a promise unkept

Chapter Six: Alley-Rush

Gwen's POV

I know that by leaving Peter I am making the right choice. But then why did I feel so guilty? Never before had I seen Peter cry the way he was when I was leaving .But wasn't letting go the right thing to do? Wasn't I saving both of us from more pain in the future? After leaving his house I went directly home, suddenly wishing with all my might I didn't live so far away. Who knows what kind of people were lurking in the alley shadows or even on the rooftops? The thought sent shivers throughout my body, and I wrapped my coat tighter around myself. 

Hot tears were still water falling down my face, and nothing I did could stop them. And no matter how sappy and cheesy it sounded, I truly felt like I had lost part of myself when I walked out the door, leaving Peter alone. The last time I had hurt this much was Dad's death, and even then I didn't feel as alone as I do now. 

I can suddenly hear footsteps behind me. They're loud enough that I can hear them, but it's obvious that whoever it is is unsuccessfully trying to not make their sounds noticeable. There is only one person I can think of who would even think of following me this late at night.

Without turing around, I say, "Leave me alone, Peter." I think of all the times Peter had followed me home in the past, making sure I got there safely. Whenever I would mention it to him, he would deny it, but the way he looked down sheepishly told me otherwise.

When he doesn't respond, I begin to think maybe he did leave, but then I can hear more unmistakable footsteps. I swiftly turn around, "I said-" But my voice trails off, because it is not Peter following me. Instead, a fairly large person in a long, flowing, black coat is behind me. I freeze in my tracks, but the person only moves closer, and I can see it is a women. After a moment of being paralyzed in fear, I quickly turn around and begin running. I can tell by the footsteps that the woman is following me, but I don't share stop to see how close he is. 

Despite how fast I am running, my house is still blocks away, and I know I won't be able to make it there in time. I make a sharp turn and go down another alley, silently praying whoever he is will soon give up the chase. I take a big risk, and stop to listen. Not hearing any other sounds other than my ragged breathing, I slowly begin walking to the end of the alley, as quietly as I possible can. But before I can even make out of the alley, something large makes impact with my back, and I fall, hitting my head on the ground. My ankle is twisted, and I bite my lip to stop myself from shouting out in pain. My vision becomes foggy, but I can see the women looming over me, a triumphant look on her face, and she quickly begins robbing me of anything valuable I might have. She takes off the jacket my father bought for me right before he died, leaving me shivering in the cold night air. She then takes my phone and the watch on my wrist. I don't see any point in this. Why is she taking my jacket? She already has one of her own. Why did she go through so much trouble to hurt me? It's not like I have any valuable information on me.

My head starts to throb, and my vision is blackening. Leaving all these questions unanswered, I close my eyes.