I don’t want to die, I thought but it was a long shot. Not with the cars blocking us and guys stepping out from them with guns on their hands.

 

“You’re not going to die,” the pest said. I didn’t realize I voiced out my thoughts. I looked at him. What I saw in his face made me fear him more than death itself.

 

His face, his face looked so different. There was something dark in his eyes and a shadow in his lips that gave me an impression of what an angel of death looks like when he’s about to claim the life of a person. The sight of his face was too much for me to take that I forced myself to look away from him and turned my eyes up ahead instead.

 

Then, I heard the engine revved up, roaring louder; felt the vibration of the car getting stronger. “Hold on tight, wild cat. We’re on for a tough ride.”

 

“What are you-? Argh!” I screamed as we suddenly zoomed forwards. I hold on tight to my seat. My heart pounded painfully in my chest as I saw that we’re heading towards the car in front of us. I thought we’re going to bump them but we didn’t, the pest suddenly swerved to the left so fast, trying to get through the small space that the other car didn’t cover. I shrieked louder as once again, my side of the car lifted off the ground, making me slide to the left a little. I heard a rubbing, screeching sound and realized that the tires on my side were running on the compartment of the other car, pressing against it.

 

“Oh, God!” I gasped as my side landed back on the ground, shaking the wits out of me along with my body. I even heard my teeth rattled from the impact. Through the mirror, I can see that the bad guys were taken aback, but they quickly recovered and went back inside. Our car then started swerving here and there, making me dizzy. Then, the car suddenly zoomed straight again, sending me flying out and back to my seat. I looked at the side mirror again and saw that the cars were back to chasing us, one black and two red ones. We were currently in an empty freeway, with trees on both sides.

 

A loud bang followed by a breaking noise rattled our car. The pest cussed out loudly. I jumped in my seat and looked behind. I saw that the glass at the back totally gave in, the wind coming through it strongly. My body suddenly went numb as I saw that there was a gun protruding from the window of the car chasing us, pointing at the pest.

 

“Get down!” I heard the pest say. But I was too shocked; too scared that I can’t even move my body even if I wanted to. But when I felt the pest’s hand on my head, all my nerve-endings came to life, releasing me from paralysis. I ducked down just in time to hear another loud bang.

 

“They’re shooting us!” I shouted, though it was obvious already.

 

The car started moving in a zigzag pattern, with the tires screeching loudly. A while ago, I was afraid of the car’s speed but after hearing those guns, it made me think otherwise. “Can’t we go any faster?!” I shrieked. I really don’t want to die yet, and not this way.

 

“No,” the pest gritted. “!” he cussed as another loud bang boomed. “Wild cat, I need your help,” he then said.

 

“What?” I asked, aghast.

 

“Look for my gun, it fell somewhere, I can’t find it, dammit!”

 

My eyes went round. “Y-you’ve got a g-gun?” I gasped, suddenly feeling another wave of panic crashing over me.

 

“Just look for it and give it to me,” he gritted again. I nodded frantically, despite the tears starting to form in my eyes. I squinted my eyes and looked around. When I finally saw it, I quickly grabbed it. I was a bit surprise when I finally took hold of it. I didn’t know guns could be this heavy.

 

“Here,” I said, my voice breaking. With trembling hands, I gave him the gun. He quickly took it. With one hand on the steering wheel, he turned sideward and raised the gun.

 

“Are you going to shoot them, too?” I asked, aghast.

 

“Just giving them a dose of their medicine,” he darkly said and pulled the trigger. I jumped in my seat as the sound pounded on my ears, making me scream. I heard another screeching sound and a snort. I looked behind and saw that one of the cars stopped chasing us.

 

“Did you kill. . .?”

 

“No. I just took the tires down,” he said. He was about to pull the trigger again when I heard a loud honk. I looked up in time to see an enormous truck going our way.

 

“Oh, my God, look out!” I shouted, my voice going up a notch. The pest turned the wheel to the right in a hurried manner. The action was so abrupt that my head bumped against the side window. I suddenly started seeing dark and red spots in my eyelids, with matching stars. My head turned upside down and round and round, making me even dizzier than before. My blood was pounding so hard against my skull that it was starting to get hurt.

 

“Are you alright?” he worriedly asked.

 

“I’m still alive,” I moaned, eyes closed. I really can’t say I’m feeling well but I don’t want him to fuss over me when he got a more important matter on his hand right now. As weird as it seems or maybe I’m just hallucinating, but I think I heard him chuckle.

