Liam's eyes widened as the car rushed toward him.
Too fast.
Too close.
There was no time to move. His body was frozen, his legs too weak to react. In desperation, his hands shot forward, hoping to shield himself, but it was useless.
BANG!
The impact was brutal.
A force like nothing he had ever felt before slammed into his body, sending him flying backward. Pain—sharp, unbearable—exploded through his leg and tore through the rest of his body like fire. His world spun. He barely registered the hard pavement against his skin as he crashed onto the ground.
For a moment, everything was silent.
Then came the pain.
Agonizing. Unrelenting.
Liam gasped, his vision blurring as he lay sprawled on the cold concrete. Blood pooled beneath him, spreading quickly. His leg—something was wrong with it. He couldn't move it. Couldn't even feel it properly. His arms trembled as he tried to lift himself, but they gave out instantly, his body too broken to respond.
The four boys who had been chasing him stood frozen a few feet away. Their faces, once twisted with anger and determination, were now drained of color. Their breaths came in shaky gasps as they stared at Liam, their eyes wide with horror.
They hadn't meant for this to happen.
They wanted to rough him up, teach him a lesson—like they always did. But this? This was something else entirely.
Liam tried to speak. Tried to call for help.
Nothing came out.
His throat felt dry, his voice completely gone. His lips barely moved as he attempted to plead with them.
Please… help me…
His bloodshot eyes flickered toward the boys. With the last bit of strength he had, he raised his trembling hand toward them. Maybe—just maybe—they would help him. Maybe they would realize this had gone too far.
But none of them moved.
They only stood there, staring.
It was their fault.
If Liam survived, it would mean trouble for them. If he told the police, if he told anyone, their lives would be ruined.
The sound of a car door slamming open made them flinch.
The driver—a woman in her mid-thirties—stepped out, her hands shaking as she took in the sight before her. Her breath hitched when she saw Liam's mangled body, the blood pooling beneath him.
For a split second, she looked as though she wanted to help.
Then panic took over.
She glanced around, her face filled with fear. If she took him to a hospital and he died, she would be held responsible. There would be an investigation. Questions. Trouble.
She couldn't risk it.
Without a word, she rushed back to her car, slammed the door shut, and sped off, tires screeching against the pavement.
Liam watched helplessly as she disappeared down the road.
She left him.
He was alone.
His body was screaming in pain, but there was nothing he could do. His breath came in ragged gasps as darkness crept into the edges of his vision. He turned his gaze back to the boys one last time, silently begging them.
Please…
Jack clenched his fists, his face tight with panic. Kyle swallowed hard, looking away. Sam shifted uncomfortably, avoiding Liam's gaze.
Daryl was the first to step back.
"We… we need to go," he muttered.
Jack didn't move at first. But then he nodded. "Yeah."
Kyle's eyes snapped toward him in disbelief. "Are you kidding me? We just—"
Daryl turned sharply. "Shut the fuck up," he hissed. "We didn't do anything. Liam was unlucky. That's all."
Kyle's breathing was heavy, his hands trembling. "He's dying, man! We can't just—"
"Do you want to go to prison?" Daryl snapped. His voice was low but dangerous. His eyes flickered with something dark. "Because if we stay here, if anyone finds out we were involved, we're done. You want to rot in jail for the rest of your life?"
Kyle swallowed hard. His throat was dry.
Jack ran a hand over his face, his breathing still unsteady. "We need to pretend like this never happened. If anyone asks, we don't know anything."
Sam nodded quickly. "Yeah… yeah, we can't say a word about this. We had nothing to do with it."
Kyle looked at them, his chest rising and falling rapidly. His mind was screaming at him, telling him this was wrong.
But what could he do?
Daryl glared at him. "Forget it, Kyle. It's over."
Kyle squeezed his eyes shut. His hands curled into fists as he turned away. "Fuck me," he muttered under his breath.
The four boys stood there for a moment longer, staring at Liam's motionless body. Then, one by one, they turned and fled.
Liam's vision blurred as he watched them go.
He had never felt so weak.
So alone.
The pain in his body was unbearable. His breaths were getting shallower, his chest rising and falling in slow, uneven movements. His eyelids felt heavier by the second.
His fingers twitched slightly.
Then, finally—
Darkness swallowed him whole.
****
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