Heritage of Light

Chapter 5

So this is where the action really starts. Hope you enjoy this chapter! :D

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Kaelie inhaled deeply, relieved to be outside in the fresh air and alone. The sun had nearly set. The streets below were lit up mainly by lights hung from various buildings. People passed by her to get to and from the restaurant, but no one took any notice of her state in the weak light. She remembered the car had come up the main street and followed it down towards the city. At the bottom of the steep hill all the streets looked the same. The hotel must have been further than she remembered. One of the larger streets continued onto her right and she decided to follow it, knowing the hotel was close by the beach. If she could get down to the beach, she would eventually pass by the hotel. There was a sign at the end of the street pointing towards the beach. Her stomach still threatened to empty its contents every few minutes. Tired, she looked for a shorter way to get to the beginning of the beach. She could not afford to pass by the hotel by accident. A narrow street led from the main street to another street further down. The street looked to be parallel to the beach. As she wiped the sweat off her forehead, she realised it was not a narrow street, but a dark alley filled with trash containers. It was likely the backside of a row of shops and restaurant where they had their deliveries and emptied out their trash. For a minute, she stood still hesitating. There was not much light in the alley, but going through would only take two minutes.

Too tired to walk around, she stumbled into the alley. It reeked of garbage. The rotting food and animal stool had her retching, but her stomach was already empty. She hurried forwards to get away from the stench. Around her, the walls were covered in graffiti. Most of them casual tags that could be found anywhere. One of the patterns caught her attention. It stood out from the others and looked more like a symbol than a tag. The symbol was coloured with a silver substance that looked like paint. It was drawn into an intricate pattern. Thin lines going outwards from a central point, almost like the legs of a spider. She quickened her pace at the sight of the symbol. Halfway through the alley, a chill crept down her spine. The feeling of being watched returned and she heard two voices approaching behind her.

Quickly, she ducked behind one of the large thrash containers. She peeked around the container just in time to watch to figures stride into the alley. Immediately, she wished she had taken the long way around. The unwell feeling from earlier in the week came back and settled in her stomach. Intently, she focused on the sound of their footsteps and their voices. Had she been closer to the other side of the alley she would have simply hurried onto the street by the beach. Being in the middle of the alley, she knew they would catch up to her before she reached the main street. If she was the reason they were there. There was a chance they were tourists like her, simply walking back to their hotel like her. Yet, something in her gut told her they were not there by coincidence.

The part of the alley where she was hiding was almost dark. Since the men were still in the beginning of the alley, she dared another peek. She could only make out their figures against the street in the background. One of the men were tall. Approximately six and a half feet with dark hair reaching to his shoulders. The other man was slightly shorter with light brown hair. As the tall mans voice carried through the alley, she ducked behind the container again.

"She went this way a minute ago. She is here somewhere. Probably hiding behind one of the dumpsters or in one of the doorways".

Her heart sank as her worst fears were confirmed. They had followed her.

Panicked, she tried to go through her options again. To stay hidden seemed like a bad idea. It was one thing if they were tourists out walking, but since they were looking for her, they would find her as soon as they reached her part of the alley. It would probably only take them a few minutes. That gave her a short amount of time to come up with a plan. She would not stand a chance in a fight. In the end, it was inescapable. Her only chance was to make a run for the other side. If she did not get there, all she had to do was get close enough for someone to hear her scream. The odds were far from good, but she could not just give up and wait for the men to find her.