 

How can he do that? His grandparents just died a while ago and we’re in a middle of a chase fight for our lives. The car suddenly shook. I straightened up and saw that the two remaining cars were on either side of us. My eyes grew wide as I saw that two guns were pointing at us, coming from each side. The pest then stepped on the gas pedal, but they did the same, too. So, this is it, huh? This is really how I’ll die? I knew by the look of the guys at my side that they’re going to pull the trigger any moment now. But our car suddenly halted, sending me forward to the dashboard. But my hands instinctively rose up to protect me. Belatedly, I heard a screech and loud bangs. I looked up and saw that the two cars were still running, they probably didn’t expect us to stop. Then, both sides shot each other unintentionally. I saw the other one at the right side dropped his gun as he cradled his wounded arm. Then, both cars stopped. As they stopped, the pest took advantage of it- they’re momentary distraction and zoomed forward.

 

I glanced at the pest and saw a flicker of satisfaction in his face.

 

“That was. . . smart,” I complimented, referring to the sudden break a while ago. Of course, since we were out of the way, the two shooters shot themselves instead. “How did you know the timing. . .?” I trailed.

 

“Does that matter?” he asked. “We should be thankful we’re still alive.”

 

“Are they gone, then?” I asked.

 

“No, we only caused one person each armless, there are still others in those cars.”

 

I looked behind. “Why aren’t they shooting us anymore?”

 

“Because we’re entering the city. They can’t risk that. But they won’t stop chasing us.”

 

I straightened up as I heard what he said. I saw a few number of cars, buildings and some people already. It was then that I noticed the traffic light. Weirdly, my heart constricted as the green light turned yellow and the other innocent cars started slowing down.

 

“Pest, they’re gonna get us!” I panicked. The pest didn’t answer. I looked up ahead. I saw that a car was on our way and a queue was starting to form up ahead. The moment the light turns red, it’s the end. But how are we gonna get through this all-?

 

My thoughts stopped as the pest squeezed his way in between two cars in front of us and turned right to evade another car and went past the traffic light just in time for it to turn red.

 

“Ah!” I sighed as I looked behindus  and saw that all of the cars were unmoving and the cars from the left started running. I closed my eyes and slumped on my seat. “Please tell me it’s over.”

 

“It’s just beginning,” the pest slowly said.

 

“You still haven’t told me what’s going on,” I said, still with eyes closed.

 

“Not now,” he said.

 

I didn’t press him any further. I don’t think I have enough strength left in me. The emotional and psychological turmoil made me weak. I guess he is, too, so I just let him be. For now.

 

With my eyes closed, flashes of the day’s event crossed my eyelids uncontrollably: from the ice cream, to Grandma and Grandpa’s dead body, to Kevin’s pain, to the pest kissing his grandparents’ forehead, to the cars blocking our way, to the chase. But one thing stayed longer behind my eyelids: the face of the pest looking so deadly.

 

I know it could be because his grandparents were dead and I felt so BAD about it. It was my fault. If I didn’t ask him to go out, he would have been there. He could have protected his grandparents, he could have prevented something like that to happen. And I think he blames me, too. I heard it from him, though indirectly. When he said that he shouldn’t have left them, I knew that it was my fault. I shouldn’t have asked him to go out, I shouldn’t have. . .

 

Before realizing it, my tears were silently rolling down my cheeks. Remembering the oldies body stabbed my heart painfully. I never thought I’m capable of caring for other people aside from myself but I did. I love and adore myself, that’s taken. I also love things that are glamorous, shiny, eye-catching, and expensive. But life in the farm taught me that LIFE isn’t all about shopping for shoes, dresses, jewelries, bags; it’s not all about credit cards, parties, clubs, or even boys. There’s so much more to life than those things that I know. But I can’t say if I know what’s more to life than those things. What else is there?

 

“Where are we going now?” I asked after an hour or so.

 

“To a friend,” he answered.

 

“How long will it take us to reach there?”

 

“We’re already here,” he said and stopped the car. I opened my eyes and realized it was already dark. I looked outside and saw a few line of establishments, houses. The pest put a hand on the horn. I looked at him and saw that he was sweating.

 

“Are you alright?” I asked and put a hand on his shoulder.

 

“Yes,” he answered and winced at my touch. That was when I felt something wet and warm on my hand. I pulled my hand back and gasped as I saw blood in my palm.

 

“Oh, my! You’re bleeding!” I exclaimed. From the side of my eyes, I saw a figure passed. I looked up and saw a girl, around my age, I think, with long hair and went to the driver’s side. The pest opened the door.

 

“Jiyong, I- you’re wounded!” she exclaimed, with wide eyes. She quickly grabbed the pest’s arm and put it on her shoulder and supported him out of the car.

 

“I can walk. My shoulder is wounded, not my legs,” I heard the pest said.

 

“How long have you been bleeding already? Aish! You should have called me first!”

 

“I’m fine, no need to panic. It’s just one shot, one wound.”

 

“Stupid. Blood loss could. . .aish!” the girl scolded the pest.

 

“I’m fine,” the pest insisted.

 

“Yeah, right. You’re sweating badly and your shirt is drenched with your blood already.”

 

I watched the girl assisted the pest inside the house while I was all forgotten. What should I do now? Should I stay here or should I go in, too?

 

Ugh! I hate that girl whoever she is.