City of Thieves

Chapter 23: Blood Leash

Laura drove- no, sped, she foolishly sped- down the road, zig-zagging threw streets, desperate to get to the forest. She wouldn't offend herself with the idea of going back to her and Aron's little apartment.

Or to Dustin's place. Or anywhere. No, nowhere is safe. This city never was. Though at first, it was a psychopath's playground, a place to survive, a place to thrive. And now, shes diving down deep back into the well. But this time, she'll have to try to swim back up without becoming the water, to avoid drowning in her own self.

Dustin could help. He could be trusted, she knew. What was it with him? There certainly was nothing romantic going on. Oh no- certainly not. However there was something more of a territorial sense he had for her. A will to protect and teach. The day they fought, what had happened... it wasn't out of mercy as he thought. It was to keep her own self sane, but either way it was a sense of will, for both of them. He was a friend now. Someone to keep safe.

And with that thought, she continued driving. To speed down the streets, daring for any fool to chase her down. And with the familiar signs, the fresh scent of the forest wet leaves and ground dirt, she slowed down, just a bit. This old car could only go so far, so far until she reached the forest. What was she to do? She knew, she had to return to the orphanage. Find her answers there, and mournfully, get out of this city. And after that, she will decide what.

But for now, she hadn't even picked the fruit of the tree. Laura took a look into the rear view mirror, then locked her eyes forward, as she slammed her head on the steering wheel, her feet jamming down on the gas pedal. There was a thud, and the old car kept skidding on whatever it hit. She ripped her foot away, having raw skin scrape across the cold metal subsystems on the bottom half of the cloth seats. She cringed, bringing her foot back to hit the breaks. There was a crunching of bones- or possible flesh tearing.

She sucked in warm heavy air, looking about threw the window. It wasn't cracked, but there was blood, a long streak. She should keep driving, damning the fool stupid enough to jump in front of her. He could be coming, perhaps with a gang or worse. She shook her head, chewing on her lip.

Impossible, she was being foolish. So, she got out of the car. She stumbled out of the car, taking a quick breath on the door, dizzy from the sudden stunt. Blood stuck to the door as she took her head away, fogging around the edges, it was so dry and cold out. Creeping behind the rim of the van, Laura suspected suicide. Or maybe God sent her an angle to stop her suffering. No, God would do that, it would make her to happy.

It was a boy, with black hair and quite bigger than that of Laura.

Shit.

She kneeled next to his head, she had hit him. She had hit Aron. She flinched at the site.

"Aron? Aron!" She yelled his name. Her mouth, lips, and throat dry, fingertips hard as she shook him. A spiraling hole ripped inside of her, so loud she was surprised nobody heard it. How had this happened? Aron never took the streets. She dragged him around the van, a blood red trail behind him; a death leash. She didn't know how to check pulse, and she couldn't check his heart when he was flipped over like this. She silently prayed, attempting to push him up into the van.

"Laura." A voice spoke. A familiar voice.
"Turn around."
The dragging of steel on the concrete screeched. An axe.

Laura coughed a laugh into the cold air. "And here I thought a new friend would be a delight."

She turned. Her eyes dotted down James. The boy she fought in the ring of thieves. Damn her for being so amaurotic, for being so blind.

"Dustin sent you. To kill me." It wasn't a question.

His eyes milky and dull, but full of endless life as he spoke,
"To tell you would ruin the surprise."

He raised the axe and jumped for her. She was fast, but he was faster. He would not aim for her head, no, he needed her alive. She nearly got lucky to dodge the first then second swing, as close as he was. She would kill him, then get Aron out of here.

He swung again, she jumped back. He hit the axe into her arm and Laura fell on her ass. She screeched, he violently wrenched the axe out. She got back up on her feet just for him to hit her in the chin with the wood bottom of the axe. She shot back, steadying her head and readying her fists. He laughed, this was amusing to him.

"Quite a nice show you put on in the ring, Ms. Lady." He taunted her with the nickname she gave him. She swung her fist straight at him, he caught it.

James threw his knee into Laura's stomach, she huffed then exhausted a gag for air. James wrenched Laura around and slammed her on the old van, her arms tightly restrained. He laughed, she was getting her ass kicked, and it was humiliating.

"I guess this breaks the tie." He whispered into her ear.

The already foggy atmosphere completely clouded a midnight ghost into her vision as James slammed Laura's head once, then twice onto the van.