Fire (A Harry Styles Fan Fiction)

Chapter 14

It was dark outside, I closed Paige’s front door and pulled on my khaki raincoat, pulling up the hood as I walked. I took a swig out of the can of beer I carried. I skipped along the path to the sound of an imaginary tune I had made in my head. I noticed the ever-present thought of Harry as I walked…the desire to be near him consuming me, my fear of him quickly diminishing. I noticed a set of footsteps behind me, it wasn’t unusual. Paige lived on a busy street with a lot of houses on it, nevertheless, I was scared.

It was dark and I had no idea who was behind me, their footsteps approaching me, becoming louder and faster. I tried to pick up the pace without making it too obvious, continuing the childish skipping motion as I began to jog. The footsteps behind me continued to get faster and faster, I had two choices, I could run, risk looking like an idiot, or I could turn around, confront them…and then end up looking like an idiot. I chose the latter.

I whipped my head around as fast as I could. Stood behind me was a tall lean man, his body slinked with grotty clothes that were stained with liquids I dare not think of, his eyes were focused on me, his teeth bared. His hands were in fists on either side of his thighs, balled and clenched so tight his knuckles turned white. He reminded me of Caleb, but it wasn’t, his face was too rounded; whereas Caleb’s was damaged and spoilt by the years of drug-use he endured.

I stepped back from the figure. The lighting of the street made it very difficult for me to see anything other than his pale, unkempt face. He strode towards me in uneven strides; I guessed that he was inebriated, mainly from the stench radiating from his disorderly self.

“Well, you’ll do eh?” He said to himself, a low murmur that radiated from the back of his chest. His grey eyes scanned over my body, scouring every inch of myself, putting me under tremendous and uncomfortable scrutiny. It wasn’t until he said those words that I knew his true intentions, that I knew what he wanted with me. I prayed for Harry to come, although I knew it was unlikely. I’d seen this man before, he worked in the deli Harry and I had gone to, he worked behind the counter. I remember thinking to myself at the time ‘why would they hire him’, He had appalling social skills, a disgusting stench and most importantly, a clear demonic streak.

My breath hitched in my throat as I peered into the eyes of the man towering over me. I was alone, with nothing but this man who promised me nothing but danger. My eyes began to water as I recounted that day of abuse from Caleb, and the multiple days that followed. I felt my entirety begin to shake, realizing there was going to be no clear way out of this. I made the first move, knowing that if I didn’t I would be the inferior. I moved towards him raising my foot and launching it into his crotch. He bent over, grasping the spot I had damaged. He raised his head at me; drool hanging from his mouth and a look of unimaginable anger in his eyes. His face was glowing a dark red and the veins in his neck and forehead were prominent. He let out a pained snigger before charging at me with outstretched arms and wrapping his hands around my throat. I fell to the floor, as did he, almost lying on top of me, he pressed his thumbs into my neck pressing hard. I writhed on the spot, gasping for air. I knew there was no point in trying to scream, it would have only hurt more, so I lay there kicking at his chest. Eventually he pulled away, he couldn’t handle the continuous blows he was receiving.

I lay there on the floor, coughing and wheezing, desperately trying to get oxygen inside me. My throat burned every time I took a pained breath, I felt the mans presence draw ever nearer. He kicked me repeatedly, showing no mercy, his teeth were gritted above me. I prayed he felt no desire to carry out his previous intentions after going through that. I was right, after several kicks to the stomach and head, he moved on. Leaving me lying on the floor alone and in unfathomable agony.

My breaths escaped me in wheezes, I felt blood pour from my face, and I could taste it in my mouth. My eyes stayed open, but only just. I felt that I wouldn’t pass out; my mind was still far too alert. Oh, but how I prayed for sleep to find me, for death even…anything to be rid of this inconceivable pain, pure concentrated pain.

“See you later.” I barely heard from up the road. It was Beau. Her voice was like music to my ears, it was an escape. I prayed she would take me out of this agony, but I couldn’t see her. My eyes were swollen and almost blinded from the blood pouring down my face. I knew I wouldn’t be able to shout, so I had to think. My breaths still escaped me in short, whiny puffs with a degree of voice at the end of them.

“Beau…Beau…” I attempted to shout, although my fears were exact. The noise was feeble and barely audible from the ringing in my ears, my throat began to burn as the feel of the mans fingers still lingered on my skin, his pressure on my jugular forcing my breath to escape me in painful juts. It was clear Beau hadn’t seen me. I’d all but given up hope, knowing that she was walking in the opposite direction. I tried to think of something I could do to rouse her attention.

I saw a lamp atop the brick wall I was laying against, knowing that it belonged to the owner of the house of which the wall encompassed. I reached up for it, noticing the agony occurring in my stomach from the mans heavy kicks. I flopped back to the floor, almost admitting defeat. Beau’s footsteps were getting further away and I could feel my hope fading. I knew that I had only one chance. I wrapped my injured arm around my belly and pushed myself up, mustering all the strength my muscles would allow me.

I felt my fingertips touch the warmth of the glass lamp. I wrapped my hand fully around it, and in one swift movement, threw it on the ground beside me. It broke into hundreds of shattered shards, some of them becoming lodged in my purple cast. I vaguely heard a shocked gasp from a figure ahead of me, knowing it was Beau.

“Hello?” She asked. I still couldn’t see her, the task of smashing the lamp consuming all of the energy required to lift my heavy head.

“Oh my God!” She shouted. I heard her footsteps quicken as she jogged towards me. Relief flooded me, my eyes welling up knowing that I had been saved. She placed her hand on the back of my head, propping it up on her brown bag that she’d removed from her shoulders. I lifted my uninjured arm to her coat, grabbing the quilted material and pulling her down, so her ear was to my mouth. There was a pained expression on my shattered face as I spoke:

“Please…get me out of he-here.” I said, before slumping my head back on the comforting feel of her bag and once again dosing off into another world…