Don't Say I Didn't Tell You So.

Walking In the Steps of Danger

Everything has been quiet. After breakfast my siblings and my mother went to the market. My father came down for breakfast but went back to his office when he finished, without saying a word. Way to make things awkward. Since no one is here, I decide to take a walk.
I stopped at the park then walked on the docks. Father never let me come here because of the nasty men. Speaking of men, a group of them have been following me for a while. That's why I haven't left yet. Maybe I should listen to my father more often, even if he gets overprotective most of the time. This isn't one of them. Starting to feel panicked, I try to convince myself that they just happen to be going the same direction as me. What am I thinking. I stop to pretend to look at a booth, buy a fish just because, then head back.
I arrive near the end and don't see the men. I panicked too much. Ok. Where to now? *crack!*
I turn around just in time to see one of the f the men from the group from earlier come out from behind a fence. I kick off my shoes as I run in the direction I am automatically attracted to.
Why does he have to live so far? And why do men bother chasing after a woman if he has no fitness experience. After almost five minutes of running, I look and see that he is only two meters away considering he started from a good distance. I can feel the rocks scratching my feet. Why doesn't he just give up?
I can see the top of Nick's house and I felt a bit too f relief. I can sense his steps getting closer so at the last minute, I turn onto the side street where I got Nick to admit that he had feelings for me. Or at least was attracted to me. A thought gut suddenly hit me. What if he was drunk and just talking random stuff so he can...
I turn and notice I finally got some distance between us.
"Stop running! You have nowhere to go!"
I'm not wasting my breath talking to him but what he doesn't know is that I found a way to get to Nick's backyard through the field. Only problem is that on our walk, I remember Nick telling me about snakes. I don't know if that was drunk talk or if he was being serious but I guess I'm gonna find out.
Halfway through the field, I start noticing holes in the ground. I guess he was telling the truth. Oh god. Without knowing, I run slightly faster. Then my momentary fear comes true. I trip to the ground as I feel a sting at the back of my heel. Why? I wasn't even trying to hurt it! Then I got an idea.
I tare the little snake of my ankle and whip it at the man. Before knowing what the results of that will be, I try my best at running. I finally reach his porch and run into his house. Of course his door isn't locked.
"Nick! Nick, are you here?" I run upstairs continuously calling his name.
"What the hell are you doing here?" He should be glad. At least I gave her m a warning that I was here so he doesn't almost kill me again. Ok, yah I guess that was my fault but his mom has a different opinion on that.
"There's a man who's been chasing me since I got out of town."
"Why would someone waste their time chasing after you from that far away? And how did you escape?"
"She didn't." We both turn around and I gasp when I see it's the man. Beside me, I see that Nick tightens up.
"Why are you here? And what does she have to do with this?"
"Well you have to do with her. I know it has been forever but I keep my promises."
"Nick, what is he talking about?" Shoot. I just drew even more attention to me.
"Oh I'm sorry. I didn't properly introduce myself did I? I'm your boyfriend's little nightmare. Back in grade school, he stole it me of my girls. I promised him that since then, I will make sure he pays for what he did so, I've been steeling his girls away like a child steeling cookies on a plate." I'm sorry but he's not really good with these references.
"You are chasing after me because he took your girlfriend?" Nick stirs beside me and I notice he's fidgety and his eyes are red. Drinking again. Go figures.
"I didn't steal his girlfriend. I killed her. And her baby." He what! I know he is drunk but I mean I was wrong about the snakes.
"Yah you did. You killed our baby and then took off!"
"Why would you kill someone?" Two people actually but I'm not exactly thinking straight.
"It was an accident! I was riding a carriage and I was going really fast. The wheels spun right off and everything went crazy. The horse was jumping around when Davina was trying to back away. When the horse went down, it keep caked her and she lost conscientious." He stared down at the ground and spoke in a low voice, al,last forcing the words out of him.
"You forgot the part when you let her fall into the water."
"I was shocked and had a broken ankle! I couldn't have moved if I wanted to! We've been through this already!"
"Not in front of me. I want to know what was so important for this man to be chasing me. How did no one tell me this? I understand your anger towards Nick and it was completely your fault by the way. There are safe driving speeds for a reason. But what is up with this s promise?"
"To take every woman I love away from me."
