“Guys, hurry up! We can’t stay here for long,” Allen whisper-screamed to his friends while ushering them out of the dark alley. All of them were covered in dirt, sweat, and wounds that reeked of blood.
“Where are we going?” asked Zain, looking perplexed.
“Honestly, I have no idea. But we need to think of someplace safe before Sheriff Charleston gets wind of this,” Allen replied helplessly.
Panic crept into their minds, making them restless. They kept running through narrow pathways and remote alleyways.
“Sheriff Charleston has a dog’s receptors. He’ll smell us out no matter where we hide. I don’t think running aimlessly will do us any good,” said Daren, limping behind the others due to a deep cut on his foot.
“Then tell us a solution, dude. We don’t have time to sit and discuss, and you know that.” Their tones were filled with frustration and annoyance.
“Hey, Allen, all of this was your idea. So why don’t you tell your big brain to find a solution now, huh?” Poor Daren couldn’t contain his angst either.
“Don’t you dare put the blame on me after everything we’ve done together. The idea might’ve been mine, but remember that I only started this because you guys constantly nagged me to avenge him. And for the record, our plan was just to scare him, but you and Fred, with your bloody tempers, are what led us to this situation. So stop blaming me and put your brain to some use, or else we’re all done for.”
Hearing Allen’s words, Fred lowered his head in guilt. Blood oozed down his chin, his face already pale. But Daren’s limp and bleeding foot forced him to argue further.
“I can’t walk anymore, so stop lecturing us and think of a place before my temper gets the best of me.”
Allen began to refute his friend, but before he could say anything, the most sensible guy among them, Jake—who had been silent the entire time—spoke up.
“Shut up, all of you. If you can’t think straight, then don’t bother speaking. I think I know where we can stay tonight. But before dawn, we’ll have to find a better place. If that’s fine with y’all, and if you’re done bickering, then we can move.”
“Where is this place?” the rest of them asked hopefully.
“It’s a shack near the Skydell Bridge. I know someone who can get us a room, but we’ll have to disappear before sunrise. I know it’s a fifteen-minute walk from here, but before anyone protests—this is the only way I can think of right now. So unless you have a better alternative, feel free to stay behind. Thank you.”
Jake spoke in a single breath, his authoritative tone shutting down any objections. The group silently agreed.
The rest of their journey was mostly quiet, except for Daren’s grumbling as he stumbled along and Zain’s occasional attempts to help him walk. Once inside, the fear and panic subsided a little, but a cloud of uncertainty still loomed over them, draining any sense of peace.
After tending to their wounds, all five of them sat in a circle to formulate an escape plan. After a long pause, Fred spoke halfheartedly.
“Maybe we should just turn ourselves in. This planning isn’t going anywhere. Besides, nothing we did was intentional—it was just an impulsive mistake. Maybe if we plead guilty, we can convince them to let us go.”
The rest of them frowned, and Allen replied, “And meet our doom at the Sheriff’s hands? No way! I didn’t go through all this pain just to give up.”
And just like that, silence took over the discussion again.After a while, Zain suddenly spoke up, excitement in his voice as he pointed at his smartphone.
“Hey guys, check this out—”
But Daren interrupted him angrily.
“Here we are on the run, our lives on the line, and you can’t stop scrolling? Put that damn phone away and focus!”
Zain, ignoring his anger, deadpanned, “For God’s sake, shut up and let me finish.”
“Fine, then let’s see what you’ve got.”
“Look what I found! There’s this place called Kerala. I think we should head there,” Zain exclaimed.
“Why should we go there? Is it some remote forest or mountainside?” Jake asked, intrigued.
“Nope, it’s a state like ours.”
“Oh, then is it an uncivilized tribal state or something, where illiterate people shelter every Tom, Dick, and Harry despite what they’ve done?”
“Not at all. Their literacy rate is high.”
“Then what’s so special about this Kerala place?” The group was curious.
“It’s kind of a real dystopia—where you don’t have to fear sheriffs, rules, regulations, laws, or punishments.”
“So, don’t they have a government to enforce the law? Or prisons and cops for that?”
“Of course they do. And that’s the funniest part—despite having all these, criminals get away with the most heinous acts. Victims are denied justice, and their families are left slandered. The elite and privileged do as they please, while the common people are forced to live in a nightmare. Even if you shatter someone’s skull, it’ll be brushed off as a generational issue. If you drive someone to suicide, it’ll be blamed on their lack of willpower. If you kill a quarter of your family, it’ll be dismissed as a drunken mistake. Even if you’re imprisoned, someone will bail you out—and if you have loads of money, everything becomes twice as easy.”
“Holy heavens! How convenient!” Daren exclaimed.
“Perfect place for us to go. Now, what are we waiting for?” Allen said eagerly.
“I think we should tip the Sheriff off as well,” said Fred.
“Are you insane? Why would we do that?”
“Because if Sheriff Charleston hears about what’s happening there, he’ll forget that we thrashed a crook unconscious and go after them instead,” Fred replied.
Everyone laughed along with him until Jake spoke.
“Pack your stuff, boys. Time to leave for dystopia.”