The Cure

Chapter 8: Too fast for people

Sorry for any mistakes, let me know what you think!,xx

On my way to work, I think back to what happened Saturday night and Sunday morning...

Nathan put the heating on as we listened to random music on the radio. I couldn't help but notice how comfortable the seats were of the car and so I decided to become more comfortable and rest my head on the window. I watched as he concentrated when he drove, how he tightly gripped the steering wheel and how he would smile and sing to a song he liked. I liked the way he sang, it was different to the way he spoke; it was softer, more gentle. I listened to him sing and how calm it made me, and as I closed my eyes I felt myself become more tired..
I awoke to the bright light shining in and the duvet pulled to one side. Then, I realised I was in my own bed and that I had no recollection of even getting out of Nathan's car. I sat up, startled and left the bed, noticing that I was still wearing my dress. I then looked for my bag, which I found on the bedside table, next to a folded piece of paper, my name written elegently on it. I turned it over and saw a note reading,

Lily,
You fell asleep in the car, so I brought you home but Steph wasn't here, she must have stayed with Kelly. I hope you had a nice sleep,
Nathan

I couldn't stop smiling as I read it, each word making me feel giddy. My little moment was ruined when the front door slammed and I knew Steph was home. I rushed out to her and when I saw her, also still in her dress, I hugged her and she returned it.
"I'm so sorry about what she said about you," she apologizes but I shake my head.
"No need, I don't care what she says, how are you? After what she said," I don't fiish but she knws what I am about to say.
"I never want to speak to her again and I hope she know's that." I nodded and smiled, letting her go for a shower as I re-read the note...

I would never have expected Nathan to leave the note, or do anything so sweet. He must've known that I would be confused and the fact that he has thought of me like that also makes me smile. That weekend was spent by me working and watching the television with Steph. She told me how Kelly took her back to her flat, where she calmed her down. I understand why Steph got that upset and after everything Casey has done, I doubt she will have many of her old friends left, if she has any that is. I know she has lost Kelly and Steph, and me if I was counted as a friend, and Nathan. I couldn't help but feel a little smug when Nathan told me that if she was a boy, he would have hit her. I would have hit her myself, but I thought that it was Steph's night and mine would come soon. I just wonder if she will be at any parties soon.

I walk into the building and say a quick hello to the recpetionist, who's name is Lisa, and then make my way into the office where I need to start my report. I managed to finish reading quickly, leaving me time to write my report at work and not have to take it home. I say a quick hello to Sophie and Tim before starting to write how the storyline was captivating but not well thought threw and so on.
Somehow, Nathan pops into my head and I wonder what he is doing right now, whether he is working or not. He must do something to get money, otherwise how would he afford his car? Then I wonder what job he has. He wouldn't be anything to do with law since he gets into fights and I know from his body that he must do something very physical to keep as fit as he does.

