Ecstasy

Chapter 7

"I thought you might not wanna colour your hair." I nod, looking at my reflection, doing some adjustments. The last plastic bag contained a black wig, bought in a trick store, a disguise for me to move more freely. "It looks good." I turn to Daniel, who leans against the doorway to the bathroom. 

"You sure?" He nods, then turning to walk back into the room. I follow him, tugging the end of my shirt. It won't fool anyone on an arm's distance, but I hope they won't come that close.

Daniel takes his jacket from the bed and shrugs it on, looking on his phone.

"She's five, you wanna try?" I nod, I need to get out at some point. So far I've heard nothing, so maybe he has lost track of me? I can only hope.

We walk down to his car, and Daniel goes to the reception. He lets me sit in his car while he's gone, and I turn on the radio to make the time pass. The channel it starts on is not even a station. It's a CD, some song about love, and being sick of it.

Daniel enters the car and turns on the engine. He drives under silence, letting the music run. I cross my arms on the windowsill and draw with my finger on the window. The outside has darkened, sad clouds covering the clear blue. A few pedestrians walks between shops, paranoia making me straighten up and fold down the sun cover to check the wig in the mirror.

Probably a block away from the motel Daniel pulls over to park. 

"Good here?" He asks as he unbuckles his seat belt. I nod and shut off the radio. 

Stepping out on the tiled sidewalk I shiver a bit, wishing my jacket wasn't broken. Daniel walks around the car to stand by my side.

"Do you want my jacket?" I shake my head. He shrugs and we start walking. I have to really try to not look up at all house roofs. Daniel stays by my side, focused on the road ahead. Everytime another person comes against us he walks closer to me, so we never part. Slowly I start to relax. I don't quite recognize this part of the city. The last two days have made me realize that I've never been further away from the core of it than two blocks. I pretty much live, lived, in the middle of it, in the warm, pulsing vein of good life.

It starts to rain lightly, glimmer of water dancing like fog in the air. It has been a very rainy summer. Daniel asks if I want to go inside, but I shake my head. I feel safe now, so I'm not quite as worried to get a bullet in my head. 

My shirt slowly soaks up the moisture, until Daniel, without looking on me, points out that we probably should get inside.

We get inside a clothes shop. The light is limited to mannequins showing off cropped off t-shirts. My eyes easily get used to the dark. I motion to Daniel to follow me to the second floor. There will probably be less suspicious chashiers.

******

The wet street makes a disgusting sound when my rubber sole hits it. It reminds me of the sounds in a hospital horror movie, where the doctor is crazy and tries to kill the patients through experiments. You know, all the gore. I push my hands in my pockets. Well, Daniel's jeans' pockets. We are walking back to the car, the streets more empty now than before.

A shopkeeper is lifting in loose things outside is shop to close for the night. One of those A's that show off headlines stands closer to the street, and I read it out of curiosity.

"Nicole Evans, 26, found dead in her flat." My eyes goes wide. By the big black letters is a picture of Nicole's pale body, swept in a glittering, purple dress, on the floor of her kitchen, one hand clutched on her chest, one by her side, and her head in an unnatural angle. The picture is pretty dark, but I can see that there is blood under her. At first the world stops. Then I get hysterical.