The Personal Choice

Chapter 2

Chapter 2

“I’m punishing myself,” Ali said to herself as she forced her heavy, tired legs to move.

It had been three days since Dr. Reynolds told Ali that she either lose weight or die young. Well, she didn’t say those words exactly, but that’s what they sounded like to Ali.

“I’m punishing myself for not working out yesterday and for eating that extra slice of cheesecake.”

Ali forced herself to run a full mile without stopping. She was doing fine for the first quarter-mile, and then she’d gotten tired that she started walking. Then an older lady, maybe sixty or seventy, blew by her on the park’s jogging path and that motivated her to start jogging again.

Now it was almost nightfall and Ali was almost done with her mile.

“Just around that bend and you’re done. Sprint the last few feet!”

Ali came speeding around the bend when she saw the tall man from a few days ago. He was standing in the middle of the path with a man just a tall and intimidating as he was beside him.

Ali came to a grinding halt and stared at the two men. Her already racing heart picked up and was beating so fast she thought it might explode.

She felt adrenaline course through her veins as her fight or flight response kicked in. There was no way in hell that she was about to fight these giants but she was so tired from her run, there was also no way her fat legs could take her away fast enough. So either way, Ali was screwed. She decided to talk her way out.

The man named Rob took a few steps towards her and she started backpedaling.

“Hey there,” she started with a shaky voice, “I remember you, Rob right? From the doctor’s office?”

The man didn’t respond but Ali kept talking, “How you’ve been, huh? Doing alright?”

She gulped as Rob went to make a grab for her but she darted out of his reach.

He growled and Ali squeaked in fear. “Come here you little human.”

You little human? What the hell was he talking about?

“Rob, you’re scaring her. Back off and let me talk to her.”

Rob was then pushed out of the way and his friend introduced himself with a smile, “Hi there Allison, I’m Paul. Rob and I just wanted to talk to you.”

Ali felt tears start to well up in her eyes, “Liars. You don’t want to talk to me, you want to kill me!” She directed her statement towards Rob.

Rob scoffed, “I don’t want to kill you. You’re way too valuable now.”

Ali’s eyes widened, “You’re going to sell me into prostitution aren’t you? Please don’t, I look horrible naked!”

Both men gave each other a half pained, half confused look, and then looked back to Ali.

“Aw hell, just grab her, what’s the least she can do?”

That’s when Ali willed her exhausted legs to move and she took off, tearing down the jogging path, yelling for help at the top of her lungs.

“That’s what she can do. Rob, you’re an idiot,” Paul replied as he took off after the female.

He couldn’t believe this was Damien’s mate. He, Rob and Damien had always been friends; well, mostly he and Damien. Paul never really got along with Rob that much.