"I'll be back soon, I promise." I wave to Rainbow in the door way as I unlock my truck. "I just need to get a few groceries."

"Okay, I'll be waiting!" Rainbow waves as she closes the door.

I start up the engine and pull out of the driveway. I drive down the road, the only sources of light being the street lamps. A blinking symbol on my dash shows that I'm running low on fuel.

"Shit, gotta make a pit stop." I say as I pull into a nearby gas station. I fill up on gas while leaning up against the pump. I close the gas cap and pull my truck into a parking spot in front of the little convenience store. I decide to go in just to buy a drink since my throat is feeling a little dry.

"Is this all?" The cashier says with a bored tone as I place a bottle of coke on the counter.

"Yep." I place the cash on the counter and walk out into the cool night air.

"There he is!" A rough, deep voice yells from around the corner. Before I know it, three men are on me, pinning me to the ground. I hit the ground with a thud, and I feel a warm liquid leaving the back of my head.

"Where's the creature, boy?" The man in the middle asks.

"What creature!?" I yell as I struggle against them. I assume they mean Rainbow, but I can't let them find out where she is.

"Don't play dumb boy! We saw you on the news! We want that creature!"

"Why!? What do you want with her?"

"Are you fucking stupid kid!? Do you know how much money people would pay for something like that? Now tell us where it is!"

"Fuck you!" I headbutt the man who is right in front of my face.

"You little... Take him." Is the last thing I hear before a fist appears in my vision, and everything goes black.

"Wha..." My vision spins around, and my head hurts like shit. "Where..."

"Ready to talk kid?" The three men appear in front of me. Two other men stand behind them to make a total of five. They look like they've been living in a dump for months with their dirty clothes and greasy hair. I look around me and realize I'm in some sort of warehouse. My hands are bound to the chair I'm sitting in by what feels like ribbon.

"I'm not telling you shit!" I spit at them as I struggle against my restraints.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you." One of the men pulls out a pistol and aims it at me. I just give him a deathly stare. I'm scared shitless, but I can't let them know that.

"Don't kill him you idiot!" One of the other men yells at him. "We need him alive!" The man lowers his gun, but keeps his eyes locked on me.

"You'll talk... or you'll be spendin' the rest of your days in this here warehouse." One of the men bends down in front of me.

"The police will find you assholes."

"I don't think so boy. We're miles from Jacksonville... They'll never look out here. Let us know when you're ready to pipe up." The five men leave the room and leave me to myself. I notice that they were dumb enough to leave everything in my pockets. Unfortunately, even if I could reach my pockets, there's nothing that I could use to cut myself free.

The next days comes by slowly as I wait in my chair. Slowly I've been able to rub the ribbons across a piece of metal on the back of the rusty chair. They barely give me any food. All I receive is some hard bread and dirty water.

Eventually, my time to escape comes.

"Still quiet today?" One of the men walks into the room. Little does he know that my bindings are now broken. And as luck would have it, this is the man with the gun.

I don't say anything as he approaches me. Instead, I stare at my feet as if I were sleeping.

"Hey! I asked you a question!" He approaches me as I eye the gun in his pocket. When he's just inches from me, I jump up and tackle him to the ground. I wrap my hands around his throat while pinning down his arms with my knees. I push down as hard as I can on his throat as he struggles and gags for air. I push back with all of my strength to keep him from getting up. I watch with anger as the life slowly drains from his eyes. I choke on my breath as I realize that I just killed someone.

"Holy... fuck." I pant as I fall on my knees. I don't have time to think about what I did. I grab the gun out of his pocket and turn it around in my hands. I pull the magazine out and check the ammo. Seven bullets... that's good enough for me.

I run around the to the room where I know the other four men are probably staying. I press my back up against the wall and cock the gun. I don't want to, but I WILL kill them if I have to. I peek around the corner to see the four men sitting on old chairs around a wooden table. It looks like they're playing poker, and they have no idea that I'm up. I turn into the doorway and aim the gun at them.

"Don't move!" I yell as I place my finger over the trigger. "I will shoot!"

"Whoa boy... I wouldn't do that if I were you..." One of the men says as he raises his hands in the air.

One of the other men thinks he can get the jump on me as he jumps up from his seat. He rushes at me with a large blade, but he isn't fast enough. My ears ring as a bullet flies through his chest. He falls the ground with a scream.

"Get him!" The other three men rush at me. I fire two more bullets which take down two more of the men. The final one rushes at me, but my gun jams as I pull the trigger. He tackles me to the ground and pulls out a knife. He tries to thrust it down on my throat, but I catch his hand just inches above my neck. Flashes of my fight with Jack go through my mind as I try to push the man off of me.

Instead of trying to force the man's arm upwards, I push it to the side. It makes contact with the ground with a clinking sound and it flies out of his hand. He runs after it, but I remember the first man I had shot. I run over to his body and pick up the large knife he had dropped. I turn around and see the man heading for me again, knife in hand. I don't even process what I'm doing as I launch the knife out of my hand. It hits home with a sickening squishing sound as it lodges in his throat.