I work threw my lunch and continue to write until I reach three O'clock. Hungry, I leave work and look for a McDonalds or another food place. I start to walk down my road, passing my flats and continuing on until I reach another road. When there is no sign of any shops, I walk a little further but when the amount of people passing me decreases and the houses look more vacant and dull, I start to panic as I don't know where I am. I turn around, hoping to go back the way I came, but when I reach two roads, I forget which I walked down and become more lost. I choose one of the roads and start to walk down it, hoping to see someone, anyone who could help me. The longer I walk, the more it becomes clear that I didn't get here through this road and as the sun sets behind the buildings, I panic further. The buildings around me become larger and look more like warehouses. I take out my phone but throw it back in my bag when I see there is no signal and is almost dead.
There, in the distance, I see a figure, a person, walking in the opposite direction to me. I don't know whether to be excited that someone may help me, or scared that they won't. Who would walk through here? Then, the person gets clearer and clearer, shortening the distance between us in a time too fast for people. I panic and turn around but within seconds, he is behind me and I can see him clearly.
The man behind me is good looking but terrifying. He has messy, uncut, black hair, matching his beard that hasnt been shaved in too long. His skin isn't tanned or pale but is odd against his red eyes. Then I realise, red eyes? Why does he have red eyes?
"Hello Lily-Rose," he rasps in my ear, making me shiver. He holds my stare for too long.
"How do you know my name?" I ask, afraid of the way he knows too much about me. He silences me by putting his right index figer against my cold lips. What will he do to me? What am I going to do?
"I know a lot about you Lily but I need you to be quiet," he warns as he grabs the back of my neck, slamming my body against the floor. I feel myself aching and as I try to get up, I am thrown once more, but this time, my hair has been pulled and my head has been pushed against a wall. I can feel the warm liquid oozing from the middle of my head and I feel hopeless as I am thrust once again on the floor. I start to cry as the pain becomes unbearable, shooting and stinging everywhere. The tears are silent as my throat feels swollen, as does the rest of my body.
"Too easy," he whispers as his fist lands in my face but before he can repeat his action, he has been removed from my vision and someone running at the same speed as him, is beating the shit out of him. I move myself so I am sat up and then, soaking the blood from my head with my jacket, I stand, steadying myself with a wall. I watch as the mysterious character punches the man, cracking, breaking sounds erupting from the man's face. His inhuman speed means that I cannot identify him and so I try and walk, but I almost fall, so I don't bother again. How do they move that fast? Why did he have red eyes? How did he know my name? My breathing gets faster and faster as I hear a huge crack and then, the fight is over. The man who hurt me lies there, lifeless and motionless on the concrete while the mysterious man drags him into one of the buildings. How? I feel physically sick as I watch his body being pulled and thrown, like he is nothing at all.
Nathan runs to me, using his extreme speed and I flinch away from his touch. The frozen, strange Nathan is back and it is probably because I am beeding, but he looks so hurt but how can I be bothered by that when he has just killed a man.
"Lily, please don't be scared by me, I promise I won't hurt you, I would never hurt you, you know that," he pleads but I just shake my head, tears falling from my eyes. How could he kill someone? He doesn't even have a scratch on him! Wait..has he done this before?
"You...you killed...you killed him." He nods, looking away from me, keeping away from me. "How could you? Anyone could see him," I point out.
"He will dissappear as soon as the sun rises, nobody works there and there are no cameras, he won't be found," Nathan confidently replies but I understand nothing of what he just said.
"Why won't he be there when the sun rises? How are you so sure no one will see him? How are you so calm about killing a man?!" I shout but it hurts and so I wince.
"We need to get you sorted out and after I will answer some of your questions, but only after," he clarifies, moving closer to me.
"Careful, I'm bleeding," I tell him but he just laughs a little.
"I'm facing my fear." He tries to help me when I stumble, but I move away from him, not comfortable with him near me. When I walk, he follows, keeping his distance.
"Do you really think I would hurt you Lily?" His hurt, dissappointed expression makes me feel guilty.
"No, but you just killed someone, so forgive me for acting a little odd."
"He wasn't a person Lily, he would have killed you if I wasn't there, a thank you would be nice," he harshly replies, scoffing.
"I didn't ask you to inhumanly run in and kill him," I reply, being stubborn.
"I wasn't inhumanly fast, you were just seeing things and would you rather it be you on that concrete floor, your life over?" For the first time in this conversation, words were absent from my mind. I wasn't seeing things, I may have hit my head on a wall but I could still see and what I saw was two men fighting quicker than I have ever seen before. I was not seeing things and even if he did save me, he killed someone. How could I thank him for that? I am grateful he saved me, I am.
"Penny for your thoughts." Startled, I answer with the truth, a choice I regret now.
"Even though I am grateful for being saved, I cannot thank a man for killing someone, not even if the man killed tried to kill me." He looked at me and as tripped for the third time, he steadied me and this time, I didn't remove his hand, instead I broke and leant on him as I collapsed, crying, no sobbing into his shirt.
At first, he was caught unaware so he was rigid, but then, he wrapped his arms around me as I lay against him in the middle of an abandoned street. I sobbed, clinging to him as he rocked me back and forth, shushing me, telling me it would be okay. He leant his back against a wall and I lay against him, feeling safe in a way I never thought I would.
"I'm sorry Lily, God I'm so sorry," he apologises. What am I doing? Oh yeah, I'm using a murderer I barely know for support.
"Why are you sorry?" I mutter the tears odd drops now rather than a heavy flow.
"Ive made you cry, I've caused this and I'm so sorry, I should never have... You shouldn't be...I'm just so sorry, okay?" I nod, not understanding what he really means. It feels like we have been here for hours, and when the sky turns darker, I know I have to go, I have to go home.
"I have to go," I inform him, getting up from his side. As I don't know where I am going, I let him lead me through the foreign roads until I see things I recognise, like shops and parks. I welcome the silence, I don't think either of us really want to converse with each other. I must look a state, blood on my head and clothes, bruising everywhere, smaller cuts on my body, my clothes dirty from sitting in the floor and being slammed against it. Nathan walks me up the stairs, assisting me when I need it and then he helps me inside.
"Steph?" I call but there is no answer, I wonder where she is. I drop my bags in my room and go to the bathroom where I see the full extent of my injuries. There is a large cut on my head, bruising on my left eye and both cheeks, cuts on my lips and as I look over the state of my legs, I see more small cuts and bruises. When I look at myself in the mirror again, I see Nathan behind me, and I scream a little, not expecting him there.
"Don't do that, you scared me to death," I say breathlessly, but he does not smile, instead he looks at the imperfections covering my face.
"I have to leave," he says but I hold his arm, delaying his exit.
"What do you want me to tell people when they ask what the hell happened to you?"
"Tell them you were attacked, but you don't remember any of it, I'm sorry you have to lie," he says, looking down. "I'm sorry I messed all of this up for you," he adds but I just pull him closer and hug him.
"I'm fine, you haven't messed anything up. I'll tell people I was attacked but I don't remember who it was and I wasn't carrying anything valuable at the time, it's fine. I want to know though, you promised you would answer my questions," I remind him, releasing him.
"No," he replies shortly and with that he leaves. Why does he do that? I think to myself as I start the water for a bath I plan on having. Before, I clean and dress my wounds, tears falling from my eyes, the pain unbearable. How could he lie to me again? He promised me it would never happen again and look what he has done. 
I soak in a bath, the soapy, hot water trying to relax the tens muscles in my body. I try and stop thinking about it, but the image of he man, his body just being flung into the corner, his face emotionless and uncaring. I don't know how Nathan could do such a thing, or even be okay with it. Unless he has done it before...