Breathtaking

‘This is insane.’ I thought to myself clenching onto the coarse, itchy rope. It dug into my blood-stained palms as I grasped to keep pulling my body upwards. The rooftops danced with my feet as I watched myself get lifted yards above the ground. Guards, and officers have fluttered across the streets , shooting their bullets towards me.

I steady before continuing to climb the rope as the hot air balloon rises itself higher into the night sky.

I feel the breeze of the cool air hit my warm cheeks, the buzzing, almost that of bees, when the bullets whiz by daring to touch my skin. White stars twinkled in the absence of a moon, and the golden red fire that fueled the ride, made soft crackles and sighs.

If I wasn’t being hunted, this would be a breathtaking moment.

My body slammed to the right, a single bullet found itself a home in my left thigh. A scream got stuck in my throat, as pain crawled along my nerves, and blood started soaking my leggings. The urge to let go of the rope, and curl up crying ate me alive. The pain unbearable.

Tears, blood, and dirt caked my face as I forced myself to keep climbing. Through my bloodshot eyes, I could make out a gloved hand reaching down from the basket. I could only hear the blast of the trigger, and little ringing that followed after.

I felt my body getting closer and closer to giving up after every pull. My head was spinning at accelerated rates, adrenaline and pain were pumping through my veins.

I reached the top, close enough to wrap my bony fingers around the helper above me.

With a finally pull, I was effortlessly lifted from the sky.