Did I Ever Mention

Chapter 9

This was not happening.

Someone was probably already chasing after her after reviewing over the security cameras.

"Tamika, HELP ME!" Acclie screamed. "Please, help me...." She crumbled to the ground. Just as she was about to bang on the door again, it opened.

Tamika looked really, really bad. She had few teeth; the ones she had were decaying, her hair was in a frayed mess, her skin had scabs everywhere you happened to look on her complexion.

"Tamika?" Acclie gasped. She couldn't believe it was her for a few moments.

Tamika was fidgety. Her eyes kept scanning around.

Acclie came to the conclusion she'd been piped up on methamphetamine.

"What the hell happened to you Tammy?" Acclie cried.

"Aint nothin' happened. I just got hard times 'bout me," Tamika shrugged one shoulder slightly. "Things have changed 'round here ever since you last saw me. Momma died, Daddy died, same with brother and sister. I aint got no life ahead of me. What you doin' here anyway? You got all rich and aint wanted nothin' to do with me." Tamika fidgeted her fingers around and shed a small tear.

Acclie opened her mouth to say something. Anything. But nothing came out. "I never meant to... hurt you... We were best friends, Tammy. You had the life everyone wanted. Not me. Remember that?"

Tamika didn't respond. Instead she looked past Acclie. "Oh my Jesus, help us." Tamika whispered.

Acclie whirled around and saw small figures running toward the apartment complex. Were they running to catch her? "How long they been comin' for you?" Tamika asked. She hustled Acclie inside the disgusting apartment.

"It doesn't matter. Did they see me? Us?" Acclie asked, horrified.

"No, I doesn't think. They wasn't lookin' up here. I saw them in the nick a time." Tamika closed all her windows and pulled the ripped curtains over them. She bolted the 4 locks on her door over, and pulled the chain lock over, too. She stashed somethings underneath her "couch'" and signaled for Acclie to come next to her. Acclie obliged.

"Look, I got a hidden passage underneath here. I only got it to use for emergencies. Only had to once, when the damn F.B.I raided my 'partment. You aint got nothin' to worry 'bout down there. Just keep walkin' forward, 'nd don't look back. It was good seein' you. I didn't know what happened to you, Accles. You be safe once you get out. Now, go." Tamika opened the secret door after lifting up the loose carpet. She helped her down. "Go. Now!"

Acclie crawled into the square opening. There was a small ladder for her to use to step onto the wet, cold ground. "Tammy?" She looked up but saw that the covering to the passage was already closed. She let out a silent sob as she heard pounding above, along with voices.

"We know you're in here! Open up!"

Acclie covered her mouth with her hand so she wouldn't screm as she stepped off the ladder. The passageway was a huge tunnel. It was pitch black, except for a light on the tunnel wall ever so often. The tunnel seemed to go on forever.

She started running in the tunnel as she heard angry, angry voices directly above her. She ran until her body forced her to stop. Acclie couldn't hear the voices anymore, or see the first light by the ladder. She sunk down and rested against the cold tunnel wall.

 Acclie hoped she was safe. She trusted Tamika's word. Acclie would go back for her someday, before depression got the best of her, or she happened to have a drug over-dose. Acclie felt tired, sick, hungry, and thirsty. She hadn't eaten in.. well.. however long she was asleep in her hospital room. It was crazy to think that just a few weeks ago she was having a fun time sleeping with Chris and hanging out with Karra. Oddly enough, Acclie missed work, too. Her co-workers (she could ramble every single one off) were most likely freaking out.

Acclie rested her head in the palm of her hand. She started weeping. What the hell was she supposed to do after she found the end of the tunnel? Just step outside and say "I'm free!!!!!". Hell no. Acclie rested on her side and dosed off.

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"Pssssttttt!"

Acclie's eyes fluttered open as she bolted upright. "Huh!?"

"Over here!" She heard the voice again.

Acclie peered in the direction she heard the eerie voice. She didn't see anything.

But as her eyes adjusted, she saw a black lump crawling toward her.

Acclie scrambled backwards and started screaming hysterically. "Get away from me!" Acclie staggered up and was ready to kick the lump if it came any further. "Who the hell are you and what are you doing in here!"

The lump formed into a tall, lean silouette.

Acclie's face quivered. "Uh... Can you answer me?"

The silhouette pulled off its hood.

"I'm here, probably in the same boat as you. Running away."

The voice was a woman's. Why didn't Tamika tell her there was another runner down here?

Acclie tensed up. "Let's walk a little further please? To the next light? And keep your distance. Don't test me."

Acclie started a few paces ahead of the woman. She glanced over her shoulder every few steps to make sure the woman wasn't getting ready to stab her or anything. The woman had pulled the hood over her face again and kept her head bowed. Acclie thought she looked REALLY creepy. The woman looked like a killer from a horror flim.

After a couple hours, they reached the next light. Acclie turned around. "Let me see you."

The woman placed the backpack she had slung over her shoulder against the tunnel wall. She pulled off her hood.

The woman had striking, high cheek-bones. Her platnium blonde hair was shaped into a bob-like pixie cut. She had deep green-brown eyes.

As the woman took off the black sweatshirt she was wearing, Acclie saw she only had on a faded pink tank, no bra. It didn't matter though; her boobs were tiny. She wore baggy, ripped up sweat-pants, and was barefoot.

The woman was literally skin and bones. She could see tiny bones underneath her thin layer of skin.

"Oh my God," Acclie whispered. "Do you have something to eat?"

The woman said nothing and shook her head. "I don't have anything."

"What's your name?" Acclie murmured.

"Red." The woman eased to the floor and leaned against her backpack as a back rest. "Red." She repeated.

"Red, I'm Acclie." Acclie sat down next to her. "How long have you been trying to get out of here?"

"I dunno. Lost track. I don't know if I'm even going the right way out of here anymore." Acclie saw tears falling from the corners of Red's eyes. "Then, just last night, I saw you walking. You drifted into a sleep. I realized I was going the right way."

Acclie reached over and wiped Red's tears away. "Who sent you down here and why?"

"I don't like questions, okay?" Red scooted away from her. "Why don't we just get some sleep for tomorrow."

Red was already curled into a ball, asleep, before she could reply. Acclie grabbed Red's sweatshirt Red had taken off and placed it over her.

After she got it situated over Red's tall torso, Acclie leaned in and gave Red a kiss on the forehead. "Sleep tight, Red."

As Acclie curled into her own ball, she cried. Cried because she wasn't alone anymore.