Hacker

chapter one

One year later

It had been one of those cold crisp nights when she was taken. The type of night when any regular person would have been huddled underneath their blankets with blinds drawn and door firmly bolted.  A fog smothered the maze like city and interuppted the light of the half cresent moon. Alison's breath puffed out in front of her in small crystal clouds. The icy air nipped at her bare skin of her face and arms mercilessly. The bag full of groceries banged annoyingly against her leg. She’d been walking back from the market to her cramped bedroom above the butcher’s. Alison had called the room home for the past two weeks and she was just becoming accustomed to the constant smell of blood. A cold wind whistled through the deserted alley way raising goosebumps on her exposed skin and the little hairs on the back of her neck stood up. The wind tugged her dark charcoal hair up to flutter around a heart shaped face. Silhouettes haphazardly danced on the dewy stone. Shivering, Ali quickened her pace, looking forward to the hard cot and meagre blankets that furnished her lodgings.

 The howling of the wind must have covered the sound of his approach. She had been stupid to walk the backstreets of the slums at this time of night or any time really. Her shadow shifted in front of her, doubling in size. A noise came from behind her, like feet scuffing on cobblestones. Two heavily muscled arms wrapped themselves around her waist effortlessly lifting her high into the air. The bag of groceries tumbled to the ground, it's contents rolling on the hard packed earth. She dangled there for hairsbreadth of a second, shock and fear pumping through her system, freezing her limbs. Then her instincts kicked in. Alison elbowed her attacker in the ribs and swung her head back hard into his nose. She felt his nose break with the impact, grunting with surprise his arms sprang open and he staggered backwards. She jumped and rolled out of his way.

 Alison crouched with her back pressed against the alley wall, accessing her situation. He took up most of the narrow alley way, blocking her escape. Glancing behind her the forms of two other lumbering brutes came into sight. Her attacker’s friends had just turned up. She held back the on rush of panic that threatened to drown her, it made her stomach flip painfully. She didn’t yell out for help, she’d learnt a long time ago that no one would answer.

 Alison searched the alleyway for a weapon, anything to defend herself. Her breath hiching painfully in her throat. At her feet lay the spilled groceries. Ali bent down quickly scooping up a carrot, the tip was pitifully broken and it’s juices stuck to her palm. She held it out in front of her like a knife. Alison wished she could feel cold steel in her hand rather than a vegetable, but it was better than nothing. Good job Ali you really have a chance now she thought. Alison turned her attention back to the first assailant. He held a club sized hand over his nose, blood dribbling through his fingers as he blinked away tears. His pale face was framed by dirty blond hair falling just past his thick neck. He was at least a foot taller than her and looked like he’d been force fed steroids his entire life. Muscles bulged through his dark jeans and his too tight T-shirt hugged his biceps. His oafish features creased as his dark eyes cleared of tears and filled with hate. He was her best bet.

 "Get back" she warned him, waving the carrot in his direction. Her attacker seemed to find her threat amusing.

 "Or what, you’re going to stab me with a carrot?" he said, chuckling at his own wit. The corners of his mouth lifting in a smirk.

 "If I have to" Alison said with false conviction. He took a menacing step forward. "Lets just part ways before someone gets hurt, OK. You can take the food for your troubles " Alison said hurriedly and gestured to the dropped groceries. She’d spent all her money on the food and it was what she had been planning to eat for the next week. Food was valuable in the slums where everyone was hungry and offering it was a last desperate plea, if he took it she could risk starving.

 "I’m not here for your food." Her attacker’s tone was dark and ominous and it spoke volumes. Panic ran like ice through her veins at his words. Her hand holding the carrot trembled and her stomach curled into a tight knot. No, she would not go down like this. Anger rose up, flushing her entire body and clouding her thoughts. She would not go down without a fight. Alison needed to do something and now, before his friends could reach her.

 "Well then, someone may have to get hurt" Alison said, hurling the carrot at his face with all her strength. The orange missile catapulted through the air, spinning haphazardly. It flew right past her attackers head, thumping into the wall but it was enough to distract him. Without thinking Ali ran straight at him, her footsteps pounding on the cobbled stone. The throb of her heart beat hammering in her ears. She was nearing him, four feet away, two feet and then she leapt at the last moment the wind pushing at her back. The shock on the man’s face would have been comical in other circumstances. She used his trunk like thigh as a step and propelled herself high into the air. Ali soared past him, the freedom of the adjoining street only meters away. Hope blossomed in her chest at the sight of it. But the big man had been quicker than she thought. A strong hand snaked out and clasped her ankle tightly, stopping her mid flight. Alison plummeted to the earth like a bird with it’s wings clipped. Smacking her head on the cobbles, it bounced back and forth in a pool of wetness. The world spun dizzily, she felt something break inside her. Pain erupted through her body and laced its way to her nervous system. The last thing she saw was a blurry pair of boots and then there was nothing but red.

-------------------

I hope you liked chapter one. I updated early because I had the time but updates will usually be on Saturdays. Thanks for reading, please vote or comment. I would love to hear what you think.