"Henric? I have heard this before! I remember in school! Why aren't you with Natasha? What is happening?"
"You think smart. Natasha is either at the bottom of the sea by now or being eaten by animals."
"I knew there was a reason you came here. You finished with Natasha and now you come here? How would you know I was with... I mean, why are you going after her?"
"You think I only showed up today? I've been here for a long time. If I could recall, a while ago you were carrying this lady home from your place?"
"She broke in and I hit her! That sounded bad. I thought she was someone else and I was the drunk east I have been since..."
"Since Natasha left you?"
"She didn't leave me. I told my mom that so she wouldn't freak out. Then she spread the word like the pocks and I just went with it! He took her and forced her to be with him! His money was all she needed to not throw a scene."
"And now you are here for me." That was more of a statement than a question.
"It's a shame you can't keep her. She's a smart one."
"I- I never wanted her or had her in the first place." Deep down I knew that was a lie but that really hurt me with an impact. I started backing away, not knowing for sure where I was going.
"Where do you think you're going? You heard him, he doesn't care about you but he's also real smart so I don't tip honk that's true." He starts to walk towards me. I noticed that Nick was slowly crouching down. What is he doing?
"I wasn't planning on leaving." I say, trying to buy some time for whatever Nick was planning. He better not leave me.
I start to panic as Henric gets really close to my face and grabs my hair. In a sudden flash, glass is shattered all over. What just happened? I feel someone picking me up and look down to see its Nick. Did he kill him?
"Is he dead?" I couldn't help myself.
"Only for a couple hours." I was confused at first but realized he meant he was passed out.
"Why didn't you Finnish him off?"
"Then I would go to jail." He sets me down when we get out onto his porch. He grabs my hand and starts running. Thanks for telling me! That's when I noticed that I didn't have my shoes. This hurts so much but I know that Henric would probably do worse so I keep running.
After what felt like forever, we arrive at my house.
"Where have you been? You missed lunch and- where are your shoes!?" My mother frantically asks.
"You don't have shoes on? Why didn't you tell, me. I wouldn't have dragged you like that."
"Why were you dragging her!" I was beginning to wonder where my father was but that answers it for me.
"Henric. He tried kidnapping and maybe even killing me. He killed Natasha and did who knows with the child." I think I was s little too direct too fast. My mother looks at me like I'm crazy and my father stands there dumbfounded.
"He was chasing her. She ran to my house-"
"And you dragged her here? Where is he?" My father asks furiously.
"Father. Please just listen. He's actually talking to you." Ok. It wasn't necessary for me to say that but they've gotta smarten up with each other.
"We ran here so that I could get her to you before anyone else notices us together and it clearly isn't safe for her to be walking alone anymore."
"It never was safe. I've been telling you that your whole life! You never listen!"
"Father I do listen! I... I just don't obey I guess. I'm sorry but I can't spend my whole life locked up in this house! I'm not gonna suffer because men are pigs."
"Not all men." Nick exclaimed with a smirk. Is he really being nice or is he drunk? No. He's just a jerk. A drunk jerk who is so handsome and I need to stay on his good side. Although the that has been bringing many problems. Why couldn't he just be the perfect man that works at a bakery and takes care of his wife and children?
"This is why I can't stand him. All he does is think of himself. Anna why do you have to be so difficult?" And he leaves for his office.
"Me? Difficult? So I'm walking in town and almost get killed and Father says I'm difficult! I can't believe this. How do we even know it's safe here? I don't think you killed him so he must wake up soon."
"I'll go."
"Why would you-"
"Leave? Uh I don't know. Maybe to make sure he doesn't come back for you?" He awkwardly shifts his weight. I don't think he meant to say that out loud.
"I'll go get your father. He's going with you."
"Go get him but he cannot come."
"You need someone to watch your back. And it's not like he'd kill you." Silence... I think we all just remembered what happened to Nick's father.
"He needs to stay here. What if he left already and is waiting for me to leave?"
"He's right. Even if Father's not here, it's better he's in the house with us. Us women are strong but I'd feel safer."
"I'm leaving now. I apologize for causing problems, again. And don't even try to follow me."
"And put my way in death's path? Please! I'm going to my room. No one talk to me."
"Goodbye Nick. Thank you."
"I haven't done anything yet."
"You brought home my daughter. That's doing something."