WHO KNOWS HOW FAR THEY’D RAN ; how fast their now-aching legs had carried them away from that house on NEIBOLT STREET and towards the quarry where they ( bill feels , thinks ) will be SAFE. doubled over at the waist with palms placed on his knees to catch his breath , bill keeps his eyes closed for the moment - tries to figure out & devise a plan on how to make it further. WHAT IF THEY WERE FOLLOWED ?
HE OPENS HIS EYES & clears his throat, stretches himself back up with arms following to reach to the sky and then bend at the elbows so hands can somewhat cradle the back of his head. it’s a trick he learned in P.E. - raising your arms allows more room for your lungs to take in air . . . or so he was told. sounds like a bunch of bullshit to him , though , because at the the time , his breathing isn’t getting him anywhere but a few steps closer to hyperventilation. “ yeah. u-uh . . . w-we gotta k-k--- keep going , though. you th-think you can ? ”