All Your Fault

Chapter Sixteen

When I woke later, the bed was empty; the emanating heat vanished leaving the cool air to spread its shadowy tentacles across the blackness of the sheets.  Goosebumps painted my skin as I peeled my eyes painfully open; my head pounded and my mouth felt as if cotton had encased my tongue.  I pulled myself into a sitting position running my hands through my hair before panic set in, licking fire through my veins.  I had to leave, I couldn’t stay here anymore, I was a danger to anyone around me.  I stepped out of the bed, my feet touching the cold dark wood floors; I wrapped my arms tightly around me as I silently padded towards the door.  Opening it slightly I listened intently, holding my breath, voices echoed down the hallway; too quiet for me to hear but loud enough for me to know they weren’t paying any attention. 

I shut the door carefully, turning the knob as slow as I could so there wouldn’t be any audible click before rushing towards the window.  The night sky was painted with stars like pinpricks in the black canvas of the night.  The moon hung swollen on the horizon, dawn edging its way over the cityscape, the burnt orange fading into the inky violet.  I looked down and swore to myself; of course, Dorian would live on the top floor of the highest building.  My thoughts dangerously flittered towards the towering Russian with a bad temper and intoxication breath that smelled of mint before I drug them away to the task at hand.  Escaping.

Leaning my head out the window, my hair fell into my face; I pushed it back, blinking down at the taillights that pitched their glow onto the black cracked pavement.  I almost sighed in relief when I found a fire escape only two windows down and a drainpipe that led down towards it.  It was almost too good to be true, odd enough to have me worried into quick action before Dorian came back for me.  Lifting myself carefully onto the sill, I reached towards the drainpipe, silently praying to anyone who would listen that it would hold my weight.  My fingers brushed the cold metal and I stretched farther, my heart thumping in my chest at a painful rate, adrenaline coursing its angry way through my muscles.  I grabbed the pipe and held on for dear life, swinging my way onto it.  I grunted as my sternum colliding with the metal band securing it to the brick building, the cold metal bit into my pale skin, my bare feet scraping at the rough bricks.  I hissed gripping the pipe as tight as I could, breathing through my mouth to alleviate any loud sound; knowing that Dorian had keen ears. 

Inching my way down the pipe, I swung my foot out towards the fire escape, my upper body muscles screaming in complaint.  My bare foot connected with the railing, following by my other.  I balanced myself on the railing, my left hand pressing heavily against the brick wall, leaning forward I leapt down.  The fire escape clanging, I cursed already in motion.  Moving down the steps and ladder dropping the extra foot to the dirty alley ground littered with empty beer bottles, rotting trash, and cardboard boxes.  The leap radiated pain up my legs; I ignored it, sprinting down the alley opening.  “You stupid girl!” a heavily accented voice rang out through the night.   I pushed myself harder knowing Dorian would only be minutes behind me, charging through alleyways I dodged homeless men and women, stray cats, and growling dogs.  I turned right down the next alley, making it to the end before yelling in frustration as I encountered a chain fence.  Knowing it was impossible for me to climb, I wasn’t that skilled, I leaned back against the fence, the metal cooling the sweat soaked back of my shirt.  My lungs heaved, my feet were cut and bruised, I gripped the links of the fence hot tears pricking the backs of my eyes.  Flashing back to the night of my kidnapping.

I stood with my back against the bleachers near the school, my hoodie the only thing keeping me warm.  He stalked towards me, his beer gut hanging over loose dirty pants.  His graying hair was thinning in the front, baring a shiny head.  His dark eyes were trained maliciously on me, my eyes darted right and left, searching for the escape I wished desperately for.  “I wouldn’t think about running pretty girl.” He shook his head, his knife glinting in the incandescent moonlight like a vicious piece of jewelry.  With a yell I dodged toward the right, hoping the outsmart him then leapt to the left.  His arm wrapped around me, lifting me in the air and slamming me to the ground, the air escaped my lungs.  My back radiated with pain, shock at his strength quickly faded to the eclipsing fear for my life.

Blinking I forced myself to the present, the revving sound of Dorian’s engine broke through the night.  My throat closed and I shifted, looking around for a way out. A heavy metal door screeched open, spilling neon light into the dark alley thumping music, bumping across the ground.  Two girls in short leather skirts and sequined tops stumbled out, giggling, “Did you see him, he was like so hot” I slipped past their glittered caked bodies and into the writhing mass of body odor and hair gel.  My feet stung and my chest hurt from running as I shoved my way through the gyrating groups of overly intoxicated idiots looking for an easy lay.  I slid onto a bar stool, hunching my shoulders, drawing myself inward.   A burly bartender with a gleaming smile, and soft brown eyes stepped towards me.

“You okay honey?” his southern accent drawled, I blinked at him before struggling to speak.

“Water?” I managed to croak out, my throat as dry as dust.  He quickly filled a glass and slid it towards me.

“If you need anything, more water,” he paused, “the police, just ask.”  I nodded my head, gulping down the water before spinning on the stool.  I thrust myself back into the groups of people so close together, struggling to find my way out before a hand snaked itself onto my arm.

I was jerked to a stop and I froze turning, praying that it wasn’t Dorian. It wasn’t, it was Nora.  “Kasey?” she asked shocked.  Her dark outfit blended with the people around her, her nose stud glinting in the flashing neon lights; eyes still heavily rimmed. 

“Hello Nora, fancy meeting you here.”  She looked pointedly at me.

“Yeah it’s a pleasure.” We stood there, the music rattling the floor, the lights flashing, the smell of alcohol and sweat swirling around us.  I was waiting for the inevitable question to come.

“Are you alright” and there it was.