Thud. Thud. Thud.
The sound of my footfall echoed through the silent din of the deserted alley way. The sound of it mirrored the beat of my heart. Thud. Thud. Thud.
All I could see in the distance were abandoned cars beside the dimly lit road and the faint glow of the streetlight overhead, illuminating the secluded street. I heard the footsteps quicken behind me and fear enveloped me as adrenaline kicked in and I was running as far and as fast as I could, trying to escape. My shoelaces trailed against the ground and gathered some of the leftover rainwater that had fallen earlier that day, soaking through the canvas of my high tops. I looked up at the night sky as I broke into a steady pace. The stars shone brightly through the dark night sky, encircling each other in a spiral effect as the moon was shying away from beneath a wispy cloud. It was beautiful . But I could not admire it. Not tonight. Because tonight, I was trying my hardest not to die
I ran through the alleyway and searched for a means of escape. I searched desperately for something, anything that could help me. And then my blood ran cold and a shiver ran up my spine as in the near distance I heard:
“Andrea?”
The call was said sweetly, softly and sadistically.
My breathing became more shallow and I pushed myself to keep running, even if my legs felt as if they were about to give way. I heard him closing in on me, and knew that I couldn’t keep this up for much longer. Suddenly, I realised that I had just ran myself into a dead end. I let out a cry of frustration and ran my hands through my hair, which was matted from the excess sweat that was dripping from my…….everything! There was a faint click from behind me, followed by a soft whirring and I screamed in agony as an excruciating pain raged through my leg and the slick, warm blood dripped down my calf. I bit my lip and tried to suppress my sobs as I dragged myself into the far corner of the alley and used the drainpipe and the rubbish bin to prop myself into an upright position. My arms were scratched from the gritty pavement and tears stung my eyes as the pain became to much to bare. My leg was limp and I tried to hold pressure on it to lessen the pain. It didn’t help. My eyes began to lose focus as I stared blankly ahead, losing hope as I was losing blood. And then I saw him, as he rounded the corner of the narrow lane. He was shrouded in darkness, only the outline of his tacky trench coat and fedora visible. And in his arms, he cradled a crossbow that was newly reloaded.
“Come out, come out, wherever you are?” he sneered, in his cold, cruel, mocking tone as he edged further and further towards me. He glanced around and finally spotted me. I wiped my tear stained face and let out a slight moan. He eyed me with obvious disdain and looked pleased with his aim as my jeans were stained crimson and a short sliver of steel protruded from my calf.
“Ah, excellent.”
He stepped into the faint light, and I finally saw his face. He was middle-aged with short, graying hair and wild, manic eyes. He gave a twisted smile, which highlighted the faint scars that were covering his cheeks, and made him seem even more psychotic. His eyes gleamed from beneath the brim of his hat, scrutinizing every aspect of the scene that lay before him. He squinted and the corners of his mouth turned up and a long faint scar emerged and ran from his mouth to his eye. He was enraged and there was a fire burning inside him, a fury bubbling beneath the surface, and he was going to take it out on me. I kept my mouth shut tight, to stop any agonized sound escaping from it. That’s just what he wants. He wants fear.
“What have we here then?” he paced forward with an air of arrogance surrounding him. He cocked his head to the left to get a better look at his handy work.
“yeah, I’ve still got it. Not many could have made that shot. I even avoided the major arteries for your benefit, darling. You have something that belongs to me, and I would appreciate it if I could have it back without having to go through all the nastiness of killing you and disposing of any evidence and forget that this whole unfortunate situation ever happened. It would be more convenient for both of us if you just do as I say. Is that clear?”
I glowered at him, my body trembling. My knee was shaking, sending daggers through my leg, as if a thousand knives of fire had taken a home there. I let out a gasp, but quickly shut my mouth. It would not help the situation. He smirked and I glared at him with such a hate that every part of me was consumed with it.
“ Now, how about you hand it over, and I let you live?”
“Sorry…no can do.” I whispered feebly. Trying to keep myself conscious was taking all of my energy. Just bloody perfect!
“Hand it over, and I wont ram one of these arrows into that pretty little head of yours!”
Gulp!
“Sorry….. I would if I knew what the hell you were talking about? And why the hell did you shoot me?! What did I ever do to you? Did I run over your cat or something? Are you taking the an eye for an eye, a life for a life route? Because, to be honest, that’s pretty cliché.”
He didn’t appreciate my tone. Or my smart ass comments. He was one of those people. The kind who think you shouldn’t speak until spoken too. What an ass!
“ You realise that I’m being kind by offering you a quick solution. That arrow is infused with a slow acting serum and soon your whole body will be begging for mercy. And if that doesn’t kill you, the change certainly will. You should be begging me for this!”
“Begging for you to bury an arrow in my head?”
Yeah, whatever!
“it doesn’t have to come to that you know?”
I held my tongue. They’re are so wrong. Ignorance is definitely not bliss!
“Fine…be like that!”
He raised the crossbow and pointed it squarely at my chest.
“Any last words?”
What else could I say?
“ Indiana Jones called…..he wants his hat back!”
His face darkened and lost all emotion.
“Fine. Be that way”
Note to self: Don’t antagonize the crossbow wielding psychopath!