Femme Fatale

1|The Beginning of the End.

♀
This is not how I expected things would turn out.  Or maybe, I did.

I tuck away my binoculars deep inside my backpack. Alias is beside me, breathing heavily. I place my hand over his mouth to shut him up.  We watch as the police car pulls up into the driveway. We move silently away as the police exit the vehicle.

This was a bad idea. 

A fraction of me, screams, thrashes and rages on about how this was definitely not the night or how we needed more preparation.  I'm full of regret on how we shouldn't have continued. This house had top security and we were stupid enough to push on with the plan. Stupid alarm.  Stupid CCTV cameras. Stupid police. Stupid me. 

This was our last run,  goddamnit.  Why did we have to fuck up now? If we get caught,  I wouldn't even know how or what to tell my mom. Tell her I'm a crazy activist running around town at night and had broken at least ten laws that could land me immediately in jail,  yeah right. 

This will be the death of me.  I mean us.

A cop is talking to the owner of the property while his partner looks around.  The cop's flashlight passes around dark areas and light.  For a second the flashlight stops at where I'm currently hiding. 

My heart stops beating.  My jaw tightens around the handkerchief I've bitten to prevent myself from making noise.  Oh God,  this cops knows. 

The cop's attention leaves my hiding spot when he hears a rustle of leaves in the opposite direction.  Phew. 

I try to look for Alias. I can't find him. I'm panicking, sweat makes it way down my cheek. Oh God,  where is he?  What if he's been caught? What if he was what distracted the cops? How did I even manage to lose towering teenage boy?

Fuck. Shit. Merde. Puta. 

Swearing doesn't even feel much better. I'm running through the woods now. My lungs are gasping for air and my legs are burning as I go. Overwhelmed,  leaves and branches hit my face,  the consistent sound of the alarm blares in my ears. The worry and fear for Alias builds up as I escape. 

Blue and Red light fades away as I run further. I'm panting so hard,  I feel like my lungs are going to burst. My heart is about to run out of my rib cage.  Shit, I need to have more cardio exercises. 

I gradually falter into a slower pace and stop to rest,  only to find myself in the middle of nowhere. Ferns and trees grow wilder here and everything seems darker. Only the sound of cicadas, crickets and nocturnal animals are to be heard. That is when I realize something:

I'm lost. 

No, no,  it can't be. Frantically,  I look around once more.  Nothing familiar. Well, I'm fucked. 

I rip off my mask and shove it into my backpack. Something trickles down my cheek- it's blood.  I must've gotten it from getting hit by those branches.  My hoodie is in no better shape. There are some tears,  here and there. 

I search my bag for the flashlight and turn it on.  Then it hits me.  My phone!  It still has some battery,  maybe even a signal.  I could call mom or Milo or even the authorities.  Maybe they can find me. 

I swipe it open,  the time reads 1:53 AM. Damn, already? There's signal but it's weak,  only about a bar.  Nevertheless, I attempt to call Milo fifth time I try again: the number that you dialed is unavailable, the lady sings.  His phone must be dead or on silent.  I try the walkie talkie,  but it's dead.

I stamp, curse and kick leaves and twigs around.  Frustration- that's what it is.  I remove my bag and scream into it. I punch a tree,  then turn into screaming my head off from the pain.