled, wrapping the covers tight.

Around her, the room lay in shadows, its

cream walls awash with the silhouette of

leaves. Jeffery blinked. He crawled onto her

bed, his thin body folding itself at the

edge.

"Why are you running?" he asked.

"It hurts too much," she met his eyes, her

nose and cheeks highlighted by the soft gray

of night.

The younger boy fell silent, his fingers

toying with the sheets.

"I'm sorry," Samantha offered. She leaned

forward, searching his face. Hair spilled

over her shoulders, its color black in the

darkness.

"I don't want you to leave," Jeffery

muttered.

"Please don't be sad."

"They'll find you anyway."

"I know," Samantha said.

"Then why are you running away?"

"Because I can't think of anything else to

do."

Jeffery lifted his eyes. Boyish curls

covered his head, the bangs overgrown

and shading his eyes. Samantha reached over

to brush them away. "It's okay Jeff, I just

don't want to hurt anymore."

"But they'll hurt you more Sam," He pleaded,

voice rising. "They'll get mad at you."

"They'll get mad at me anyway, they never

care about me."

A shuffle sounded outside the door and the

children snapped their necks up. The sound subsided

and after a moment, Jeffery slid away. He padded to the

door and peeked out. "The dog," he glanced back at

Sam. She nodded and patted the bed,

beckoning him. The little boy slipped back

onto the mattress and scooted towards the

wall. He leaned against it regarding

Samantha. "Where will you go?"

"I remembered that I had a brother awhile

ago, well I think I did, but he wasn't

little like you are."

"Is he my brother too?"

"I think so, he had brown hair."

"How will you find him?"

"I don't know, but if I do, I'll tell him

about you, okay?"

"I wish they didn't do bad things to you,"

Jeffery said. His tone barely reached her

ears.

"I do too," Her own voice expressed a

hollowness to its soft husk, the childhood

almost gone.

A pause alerted them to the thrum of the

basement heater as it clicked on. Samantha

sighed. She pulled the boy close to her and

they rested against the pillows.

"What if you don't find him?" Jeffery asked.

"I don't know, I don't even know where to

start looking," she exhaled. "But I will get

to him somehow. I wonder how old he is now?"

"You said he was older than me?"

"Yes."

"Oh, then you are in the middle."

Samantha laughed. "Yeah, but I don't think

that we'll ever be together like that."

"Why not?"

"I just think so, doesn't mean Im right,"

Samantha pulled the comforter over them

bringing in more warmth. "I'm leaving

tonight Jeffery."

"Tonight? Can't you wait a little while,"

his voiced cracked. "Please Samantha, what

if they do tests on me."

Samantha gasped. "They wont Jeffery, oh

they won't. If they planned to do any tests

it would have started by now, don't worry."

"I don't want you to go," The little boy's

cheeks moistened, his tears dripping onto

the bedding. "Don't go Samantha, don't go!"

"Shhh."

Jeffery sucked in his breaths, face screwed.

Samantha held him tight. "I'm so sorry

Jeffery, I'm so sorry, please don't cry, if

you get lonely, just go outside and look at

our hand prints. That will always be there."

"Sam," he pleaded.

She rose and tucked the blankets around his

shaking form, but he tossed them aside.

"When Dad and Cassandra come looking

tomorrow," Samantha took the boy's hand.

"Yes," He sniffed.

"You don't tell them anything okay, you were

asleep."

Nodding, Jeffery brushed his sleeve across

his face. The baggy pajama set hung loosely

around his tiny bones. Samantha slipped off

her own nightshirt and pulled out a pair of

jeans and a tee shirt. "You have to go back

to your room now Jeff."

"Can I come outside with you?"

"No," She pulled him once more into a long

embrace. "Goodbye Jeffery, I love you."

"I'll see you again?" He wormed out of her

arms and stood by the door, his face pale.

"I hope so, now go to sleep."

Watching her for a minute, Jeffery wandered

away and silence claimed the house once

more. Forcing her bare feet into her

sneakers, Samantha slid open the window, she

stuck her head out, watching for life.

Behind, the dog Smirk entered the room, ears

flopping. He hopped onto her bed and

followed the girl's movements with his gaze.

She placed one leg over the sill, then the

other.

Standing beneath the night, Samantha

sprinted across the pavement, fleeting past

neatly cut grass and tan-sided homes. Above,

blinking from their starry home, an endless

array of eyes followed behind. They reached

out, whispering along the breeze.

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