Tied To Me

30 - Pierced skin

Friday, 17th March 2017

"Happy reading." I smile at the customer as he just bought a few books.

"They're actually for a friend." He says.

"Well, happy reading to him then." I chuckle and the guy does as well before leaving the store.

I sit back down and continue my work on the computer. It's been a busy day today, since Alison put a sale sign at the front and lots of books are 50% off. That's a pretty great deal if you ask me.

"Hey, Aurora," Johnny comes from the back. "I have to meet my mom at the airport in an hour and a half. Will you be okay on your own for this half an hour?"

"Of course," I say. "You go to the airport."

Johnny thanks me and then exits the shop in a hurry. We've been working the shift together and it's been very fun to be with him and not alone. We talked the whole time and I actually enjoyed being here. Dean dropped me off here and even wanted to stay for the entire afternoon, but I convinced him to go to the club, because he has work there (not gang work) and Johnny is here with me, so I won't be alone. And I wasn't ... until now.

That's why I decide to call Dean and tell him to come pick me up. I'm closing in half an hour and I know he'd freak if he came here and figured out I was alone.

"Hey, can you come pick me up now?" I say to Dean when he picks up.

"Yeah, I'll be there in 10 minutes."

"Great, bye." I hang up the phone and get back to work. I still have a cart of books to put on the shelves and tidy them up a bit.

I stand up and push the cart of books into an aisle of bookshelves, where I begin my work. The store is completely empty, since it's almost closing time and people rarely come here this late. Plus, I don't mind being it empty at the end of the day, because that gives me the time to tidy up and do what I have to before closing up.

But I faintly hear the door open and close minutes later. "Hello." I call out to whoever entered, so they know I'm here. No one answers me back which is pretty weird. I round the corner and walk over to the counter. "Hello?" I call out again, but no one answers. I shrug my shoulders and go back to work.

Just when I put a book on its proper place, I hear a sound at the counter. I sigh and go to check it out, but no one is there. The only sound that is heard in the entire store are my footsteps.

When I come to the counter, I see that the folders are scattered along the top of it. The weird thing is that I didn't leave them like this. I've put them away right before I went to stack the books. I know that much.

I begin to put away the folders, but a sound can be heard from behind me. "I like the place." I finally turn around and am face to face with Sid and his pocket knife. That was the sound – his knife. He takes a step forward, but I take a step back, petrified. "I know you have one of my men." My eyes widen as he says that and I know perfectly well why he's here. "Your expression tells me you know what I'm talking about."

I snap out of my petrified trance and break in a run towards the back of the store, where the back door is. I was about to round the corner, but am being yanked back by Sid tugging at my hair. I scream out in pain as I hit the floor, my head now hurting the most.

"Don't try to run, baby." Sid chuckles. "It's no use." I try to get up and run, but he kicks my side and I am back on the floor.

I scream out in pain from the hard kick to my ribs, but he doesn't care. "What do you want from me?" I choke out, but scream out in pain once again as he yanks my hair. I try to break free, but his grip on me only tightens.