Redemption

Chapter 7: Breaking Point

Chapter 7: Breaking Point

  John held his head in pain as he felt himself get light headed for a second or two before looking up at the chipped and water damaged ceiling of the diner. John looked down from the ceiling to see his wounds and gently patted his midsection where most of the blood had caked up overnight. He seized up in pain, felling his entire body tense up from his sudden prodding at his wounds; his arms flailing away from his torso in shock.

    He grabbed the shelves beneath the counter to steady himself as he felt his stomach heave violently. John swallowed the urge down and slowly stood to his feet before grabbing a hold of the edges of the counter to assist him. The gentle raindrops that had started to quietly patter the windows before John had passed out were now pounding against the glass as if they weighed as much as baseballs. The throbbing pain in his chest pulled his thoughts away from the rain and back to the problem at hand.

    John fell to his knees behind the counter and began to carefully pilfer through what little supplies still remained, hoping that he might find something to relieve the pain.

    "Come on. Come on. There has to be something here. Something! Anything!" John muttered under his breath as he began to toss things over his shoulder from under the counter; things like empty soap dispensers and napkin holders that were merely placed beneath the counter to gather dust. A small pile of toiletries and miscellaneous items began to form on the floor behind John as he continued his search for something of some helpful value. A flash of lightening lit up the diner causing John to pause and wait for the resounding thunder to shake the building like it were a house of cards. John stood still knowing it was moments from happening but, seconds turned to minutes and still the diner remained silent.

      Deciding he couldn't wait any longer he moved from the counter to the inside of a cabinet that was positioned just behind him.  The chipped pink paint and rusted hinges of the cabinet doors didn't appear to be too promising, but John pulled them open anyway. One of the doors came completely off its bearings and remaining attached to John's outstretched hand, revealing the cobwebs and grime that harbored itself inside the cabinet, along with a dead rat and millions of slimy maggots. Despite the Hollywood horror flick appearance the inside of the cabinet had, John caught the glint of something shiny in the very back of the cupboard; something that excited him greatly. He thrust his full arm into the cobwebs and grime as he grasped the item and pulled it out in one swift motion. His now fully cobweb clothed arm, dusted off the rectangular, white tin box with ease. John pried open the container as bandages and medical supplies spilled out onto the floor around him.

     He gathered the medical supplies in his arms and placed them on the counter as he quickly examined what he could use and what was garbage. John, noticing the medical gauze at first glance, undid their packaging and applied them to the gashes and scars around his mid section. Blood that had pooled just at the lip of his gashes, spilled out as he quickly wiped the droplets away with his free hand. Another lightening flash flooded the diner with its opulence as John paused and waited for the clap of thunder to follow but, none did. John quickly wrapped medical bandages around his torso and layered the tiniest drops of rubbing alcohol along the base of his neck, where a two inch deep gash found itself.

     John, unable to ignore the loud clamor of the raindrops against the windows of the diner quickly finished bandaging himself up and walked over to the glass. John peered through the window at the odd looking rain droplets as he felt that familiar sense of danger rise up inside of him. That tiny voice inside his mind telling him to get away from the glass before something bad happened. John shook off the feeling, hoping to regain a small amount of courage, but found it slowly melting away at the sight of a figure standing out in the rain. His eyes grew wide, watching the figure stand motionless in the middle of the street staring back at him with soulless blue eyes. The figure's skin held an odd shade of grey to it, like a newspaper drenched in water, and its matted hair masked its entire face; all except those accusing blue eyes.  John, ultimately fear stricken, slowly backed away from the glass.