Hidden Away

Chapter 1: The Choice

I could barely hold the dagger with my hands shaking so violently. My jagged breaths lead me to feel as though I was being suffocated.

What did I just do?

A scream pierced the air, immediately drawing my attention to the left where a young jogger witnessed me standing over a dead body, holding the only weapon that could have killed him.

One thought entered into my mind; Run.

Without a second thought, I shoved the girl out of the way and shot out of the alley and down the sidewalk. I found myself running until I could barely breathe, yet the adrenaline pushed me to go further.

I found a safe haven behind a dumpster in an apartment complex.

My heart felt like a sledgehammer against my chest as I took off my blood splattered Arctic Monkeys t-shirt, leaving me in the gray tank top I had on underneath.

With trembling hands, I wrapped the dagger in the cloth and stuffed it into my tote bag. I slung the bag over my shoulder and kept it close to my body as though it was my lifeline.

The river! I thought in a panic.

Sirens wailed in the distance, growing louder with each passing second.

My heart jumped and I quickened my pace. Acting casual was so hard when you had just killed someone.

This was not supposed to happen.

I had to make a split decision, and getting rid of the evidence would just have to wait. I needed to get out of here. Now.

I ran. I didn't know where I was going, but I ran.

My blonde curly hair that was previously slopped into a messy bun was now let down, framing my face, and hopefully covering as much of it as possible.

Where can I go?! My mind raced a hundred miles an hour. I didn't want to run, but it was my only option. Nobody would believe it wasn't my fault! They were going to put me in jail. I knew it.

Doing the only thing I could think of, I pulled out my cellphone and dialed a number I swore I would never dial again.

For once, I wanted him to answer.

A guy a little over a year older than me picked up. "Cassidy?" He sounded particularly smug.

I tried to stay firm, but my voice trembled. "Look, I need your help." I stuttered, "I did a really bad thing and now the police are after me."

"This is about the necklace, isn't it?"

How did he know?

"Can you take care of it?" I whispered.

"For a price. Where are you?"

I looked behind me with a wary glance. "I don't know, and I don't think I'll be able to make it to the bus station, the river, anywhere!"

"Calm down," he coaxed.

"I'm not sure I can go anywhere," I overlapped softly. I'm freaking out.

"Get out of sight and I'll pick you up."

He hung up.

Out of sight? I thought. There was nowhere particularly out of sight, other than the apartments, but I couldn't go back there. It would just bring me closer to the police.

With the sirens getting closer and my fate getting bleaker, I walked down the sidewalk and darted behind an abandoned building that was boarded up and decorated with yellow "caution" tape.