The man falls while holding the handle of the knife. I watch as he stares directly into my eyes as the life quickly drains from his. Once he's down for the count, I take into account just what had happened. I scream angrily as I look at the bodies around me. I'm covered in dirt and blood, and I'm the last man standing. I'm a survivor.

"FUCK!" I yell as I spin around and take in my surroundings. I can't freak out now, I have to find my way back into town. I quickly run outside, only to find myself in the middle of what looks like a forest. I whip out my phone to find that I don't have a signal, and that the battery is almost dead. I check the van they had brought me in, but it's out of gas.

I start running in a random direction, hoping to find a main road or any form of civilization. I start walking once I begin to run out of breath. I take in the nature around me, almost forgetting about the gruesome scene I had left behind. According to my phone, it's Monday night right now. I stop at a lake in the forest as I become to weary from hunger to walk. I set up a pile of wood and attempt to start a small fire.

I find a piece of flint by the lake and bring it back to the wood pile. If I had something that was metal, I could start a fire. I remember the gun in my pocket and pull it out. I start scraping the flint across the side of the barrel until sparks start to fall off. The sparks start to ignite on the wood until finally a flame erupts from the pile. I sit in front of the fire, thinking about how I'm going to get home... If I do at all.

I pull out my phone and stare at a picture of Rainbow and I at school. What if I never see her again? Could she move on and find someone else if I don't come home? No! I can't think like that. I have to survive, for my friends, for my family, for her!

It's been four days since I escaped from my kidnappers, making today Friday morning. I've been able to find food fairly easily, though it's only enough to keep me going. I've come across a dirt road that I am now walking along, hoping to find some form of civilization. My heart starts to race when I come across a cabin with smoke coming out of the chimney.

"Hey! I need help!" I yell as I stumble towards the cabin. The door slowly opens, and a girl with blonde hair opens the door. She looks to be about my age, and you can tell by her clothes that she's used to living out in the country.

"Pa! C'mere!" She yells with an obvious southern accent. An older looking man with white hair slowly walks out. His eyes widen when he sees me stumbling towards them.

"Oh heavens!" He walks quickly up to me just as I'm about to fall from exhaustion. He catches me and leads me back to the cabin. A younger man, who I can only assume is the girl's brother comes as to help him. "Let's get you inside boy, it looks like you've gone through hell and back."

"You... have no idea." I sigh as we enter the cabin.

"Where are you from?" The man asks as he sits me down at a table. The girl brings me a cup of water which I gladly accept.

"Jacksonville..." I mutter between sips.

"Oh my! You're quite a ways away from home aren't ya?" The brother says as he leans against a cabinet.

"What? How far are we from there?" I ask as I almost choke on my water.

"Jacksonville's a good fifty miles south of here." The girl says with a warm, friendly smile.

"I need to get back to my family. I've been missing since Sunday." I retort.

"Well what brings you out here?" The man asks.

"I was kidnapped by five men. They kept me in some warehouse a few miles from here.

"Kidnapped? Did you escape!?" The girl asks.

"I suppose so... but I had to do some horrible things."

"Like what?" The brother asks. I take the gun out of my pocket and slide it to him across the table.

"I think that should explain it..." I mutter as I rub my eyes, remembering just what I did.

"That's a fine piece right there." The man says as he picks it up. "I can't blame you for what you did. It was in self defense I'm assuming."

"Yeah... I almost gave up all hope before I escaped. I almost gave up again on the way here..."

"You have quite the will to live. What keeps you going?" The brother asks.

"My family... friends... mostly my girlfriend. She's the best things that's ever happened to me. It would kill her if she thinks I'm dead. Hell, for all I know, they already declared me dead."

"Oh my... I'm so sorry." The girl says as she sits next to me and places her hands on mine. "I can't imagine going through that."

"You can stay here for the night if you wish." The man says as he places the gun on the counter. "Your story seems to check out."

"Thank you sir. Is there any way I can get home?"

"I suppose John here could drive you into town tomorrow." The man replies.

"I'd be glad to. What's your name?" He asks as he holds out his hand.

"Matthew... Matthew Green." I say as I shake his hand.

"I'm John Brown. This is my father, Colton Brown, and that's my sister, Alice."

"Thank you... for taking me in." I sigh as I rest my head in my hands.

"You must be starving." Alice says as she heads to the stove. "Let me whip something up for ya."

"I'd love that, thanks." I reply dryly as my stomach churns. It's been almost a week since I had a solid meal.

A few minutes later, Alice places a plate of eggs in front of me. I watch the steam coming off of them as my stomach growls loudly. It has to be the most beautiful thing I've ever seen. While I eat, she cleans the wound on the back of my head, along with some smaller cuts on my arms and legs.

