Revive -Zalfie (BOOK 3)

6. Brighton Pier shock

Chapter 6 - Brighton Pier shock

It was cold that morning and very dark. Well, of course it was very dark at 5 in the morning. But I thought the weather would be a bit nicer.

I zipped my coat up tighter and put my hands in the sleeves. I decided to go the last bit by foot so I had parked the car a bit further away than usual, which I regretted already. The wind was blowing my hair in and out of my face roughly. Why didn't I put my hair up?

I walked a bit faster and soon reached the beach. The pebbles under my feet made a lot of noise, but I almost couldn't hear because of the huge waves hitting the shore. The sea was wild and I loved it. The sound of the waves was possibly one of my favourite sounds. Although this time, they sounded more fierce than I was used to.

I was very near the Brighton Pier when I got out my phone to check the time. 5:05 am. I was a bit too late, but I didn't see anyone standing on the beach yet as the letter had promised. What if all of this was just a stupid joke and nobody was coming?

But as soon as I thought this I could see someone coming near me. It was a tall masculine figure who was fighting the wind as hard as I was right now. Thinking this was the person who had been writing me I walked over to them.

The closer I got, though, the more I realised that this was just an old drunk man. The man walked passed me and I stood still, taking a deep breath.

"Please don't run away from me," I suddenly heard a voice shouting behind me which made me jump. I wanted to turn to look at this man, whose voice sounded awfully familiar, but he stopped me by grabbing my shoulders. "I really think it's better you don't see my face."

"Why?" I asked, my voice cracking. His hands were still on my shoulders and for some reason that made me feel very uncomfortable.

"Trust me," he begged, "please."

"I don't trust strangers anymore," I sighed and quickly turned around to stand face to face with a person I thought, hoped, I'd never see again.

"Please don't run," William begged. My whole body started shaking when I saw him. I took a few steps back. His hair had grown longer and he had a beard and moustache now. He looked more mature and less scary than last time I saw him. Yet, I still felt more scared than ever. I didn't even notice when my feet started moving me backwards, away from that monster. "I want to help you."

"Don't think so," I whispered, but I don't think he had heard because of the loud wind. I turned and started running away on the slippery pebbles. I looked behind my shoulder a few times and could see that he was following me, shouting things I couldn't understand.

So it was a trap after all. He had written me the letter so he could get to me again, but I wouldn't let him this time. I had taken defence classes and I've started working out. I wouldn't be such an easy prey as I was last time.

Just as I started believing that I could actually make it, the slippery pebbles made me trip and fall hard.

"No, no, no, no," I mouthed in panic and tried to get up as quickly as I could, but by that time William had caught up to me.

"Please, Zoe," he begged me again. The way his voice sounded made me doubt for a second. Maybe he did want to help me. I turned from my stomach to my back so I could see him.

"Why should I trust you?" I asked him, trying to hide how scared I truly was.

"I know it's not easy and you're probably very confused..."

"Don't come closer," I warned him as I saw him taking steps in my direction. He held his hands up as a sign that he wouldn't.

"I'm really sorry about what happened," he started talking again, "But I swear I can explain."

"Oh really," I sneered while getting to my feet, mentally ready to flee again. "How can you explain that you murdered my guinea pigs, that you tried to kill me several times and that you almost killed Thomas and Alfie?"

"I know it sounds weird, but please hear me out," he tried again but I didn't listen anymore.

"I'm calling the police if you don't leave now," I threatened, my phone in my hand to show him that I meant it.

"Please, I don't want to hurt you, just listen to me," he asked me.

"Not happening." I dialled the police number that I had saved in my phone nowadays.

"I really wished this wouldn't be necesarry," William sighed and shot forward to grab me.

"No!" I screamed as loud as I could, but my screams must've faded away together with the waves. Why did I think this was a good idea again? Meeting a stranger at 5 in the morning... "Let me go!"

"Just stop struggling," he yelled back at me. "It's important."

"Help!" I screamed again, not hearing a thing William was yelling at me. I kicked my feet around and tried to slap him, but it seemed like I wasn't the only one who had been working out.

"I'm sorry I have to do this," he said calmly and placed a tissue with a horrid smell against my mouth and nose.

I instantly knew that this was chloroform, which he had used on me before on this very same beach. Knowing this made me panic even more because if he succeeded he could take me anywhere he wanted to. I tried to break free harder and harder but I could feel my mind getting foggy and my energy draining. He had succeeded.