Anywhere, Any Time, at Any Cost

Chapter 23: I still have a chance

I still have a chance of getting out of here. And I can't waist it,because it's my only chance. My only chance to escape and save myself and Jessica. I'm gonna bring back help, as I promised her.

Finally I manage to pick the lock and it unlocks. I open the door,but he's already behind me.

I feel a staggering pain in my back and realise he's now stabbed me with the fork. He grabs me from behind and I kick my legs to escape. I reach the fork and pull it out, no matter the pain. I can't think about the pain right now. I have to fight.

I try to stab him again, but he's stronger. He's holding me so tight I almost can't breathe. He's taking me to the room and halfway across the hallway I manage to stab him with the fork in the leg. He let's go of me a bit and I use the opportunity to escape out of his grab,his arms.

I run back to the door,but he right behind me. I manage to get throught the door and close them,put he tries to push them open again which means I have to hold them from the other side.

He's very strong. I tell myself I'm stronger. Then I suddenly think of mine and Elliott's moto and start repeating it:"Anywhere, any time, at any cost."

I repeat it and it gives me new strength to shut the door back and run as fast as I can.

He's running behind me, so I have to be very fast. I was never particullarly fast, never went running,but now I feel like I have all the strength in he world. I feel like I'm on fire. And all the time I think about Elliott.

Soon he starts to lose me and I realise I'm running in the sewage system. I see some stairs and climb up. I see him below me and climb as fast as I can. When I reach the top and open the steel cover I see I'm in a forest. I choose a direction and run that way. I don't know where I am,but I am determined to escape,to make it to the nearest public place.

It cold and my bare feet are burning. My legs are tired,but I tell myself I can't stop. I'm still only in my underwear and soon I start to feel the cold.

I don't know how long I've been running for or if he's still following me, when I reach a house.

I am very grateful and relived. I'm finally safe.

I knock and a lady opens the door. I explain everything and she lets me in. Then we call the cops.

She gives me a shirt and some pants and cleans my wounds. Conveniently she's a nurse and she tells me I'll be OK. She says the wounds aren't so bad and takes care of them by plastering them in band-aids.

Half an hour later the cops are at her house along with my dad and Elliott. The medics want to take me to the hospital,but I refuse, even though I'm in pain. I need to show them the way back, before it's too late. I need to lead them to Jessica.

Dad and Elliott both hug me when they see me and start asking me if I'm OK, what happened, if he hurt me and they insist I go to the hospital. But I tell them I can't because he still has Jessica.

So the cops follow me through the forest and after some time we find the steel cover I came through. The cops go down,but when they come up again one of them says:"No one's down there. Are you sure this is the place."

I look again and nod. I'm sure.

Then he says:"Then they're gone."