Never Alone Again |N.R|

Hiding.

As soon as the hot water hit my skin, I felt relief. It trickled down my face and then the rest of my body, taking the dried blood and dirt with it. I carefully washed my face, brushing my fingers over the now stitched up gash on my forehead. Natasha had told me to find her after my shower so that she could dress it for me, but I'd be fine doing that myself. The warm water seemed to soothe my aching ribs as well, massaging the tender and bruised skin.
Once I'd made sure there was no grime left on my skin, and that my hair was clean I turned the water off. The sudden absence of heat meant I was exposed to the cold air, making me shiver. The tower was kept at a nice temperature, but in my fragile state I seemed to be sensitive to the smallest of things. I quickly dried myself with a towel and pulled on the fresh clothes before looking in the mirror at my tattered face and sunken cheekbones. Leaning down I opened the cupboard under the sink, easily finding the first aid kit stocked with bandages and plasters. One was big enough for my forehead so I carefully stuck it over the gash, making sure it was well covered. I'm sure Natasha would've done a better job, but the thought of relying on anyone for anything else made my heart drop. I'd never felt so weak in all my life, as far as I could remember.

A yawn escaped my lips as I made my way out of the bathroom, desperate to climb under the covers. The second my head hit the pillow my eyelids fluttered closed and I only hoped that my sleep would be peaceful. But that was asking for a little too much, especially considering recent events, and it wasn't long before my mind roamed wild.

A loud bang woke me. The room was dark and quiet, just as it had been when I'd fallen asleep, but something felt off. This must be real. Just as I continued questioning the reality of what I was seeing another bang scared me, making my entire body jolt in shock. What was that?

BANG. BANG. BANG.

It wouldn't stop, and it seemed to be getting more and more incessant. My heart was in my throat, but my curiosity overcame me and I climbed out of bed. Slowly, as to avoid any loud noises, I opened the door to my room and peered out into the corridor. Nobody was out there, so where was this bang coming from.

BANG. BANG. BANG. BANG.

There were more this time, and they seemed to be coming from around the corner. As I crept along the corridor, keeping myself close to the wall, I peaked my head around when I reached the end of it. The scene before me was hard to make out, hard to explain. A woman with blonde hair had her back to me, and she appeared to be pointing a gun at something. As I moved closer I seemed to catch her attention as she turned her head and faced me, she was smiling wide and her blue eyes shone brightly in the fluorescent light.

"Ah there you are, I've been waiting for you. Now watch, you have to learn." She didn't see the puzzled look on my face as she turned around yet again, concentrating on the figure down the end of the corridor. I was closer now, so I could just make out what it was. A young girl, probably a good few years younger than me, was tied to a chair with a sack over her head. Why was this woman pointing a gun at her?

Before she could take aim and pull the trigger I ran out in front the gun, hoping she'd falter and decide against taking the shot.
"Rue, you don't seem to understand. Either way it's you. You're two in the same." I scrunched my eyebrows, truly perplexed by what she was saying to me.

"Turn around. My prey has been revealed." With that I turned my head, still keeping my body faced in the guns direction. All of the air escaped my lungs when their face met my gaze. It was me. A much younger me, but it was definitely me. She was staring into my eyes, tears streaming down her cheeks and panic plastered across her face. She was desperate for me to help her, to help me, but there was nothing I could do. Nothing other than take the bullet that was destined for her.
So as I heard the gun cock I turned to face it, the woman behind it grinning. "How selfless of you, saving your future from the past."