Liam's legs burned as he sprinted across the school field, his breath coming in short gasps. The afternoon sun bore down on him, making sweat drip from his forehead, but he didn't dare slow down. His heart pounded in his chest, not just from exhaustion but from fear.
Behind him, four boys chased relentlessly, their angry shouts echoing through the open field.
"You're dead today, Liam!" one of them yelled.
"Think you can escape us forever?" another taunted.
Liam didn't waste his breath replying. He knew better. Words wouldn't save him. If anything, they would only anger them more. The only thing that mattered was getting away.
Liam wasn't just running aimlessly. He knew if he kept moving in circles around the field, they would eventually catch him. The four boys were athletic, stronger than him, and had one goal—beating him up like they always did. He had been through this too many times to count.
At nineteen, Liam was considered one of the most handsome boys in school. He had sharp, striking blue eyes, dark wavy hair that always seemed effortlessly perfect, and a lean yet elegant build. His face was smooth, flawless, the kind that made girls swoon when he walked by. But that was exactly the problem.
The other boys hated him for it.
Liam wasn't strong. He wasn't the type to fight back. And because he was quiet and didn't have the confidence to stand up for himself, he became an easy target. The girls in school adored him, always giggling when he passed by, and that only made the guys angrier. They couldn't stand the attention he got.
So they took out their jealousy on him the only way they knew how—violence.
Today was no different.
Liam had been sitting by himself near the school library when they cornered him, but before they could land a punch, he had bolted, using the open field to his advantage. He had been running for nearly twenty minutes now, and his lungs burned from exhaustion.
But so did theirs.
Still, he had to be smart about this. If he kept running like this, they would eventually catch him. His mind raced for an escape plan, and then he saw it—the school fence.
The wire fence wasn't too tall, and it was easy to climb. If he could just reach it, he had a chance.
Liam shifted his direction and sprinted toward the fence. He could hear the footsteps behind him gaining speed, but he pushed himself harder.
"Where do you think you're going, pretty boy?!"
"You think a fence is gonna stop us?"
Liam ignored their threats. His only focus was on reaching the fence. His hands gripped the metal wires tightly, and using all the strength he had left, he hoisted himself up. The metal was hot under the sun, but he barely noticed. He climbed with everything he had, swinging his legs over the top and landing on the other side.
But the boys weren't giving up.
"Go after him!"
One by one, they began climbing over the fence as well. Liam couldn't stop now. He took off running again, pushing past the pain in his legs. His house wasn't too far. If he could just make it to his neighborhood, he would be safe. They wouldn't dare follow him there. His street wasn't like the school. It was rough, dangerous in a different way. The kind of place where people didn't just start fights unless they wanted real trouble.
Liam kept running, but he could feel his body growing weaker. His breathing was ragged, his legs felt heavy. The boys were catching up. They were faster, stronger, and unlike him, they weren't exhausted yet.
He stole a quick glance over his shoulder—bad idea.
His foot caught on an uneven patch of pavement, making him stumble slightly. He regained his balance quickly, but in that split second, they had closed the gap between them.
Panic surged through him.
His neighborhood was just ahead. Just a little more... Just a few more seconds...
Then—
HONK!
A loud car horn blasted through the air, snapping him out of his focus. His eyes widened as he turned his head, and in that moment, his breath caught in his throat.
A car.
It was too close.
Too fast.
Liam barely had time to react as the vehicle came rushing toward him, the world slowing down around him. The smell of burning rubber filled his nose, and in that brief, terrifying second, he realized—
He wasn't going to make it.
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