The Artess

2. Smoke

Song Of The Chapter - Chase You Down - TyDi ft. Runaground

Carmen

Can you hear me right now, I got your number
And I'm calling you out, liquid courage I can hear my doubt, you're not alone
So I'm chasing you down, chasing you down

My feet carry me down streets, into alleys and across roads. My legs have been on fire since two blocks ago, but I know if I stop now I'll never start back up again and I can't have that especially since I'm making up for yesterday. My Nike's smack the cement in tune to the rhythmic beat.

The cement below me grows blurry as a new wave of adrenaline runs through me. A bead of sweat rolled down my forehead as I concentrate on my target.

Can you see me right now, I'm coming closer
Think I figured you out, not like the others
You don't play with a crown, I've blown your cover
Now I'm taking you down, taking you down

A hand clenched my shoulder, catching me off guard. I almost trip over a fire hydrant, but someone grabbed my torso before it could all happen. I twisted my head in curiosity,

"Flower boy." I grimaced.

"You remembered, how sweet." He clenches his teeth while bringing me back to my feet.

I didn't know what to say so instead I said nothing at all. The air suddenly became awkward. It was quiet despite the fact we were deep within the city.

He was in all grey, yet again. His shorts cling to his legs in a way that still manage to remain masculine. A wife beater left little to the imagination, but thankfully a grey sweater covered that thought.

"So you do like what you see then."

Shit.

My head shot down in embarrassment. I mentally cursed myself for even staring in the first place. 

"Don't you have other girls who could oggle over you. I'm sure you wouldn't have to pay them that much" I say the last part under my breath. 

"So you do admit it."

"I clearly have no interest in you, so I'm not sure why you're so persistent." I retorted, ultimately smearing the smirk from his face. "I'm sorry, but I have places to be." I impress myself with my newly found confidence. I try not to smile as I know I just spoke a lie. 

I could see his jaw tightening out of the corner of my eye as I turn to walk away from. I reach for the earbuds that were pulled out of my ears, but instead I feel a hand on my wrist. I look up at him questionably. Sure he was attractive, but I knew nothing about him and that made me feel especially uneasy.

"What are you doing." I try to pull away.

His eyes laced with irritation as he looked past me and behind him. Without turning back to me, he swiftly moves our two bodies into an alleyway. I hold my breath trying to shrink away from the stranger as much as I could.

"Don't touch me." I beg and try to pull away from him yet again. His dark lips stretch into a thin line as his jaw clenches. There is no use, his body is too close to mine - too close to try and escape from. The black cap on his face covered his unreadable eyes, but I didn't need to see his eyes to know what he was thinking.

"Are you okay, your cheeks are flushed. You look... paler than usual, darling." His smirk tugged further. His fingers pull at my hair tie, releasing a tangly-turmoil behind me. His lips part slightly at his own unknown particular fascination.

My mind went spiraling with all the new headlines the morning news would deliver. "Young girl found dead in alley mid-day.", "Unfortunate death, sponsored by rape, followed by an unfortunate murder.". I hear about it all the time, but I never imagined it happening to me.

"P-please," I tremble, "please don't hurt me." It became harder for me to breath, I try desperately to concentrate on the sky above me - open and free, open and free. But the eager frog in my throat took up residence distracting me from my mantra. My chest starts to heave, too many short breaths and not enough air to consume. I can feel my jaw stiffen, my eyes shutting as the earth around me grows slow and fish-eye like.

"I find it amusing. As soon as you take the bird away from the crowd, she shakes in the corner of her cage." His cold eyes strike mine, and despite having a baseball cap on, his body expresses everything his eyes don't show. His head turns to the side, his hips pulling in mine.

A cold sweat rolls down my spine sending the hairs on my neck into a frenzy.

"What's your name birdy?" His voice full of something unreadable.

"You'd have to kill me." I spit. His dry lips cracked into a devilish sneer. 

A sudden thought occurred to me, he must have done this before. Everything is placed too strategically to be just an act of impulse. I swallow a ball of hatefulness. Part of this is my fault, I shouldn't have trusted myself with him.

The stranger's free hand lifts up to the right side of my head, gently stroking my cheek. His touch itches with burn. I try to shove him away from me but he barely moves an inch. "I won't have to. He will." His hand left my cheek, but I followed down the length of it anyway until I see who he is pointing at. An approaching shadow appears from behind him.

"NO. N-no, please." My fingernails dig into his flesh as my feet jump in anger. But he does not flinch when I drag my long nails down his fleshy arm. The blood quickly pools out of the fresh cuts. His eyes remain desolate as he simply reaches into his pocket pulling out a tissue. He quickly smiles as he wipes away the last traces of my mini crime scene.

Disgust curdles in the pits of my stomach, my palms long past the stage of being clammy.

"I, I'll scream!"

His head twisted to the side, chuckling away at my pity.

"If you wanted a good scream you should've asked."

His grip falters, finally distancing his body from mine. I look back at the acclaimed shadow, by now the person was close enough for me to realize it was another man. He too was wearing a hoodie, except his was darker and more loose. 

Flower boy lowered his head to whisper something into the other guy's ear, he nodded, looking up at me he gleams wildly.

My stomach flips as bile rises in my throat. The man that trapped me in the alleyway walks away, climbing into a fully-tinted SUV, he never once looks back. 

The engine roars to life, reversing away from the parking spot. He rolls down the window, his brown hair moving slightly with the wind. I see him light a cigarette and blow out a puff of smoke before winking at me and speeding off.