"I can't thank you enough." I say as I finish the eggs. "You don't know how hard it's been..."

"Well I got lost in the woods for two days once... That was hard enough as it was. But you? You survived for days out there. I'm impressed a city boy like you could pull it off." Alice says as she takes my plate.

"I watched a lot of movies." I chuckle for the first time in days.

"I'm sure they were totally accurate." She laughs back. "Y'know, I like you Matthew Green. You remind me of my brother."

"You can just call me Matt."

"Alright then Matt. Want to get some sleep?" She says as she points at a couch in the next room. It's only noon, but I haven't slept soundly in days. I walk over to the couch and fall on it. I fall asleep almost instantly.

"Up and at em!" Alice yells from above me. My eyes slowly open to see her blonde hair dangling down in my face.

"Already?" I say groggily as I look out the window. It's still dark outside. "What time is it?"

"Five A.M." She says excitedly. "John's taking you home in a few minutes so get ready!"

"Alright, alright, I'm going." I get up sluggishly and stretch. I feel so refreshed now. If I hadn't found this cabin, who knows what would have happened to me.

We walk outside where John is waiting by a rusty old pickup truck.

"Howdy there Matt." He says as he spots us. "Ready to go?"

"Yeah, I need to get home as soon as possible. Alice, thanks again for everything. Tell your father I said bye." I say as I step into the passenger seat.

"Bye Matt! I hope you make it home!" Alice waves as we pull out onto a dirt road.

"So Matt. What do you plan to do when you get to Jacksonville." John asks.

"Hopefully my family will be home. I wonder what their reactions will be when I get there."

"What if they already declared ya dead? They may have already had a funeral."

"Then they'll be even more shocked... Do you think I should tell them about what I did to escape?"

"I don't know man. If it were me, I would tell someone, but not everyone. Do you have someone that can keep a secret?"

"Yeah... I do actually, my girlfriend."

"Then tell her, and only her. If you get the secret off your chest, you probably won't feel as bad about it. Then it's up to you if you decide to tell anyone else."

"I think I'll do that... Oh crap, today's my birthday."

"Really? Well consider this trip my present to you Matthew."

"It's one of the best gifts I've ever gotten." I sigh as I stare out the window. I watch as the trees pass by until we eventually reach a highway. We drive for hours until finally in the distance, we spot Jacksonville.

"There is it!" I point at the buildings in the distance. "And we made good time too! It's only noon."

"Yep, do you need me to drop you off anywhere?"

"My house probably. I'll give you directions once we get into town."

We finally make it into town, and I sigh with relief that I'm finally home after going through a week of hell.

"Turn here." I point left as John pulls onto my street. He parks in front of my house. "I can't thank you enough for this John." I say as I shake his hand again.

"No problem man. Anything for another man in need."

"Hey if you're ever in Jacksonville again, look me up!" I say as I step out of the truck.

"I think I will. You take care now." He says as he drives away. I watch him until the truck is gone, then I run up to my house. I put in my key and unlock the door.

"Mom!? Rainbow!?" I yell as I look around the house. "Anybody?"

I notice a red circle on the calendar in the kitchen. I walk over to it and see that it's today's date. Written in the box is "Funeral"

"Holy... they're at my funeral right now!?" I run back out into the driveway. My truck must have been towed home from the gas station as it's sitting in the driveway. I hop in and start the engine. I floor it to the only funeral home that I know of. I just hope I haven't missed them yet.

I speed down the road as I make my way to the funeral home. Sweat pours down my face as I race through town. I finally arrive and I jump out of the car. I run up to the front doors. There's still a bunch of cars in the parking lot, so they must not have left yet. I run in through the front doors into the lobby. I'm still covered in blood and dirt, but I don't care right now.

I burst through the doors that lead to the main room. Everyone turns and goes silent when I burst through the doors. I made it... I finally made it home. I fall to my knees as I begin to laugh in pure happiness. Tears stream down my face as I look around at all the different people in the room. My eyes focus on the one figure that moves. Coming down the middle aisle, is a blue figure with a rainbow streak behind them.

I catch Rainbow is my arms as we fall on the floor. I squeeze her against my chest as we both cry heavily. Rainbow lifts her head to look me in the eyes. Her eyes are puffy and red, and her mane is a mess.

"I-I can't... believe..." She stutters before hugging me again. "We thought you were dead!" She screams.

"I thought I was too..." I say calmly as I try to push back my tears. She looks me in the eyes again before I pull her head down towards mine. I press my lips onto hers, and she quickly pushes back. We stay in the position for minutes on end as I hear cheering and crying erupting from everyone in the room. I don't even care that everyone saw Rainbow and I kissing.

"What happened to you..." Rainbow whispers as she looks me in the eye again.

"I'll explain later... just know that I never gave up. I kept going... for you Rainbow."

We press our lips back together as all of my worries and stress finally melt away.