Paper Birds

Chapter Fifty-One ; After

My eyes still lay on Dylan's limp and bloody body when I heard him speak. I jerked my gaze towards him.

"Damnit," I muttered.

I didn't have any time to think. I ducked and rolled away from him, scrambling back on my feet and bursting down the sidewalk towards the setting sun. I mumbled every curse word I could think of, still in shock. I didn't dare look behind, but I could tell he was gaining on me. Then, out of nowhere, another thug-looking guy stepped out infront of me. I stopped so fast that I fell over on my knees. "Damnit." 

The guy who killed Dylan towered over me, his creepy grin gone. 

 "Grab her," he demanded, just as the the other man yanked me off of the ground by my shoulders. 

"Who are you?" I asked, trying but failing to kick myself off of the man holding me. 

"Me? Oh, darling, I'm your worst Nightmare." 

I squinted at him, trying to remain remotely calm; panic gets you nowhere, as I've found out. "Is that your name? Nightmare?"

"Aren't you the quick learner."

Why did all of the gang-looking people have the most stupid nicknames? I didn't have time to think about that, though, because he kept talking.

"You should be familiar with me! After all, you were the one who killed my brother."

My eyes widened, a sense of sudden realization taking over my mind. That's why everyone was after me. They thought I had killed Talon. 

The other man was dragging me down an unfamiliar street. I elbowed him in the gut and he winced, his grip loosening a little. I used this to my advantage, whipping half way out of his arms and snap kicking him in the jaw. Nightmare made a disgruntled noise of annoyance as I burst down the narrow street, having no idea where I was going or what I was doing or what the hell was happening. 

I searched desperately for any of sign of the hotel we were staying at but nothing seemed familiar. I fumbled with my cell phone in my pocket, dialing Harry's number as fast as I possibly could. 

No answer.

I had no time left to lose. I could hear Nightmare's footsteps coming from behind me already, my heart racing. With no time to think, I pivoted on my foot and dashed down inbetween two stores, looking back just to make sure he wasn't on my tail when I collided with something tall and firm. I staggered backwards with an 'oomf', pushing my bangs out of my face to see who it was.

"Harry!" I exclaimed, throwing my arms around his neck and jumping into his arms. He dug his forehead into mine, kissing me suddenly and pulling me tighter to him. 

"Claire, where have you been?" he asked, out of breath. His eyes were dancing excitedly and restless, as if he had been searching the whole world to find me.

"They-they killed Dylan," I confessed, still not believing the words that came out of my mouth. Harry set me down slowly.

"We need to get out of here," he decided carefully, gently grabbing my elbow. 

"No! He's after me; Talon's brother. He thinks I killed Talon, not you. They all think that. I have to let them keep thinking that, or they'll be after us forever."

His eyes narrowed to slits. "What? I can't- let you do that."

"'Ello, love-birds," came a sickeningly crude voice from behind us. 

I looked up at Harry desperately, trying to find some sort of refuge in his eyes. He grabbed me by the waist, his gaze fixed upon Nightmare. "What do you want with her?"