Ecstasy

Chapter 5

On my second day I give in, searching through the trash can I've been resting by. Nothing. My clothes are real dirty by now, good thing I had a jacket on me in the car. I still don't know what to do about my leg, but it pounds in a way I'm sure it shouldn't.

I roll over to my other side, trying to not care about my hunger. This is what some people go through everyday, I remind myself. Well I'm not some people, and I've become spoiled through my profession, parties every night, any food I want, biggest harm done by a hot frying pan or liquor.

Clouds stock over my head, covering the sun and making everything cold. Shit. I sit up, dragging my jacket closer around me. The zipper is already broken, I fucking loved this jacket. Closing my eyes I feel shivers rippling through my body. My leg really hurts. My eyelids flutter, shut, open, shut, open, until I see double. A child laughs out on the street. Now I can't even open my eyes. It's in the middle of the summer, is it really supposed to be this cold?

In salvation the sky opens up and drenches the city. The drops wake me from my light unconsciousness, and while people on the street scream and try to find shelter from the sudden downfall I sit up, facing the sky as I catch as mans raindrops as possible in my mouth. The thirst hasn't been as prominent as the hunger, but it definitely has been there. I recall a scene from some romantic movie I saw with Nicole, where a girl were covered in dirt and messed up makeup. As she was crying the rain started falling, creating trails on her face. I think it was a metaphor for being cleansed from sin, because she got up and began dancing in the rain. 

In a moment of imaginary smartness I drag myself of the ground, and flip the lid to the trash can. The water collects slowly, but with some luck I'll be able to clean my wound with that later. A shuffling sound makes my head snap against the street. Unfortunately I do it to quick and I feel the pain burning, making me not so much prepared for a fight.

"Shit." I hiss, closing my eyes and bringing my destroyed hand to the side of my neck. "That fucking hurt." Quickly opening my eyes again I look at the dark silhouette. It's a boy, well, guy, my age maybe younger. That I don't recognize him doesn't calm me one bit. I don't know who Eric has put on me, this guy could definitely be one of them. Swaying I get up from my knees, trying to be somewhat prepared to fight. The boy walks closer in, blocking my way out. Well, shit. 

"Who are you?" My right knee bucks, but I manage to stay up. Well done looking like an easy target. The boy hold up his hands, water running down from his sleeves at the movement. His hands are empty. God, I wish I had a gun right now.

"I want to help you." His voice is soothing, but for me it awakes alerting bells.

"Sure, any sane person who doesn't have shit with the criminal world would walk into and alleyway and offer to help the person he finds there." I spit at the ground. "Eric send ya?" He shakes his head, inching closer. I swear he will pull a knife any moment. "So you are what? A bounty hunter?" I hold out my hands by my sides while backing away from him. Being back to back with a wall is at least better than to not know what's behind you. "How much?" He stops, his hands dropping.

"Five hundred grand." I curse.

"Seriously?!" Okey, he's definitely gonna kill me. The brick wall hits my back. Great.

The boy takes another step against me. Now he's close enough for me to see his blue eyes through the rain. His bleached hair lays down against his head, and the hood of a soaked grey sweatshirt peeks up under his black jacket. Innocence enough to be a serial killer? Absolutely.

"Get the fuck away from me." I spit. He doesn't move an inch.

Completely frozen in his spot he scans me, hands in his pockets now. His eyes wanders over my tangled, blonde, soaked mess of a hair, my scuffed jacket that is half open. I swallow. Continuing to look at me his gaze goes over my hips, my ripped open jeans, staying at the wound for a while, before finally studying my shoes. Suddenly his eyes meet mine, sky blue against dark wood brown. The only sound in the alleyway is the rain, and occasionally a car that drives by. He is close enough for me to reach out and touch his chest if I wanted. I catch myself searching his eyes for something. A sign that he is going to kill me maybe? My pupils moves slightly to the right, still keeping eye contact. Nah, more likely that I'm looking for mercy. Slowly we both move out of our trance, still looking at each other.

"So you aren't going to kill me?" My voice is a bit more stable than you would think. He shakes his head.

"Heard you were in trouble, so I searched town." He breaks the eye contact, looking down at his foot scraping against the ground. I swallow.

"But you don't live here." It's not a question, it's a statement. He nods. "So how'd you heard of it?"

"Words spread." Suddenly I notice his accent. Irish?

"And you decided to help me because of ...what?" He turns around, back facing me.

"Because I don't know." I nod, I can buy that. He turns back to face me. This time I avoid eye contact. I don't know, but that weirded me out, at the same time as it was calming me and made me trust him. It felt as if we were at the same level. Two different species understanding each other.

"Come." The boy turns around, leaving me to follow his lead. I cough. He turns back to face me.

"My leg." I watch him look down at the wound. "I can't really walk."

"And still you tried to fight me." He mumbles to himself, hooking his arm under mine, lifting me slightly up to take the pressure of the leg.

It's still raining, oddly enough, and the curtain of grey works in our advantage, as it makes it hard for anyone to make out our faces. He helps me into his car, that luckily enough is parked just about a block away. At first I hesitate, I'm soaked and covered with mud, and the interior is light beige leather.

"It's fine." He says, like he read my mind. "I don't care." Carefully I slip in, and he gets around to the other side. As soon as he has closed the door he turns on the heat, a welcome gesture. I shudder as the heat makes my jeans stick to my legs in a very disgusting way. He start the engine and the car starts rolling.

"What's your name?" I turn to look at him, his blue eyes focused on the road.

"Daniel." He changes gear. I raise my eyebrows.

"No last name?" He chuckles, a soft, warm sound.

"If you don't have one, then so neither do I." I smile.

"But I do have a last name, it's Andersson." Daniel turns on full headlights, and I understand that we have left city.

"That's fake, everyone knows that." I smile, and sink further down into my seat.

"Tell that to my bank man." He chuckles again. "Where are we going anyway?" Daniel doesn't answer at first, and all that is heard is his breathing and the soft humming of the heat system. Then he turns a corner, changes down in gear and looks up in the rear view mirror.

"Daniel?" I ask, growing impatient. "Where are we going?" He changes gear again before answering.

"To a motel close by. That's where I've stayed the last few days." I nod and look out the window as the rain lulls me to sleep, a small voice warning me to not fall asleep.