INSIDE THEIR MINDS

I Am Tired

PHIL

I could hear them scattering behind me. I finally found a wall and I did what Norm Macsol did,my favorite action star, I traced my hand along the wall and jogged in the darkness hoping to feel a door or a window.

Wood. Wood. Wood. Another splinter. More wood. Then I felt metal. The cold hard surface felt inviting and I couldn't help but smile as my fingers finally grazed a small handle. I turned it very carefully crossing my fingers and then it opened.

ERICA

"What do you mean?" I ask my fiancee as we rush through traffic. He seems flustered but I couldn't help but ask again.

"What do you mean?"

He says nothing again.

"Dammit." I say punching him hard in the arm.

"All my client said was that he knew where Phil is that he may or may not have been involved." He yells at me, not looking to me as we cruise in his almost pristine, very expensive car.

"If they hurt Phil..." I say crossing my arms and slouching in my chair.

"I shouldn't have even brought you along, this is breaking so many laws and you shouldn't have to..."

"To what?! Know what's going on with the father of my child?"

"Erica, he could be..." he said sorrowfully.

Dead. He was going to say he could be dead. Why would they kill Philip? Why would anyone kill Phil?

"Just hurry, we can't turn back now."

And with my words he sped even faster down the highway, clocking in at 85 mph.

PHIL

Immediatly as I opened the door I knew that now more than ever I had to get as far away from this place as I could. Though night had fallen the moon was alarmingly bright and full, and it brought me no relief for with it came a huge disadvantage.

I knew that the light would eek into the delapitated warehouse and expose my location, but at least I was free.

With the thin nylon rope still clinging to my ankle, I ran as hard and as fast as I could, picking a random direction and sticking with it.

There were other warehouses, in far worse shape then the one I had just left, that encircled the many blocks around me, and that was good.

Everything in them seemed deserted and with that unearthly, barren emptiness came some hope, but then I had to make a choice.

Do I run or do I hide?

DEREK

I could tell the instant that the officers left Kate's home that they couldn't be of much help to us.

"Look, I know how the police are, especially police like them." I say pointing a harsh finger at the door they had just exited. "I know I can do more than they are doing."

"But Derek." Alex whines quickly standing from her chair adorning a whining face I had only ever seen on a child.

"I can help." I said to her taking her hand and kissing her knuckles.

"What can you do that the officers can't?" Kate asked actually sounding optimistic.

"I can find him. I know I can." I said reaching into my pocket and quickly grasping my keys.

I embrace Alex in a warm comforting hug and whisper into her ear, knowing that Kate would not be able to hear me. "I will be fine, sweetie. I will text you every 15 minutes on the dot. I will call my cousin, the detective, the one that lives across the border, and see if he can help. You need to stay here and take care of Kate, she really needs you right now."

"I love you." She whispered to me.

I felt stunned. We had never said that to each other before. But then as her head rested gently on my shoulder and her arms wrapped tightly around my waist I knew that I loved her too.

"I love you too sweetie."

KATE

Alex was trying her hardest to distract me as she talked and talked about nonsensical things, and none of it worked. Phil consumed every single inch of my mind and there was nothing that she could do to change that.

"I have a huge engagement party to organize and boy is it tiring." She said taking a quick sip of her hot chocolate.

"Alex." I whispered. Apparently she didn't hear me as she continued talking.

"The bride-to-be is such a whiney little.."

"ALEX!" I shouted not meaning to.

She flashed me a confused and abrupt look.

"I just can't right now, I know you're trying to get my mind off of everything but.."

Then her cell phone rang, a dated 90's tune only Alex would like repeated barely twice before she picked up.

"Yeah?" she asked quickly and almost frantically.

"It's Derek." She says speaking to me.

"Phil...you mean he's?" She said looking at me with bright eyes.

"Are you sure?" She asked him.

She hung up the phone and a bright smile appeared on her lips.

"Phil is fine!" She yelled then quickly wrapped her arms around me.

"Are you sure?" I asked into her shoulder tears bubbling up in my eyes.

"Derrick said he is with Phil now!" She said happily as she rubbed soft circles into my back.

"Alex, that's..." I said.

"I know. I know. Everything's going to be fine. Phil will be home soon." She said hugging me close to her.

PHIL

Everything ached. Every muscle, every bone, even my mind quivered and nearly buckled underneath me as I sprinted as far from that retched place as I could. I ran towards what I could definetly tell was downtown, my probably no where near estimate was that I was 10 miles away.

The closer I came to the wall of lights though the darkness the more tired I became.

Everything had become pitch black again as I jogged down side streets and alley ways all abandoned from the flood a few years back.

Then two beams of blue iridescent light split through darkness behind me, cutting through the black like a sword through butter.

I quickly jumped into a line of green overgrown and thorny bushes that had long since died quickly noticing it didn't do much in the way of concealing me.

The vehicle grew closer and closer to me. I knew I couldn't run anymore. I knew I couldn't stay where I was.

Then I heard them screaming my name, but then it was followed by something else.

"I'm here to save you." The familiar deep male voice screamed.

Is voice rang out loudly in the tunnel the buildings formed all around me. It was as if we were in a cave and I could hear every whisper and movememt.

Then as I peered through the 2 beams of light I saw it. The familiar paint, the crack in the front bumper.

It was Derek.