The Dark Hour

--------Ridge--------

I was looking through my phone when Skyla ran into the living room and flipped over the armrest of the couch and flopped on to the couch.

"Ridge! Do you have any idea of what tomorrow is!?" She asked excitedly.

"Um Saturday?" I guessed.

"Yes but that's not what I'm going for guess again."

"May fifteenth?"

"Come on you should get at least one of the things I'm excited about!!" She said standing up. I thought for a minute, then it hit me.

"Oh shit that's Lalna's birthday."

"And Astrid is graduating from high school!" She said excitedly. "I already got Lalna something like a month ago. What did you get him?"

"Um," I forgot about it. Lalna never talked about his birthday so I never really thought about it.

"Ridge, you did get him something right?" Skyla asked sounding a bit worried. I quickly shook my head. "Ridge!! Ok we are going to the mall right now! Come on!"

"Skyla you know that I can't cause-"

"You'll be fine, trust me." I sighed, she made up her mind I wasn't getting out of this.

"Ok fine, just let me get my wallet first."

~~~~

We walked into the mall and it was not as lively as it was a week ago. The only ones there were the employees and the security guards.

"Where is everyone?" Skyla asked looking around.

"I'm not sure, maybe they left?"

"Maybe. Let's go! You know Lalna what does he like?"

"Um science, music, painting-"

"Painting?" She asked curiously.

"Yeah, he's actually kinda good at it." She nodded.

"Ok, anything else?"

"Um not that I know of or want to talk about."

"Ok so what kind of thing do you want to get him?"

"Well he talked about getting new headphones but I don't think he has the money for them."

"No you can't get that."

"Why not?"

"Cause that's what I got him, I even decorated them. Something else."

"Ok, um oh I have an idea."

"What?" I smiled.

"It's a secret."

~~~~

Skyla waited outside the craft store while I bought Lalna's gift. When we left the mall I froze. In the parking lot was the gang that worked for William. I quickly grabbed Skyla's wrist and pulled her back inside.

"Hey what the heck Ridge!?"

"Shh, we can't go out there," I said quickly.

"Why not?"

"Cause um... Ok see those people out there?"

"Yeah what about them?"

"They work for William."

"How do you know that?"

"Cause they were the ones that took me to William."

"Oh, well we can't really leave without them seeing us then cause this is the only exit that's open."

"I know," I groaned.

"So what are we going to do?" I thought for a bit.

"Um run for it?" She nodded.

"Ok, how fast are you cause I'm pretty sure I could outrun you."

"I know you can, your dad made you take self defense classes."

"Ok so are we going to outrun them or can we try to sneak past them first?"

"We can try but I think they might recognize me."

"The key word here is sneak, as in they don't see you." I sighed.

"Ok we can try to sneak past them." Skyla smiled.

"Ok now just follow my lead." We calmly walked out of the mall and we tried to walk to the edge of the parking lot so we could walk the long way around them. I tried not to look at them so they couldn't see my face, but I think they knew it was me anyways.

"Hey it's the spy!" One of them shouted.

"Run!" I said panickedly. Skyla and I tried to book it but they caught up to us, ok more like they caught up to me. One of them grabbed my arm and yanked me backwards, I think they dislocated my shoulder.

"Hey beanpole we got a couple of questions for you."

"Hey!" Skyla shouted. They looked at her as she got into a fighting stance. They started laughing.

"Hey little girl scam!" She growled.

"Ridge duck." I quickly ducked down as she roundhouse kicked the guy that had my arm in the throat and he staggered back wheezing and coughing. She grabbed, thankfully, my good arm and we ran. We didn't stop running until we were about half a mile away from the mall. Skyla was panting and I was a little out of breath.

"Ok now they know me," Skyla said in between breaths. I nodded.

"You kicked that guy in the throat."

"I would have done that to all of them if I could." I chuckled then sighed.

"Well at least we got away." She nodded.

"Yeah, um are you ok? Your shoulder right is kinda um weird." I looked at my shoulder and it was slumped down lower than normal.

"I think it's dislocated."

"Oh, um when we get to the house I'm calling Ryan." I nodded.

"Ok." I sighed and we quietly walked home. I really hoped we didn't see that gang again.