Not Important

A Second Chance and Another Secret

I wake up in a dirty place, amongst garbage and horrible smells. I try to sit up, but my arm stings, grasping a moan out of me. What the hell happened to me? I use my other arm, sitting up. I look around me to find that I'm in the back end of an alley somewhere. Pain is one of the only things I can feel, along with confusion. I hear rustling, and I look around, but there's nothing that I can see. I look down at myself, and find that I was the one to rustle. I'm wearing a bin bag? And it feels like that's the only thing I'm wearing. I have no shoes, no underwear, and it stinks.

I use my one good arm to push myself up. Standing up, I find that there is a group of guys near the opening of the back alley. I walk over to them, having no other plan and just wanting to go somewhere safe and warm, because I'm freezing right now. They are all talking and laughing, but as soon as they see me, they stop. They are all wearing old, scruffy clothing, and smoking something.
"Hi", I say, in a croaky voice.
I cough and start again.
"Hi. Can you tell me where I am?", I ask them, no one in particular.
"Northern Avenue", the guy closest to me says, looking me up and down.

"What happened to you?", a woman, with short hair and piercings, says.
"I don't know", I tell her, furrowing my eyebrows as I think hard.
"Well, I would get yourself checked in case you've gotten an STD, honey", the woman says, and I would have been shocked at that, but I can't say I am. I just want to get out of here. Oh crap. I remember. It was Trey. He branded my back and I passed out.
"What's that on your arm?", one of the guys says. I look to my right arm and find a large letter cut into my arm. T.

Oh god. No wonder all I can feel is the stinging, nauseating pain from the torture of which I suffered. I look back up at them.
"Um...it's nothing. Thanks for your help", I say, before walking past them and out onto the street. I look around and find myself kind of familiar with this place.

I have to find someone I know.
Mark. But he'll freak out and call the cops and the hospital. All I need is a place to think and relax. I need some sleep.

Kerry. No. Everyone goes to hers on the weekends or out to town so I can't risk that. Rachael wouldn't understand and she'd do the same as Mark. I need someone who'd be willing to help, but wouldn't go too far with the help.

I start walking left. I walk along the streets, some people looking at me as though I'm a diseased rat. Others looking at me with curiosity and some taking pictures so they can keep on laughing at me when they can't see me anymore. I keep on walking, trying to dodge the glass as much as I can, but I can't help it at times. I stumble and fall. I can feel my heart beating through my back. I want this all to end. But, despite that thought, I keep on going.

I get to the door and knock, hoping that his parents aren't in or his brother. I need only him to be in. I can hear someone speaking and then the door opens. James looks shocked. Too shocked to say or do anything. I walk past him through the door, feeling the world tilt.
"I need to-I n-need to-re-", I start, but the world caves in on me and the floor tilts upwards, and I fall.
...........

If I could stay in this black void forever, I would. It feels painless, and free. No struggles, no emotions to get in the way, only freedom. There's no bright colours to hurt your eyes, no horrible people that hurt you. It's nothing. And yet, it's the most peaceful place I've been to. It's the best place I've been to. And I want to stay, but I can feel myself slipping back into reality.

"...she's going to be okay...".
"..when she's awake we'll run some more tests on her...".
"..please, can we see her?".
"..only family members..".
"...but..we couldn't get ahold of anyone..".

There's muffled voices and then I hear feet on the floor. I try to open my eyes. The pain of the bright lights is shocking, but I turn my head a little. There's Mark and Kerry.
"Hi Devon. It's me, Mark", Mark says.
"Hey", I mutter.
"Devon, are you okay?", Kerry asks.
"Kerry, of course she's not okay. What kind of question is that?", Mark scorns.
"You're right. Sorry".
"What...what happened? How did I get to this horrible place?", I ask them.