Psychotic Love (a mafia love story)

Chapter 33

ECHO'S POV

My mom sleeps while I sit back in a chair scanning through a magazine. This is my third time picking it up. Vogue models, perfume, and fashion have yet to spark my interest. I'm bored out of my mind.

My stomach growls are growing louder by the minute. The hospital has given me food, but it's horrible. I'm tired of mushy peas and cold-baked chicken. I want something satisfying or filling at the very least. I decide to go across the street to see if I can find something better at the gas station.

As I step outside, the cool air grazes past my skin causing goosebumps to rise on my arms.
The wind is becoming cooler. Red, yellow, and brown leaves litter the ground. The times for fluffy sweaters, warm lattes, and long walks in the park have arrived. Autumn, my favorite season of the year.

The streets are empty. The broken street light above, the whistling wind, and the light fog traveling along the ground create the effect of a ghost town. The only noise I can focus on is the sound of my shoes thumping against the ground. They sync with the pace of my rapidly beating heart.

When I cross the wide street, the lights from the gas station bring ease to my heart, and when I enter, I feel safe. The cashier greets me with a vast smile. He's worked here since I was a kid. Despite seeing him every day after I walked from school, we've still never held an actual conversation.

I wave at him with a grin before heading to the back of the store. I grab a water from the fridge and after five minutes my appetite finally settles for Flamin' Hot Cheetos. I pay and leave the store.

It sounds like my belly is the arena of a lion vs. bear fight. Growls and roars erupt from me as I make my way back to the hospital. I open up my chips to calm my hunger.

I approach the street but I stop before attempting to cross. A car is zooming toward me at the speed of light. I munch on a Cheeto while I wait for the speeder to pass.

The black SUV comes to a halt in front of me. 

I hesitate before taking a couple of steps back. I don't know if my brain is being dramatic when it tells me to run. When the passenger's door swings open, I drop my chips and water, bolting back to the store.

Footsteps, just as fast as mine, pound behind me. I go for the handle of the door. When I pull, I find it locked. I look up at the checkout counter. The cashier is gone. My heart sinks.

Enormous arms warp around my body. They crush me like an anaconda would do to its prey. I try wiggling and maneuvering my way out of this man's clutch but his strength makes it impossible.

"HELP!"

Chilled metal connects with the bare skin of my side. With the click of a button, an electric current is sent flashing through me. Every nerve in my body jumps and every muscle contracts. A direful scream leaves my lips. It travels through the empty parking lot with an echo that sounds to go on forever.

The man places his hand over my mouth which still lets out horrid screams. I turn my head back and forth to rid myself of him. When it doesn't work, I sink my teeth deep into his palm. The saltiness of his hand fills my mouth and his screams fill the cold air. I dig my teeth even further gaining the taste of metallic blood.

The man groans as I bite deeper. He pulls away with a quick motion, but I don't part my teeth. With red pouring from his palm and a chunk of his hand sitting in my mouth, I spit it into his face and make a run back towards the hospital.

Before I can even make it to the road, I trip over a parking curb. My face smacks into the concrete causing me to chomp down on my tongue. The pain radiates through my face but I ignore it. With my vision starry and my nose bleeding, I get up and continue running.