The Smell Of Spray Paint

Twelve.

It took a lot of convincing from Gilbert's side to get me out of the window and holding on to the ledge. If it hadn't been a life or death situation I would have never done it, every time I accidently glanced down I felt dizzy and my arms hurt from holding on so tight.

So it seemed kinda unfair that he was still beside me, I was teetering on the edge of falling from the top of a building and he wasn't doing anything but glaring up at window we just came from,

"Gil'..." My hands were getting sweaty and bit down on my tongue as imagined slipping, "Gil', we really gotta go! I'll fall."

"You know," His voice was gruff, "Fucking with me was enough but he should have not touched you..."

"What do you- Wait!" Before I could ask what the heck he was talking about he was like a spring, jumping back up and entering the window again, "Stop!" But it was too late, he was gone, "Gilbert!" I shouted after him. No reply.

Then he stuck his head back out the window, "Wait for me." He said as loudly as he dared and disappeared again.

"I can't!" I didn't know if I was talking to him or myself. Either way, he wasn't coming back. I pressed my lips together as I thought and a pained look crossed my face as I decided the only option that didn't involve plummeting to the hard wet tarmac under me was to follow him.

I thought climbing up the small distance from where I was to the window would have been maybe a little easier than going down but I was so wrong. Going up was just as bad, Gilbert scampered up like some kind of monkey, I swear, at some points he wasn't even touching the wall but I was lumbering, more like an elephant. I hated the uncertainty as I looked for footing, and when I found it, the fear that it wouldn't hold my weight.

My arms were shaking under me as I pushed up one last time, my feet flailed against the brick work trying to push up and finally, with a thud that made me cringe at the noise, I was back in the room I never wanted to see again.

I averted my eyes from the chair I was tied to, just seeing the dark wood made me feel ill, and rubbed my arm where it hit the hard tiles under me. Getting to my feet I looked around and horror filled my gut when I saw the door was open.

I stumbled back, pressing myself to the wall. I could hear voices through the door, Gilbert's and Judas'...

I crouched and shuffled over to the door, sitting just beside it to listen, I made an effort to keep my breathing steady but didn't hold it, a gasp or an exhale could give me away in an instant. I kept still and tuned in.

"It was enough what you did to me, but you have made a mistake going after Mattie." It was Gilbert. He sounded angry but wasn't shouting. Gilbert had gone past rage to cold fury.

I touched my fingers to my chin and furrowed my brow; Gilbert had implied already that Judas had done something bad to him but what? He never said anything, and Gilbert never kept stuff quiet.

Judas replied to him in his usual tone, though I couldn't make it out... I realised after a second it was because he wasn't speaking English, he had replied to Gilbert in German.

"No!" Gilbert raised his voice and I heard a movement and I yelp from Judas before a low thud, "You do not use my language! You make a disgrace of it!"

I hear another bump and a gasp for breath, had Gilbert been holding Judas by the throat?

There was a hoarse coughing that affirmed my suspicions and I didn't even feel guilty for the satisfaction that gave me. I mentally cheered Gilbert in between my desperation from him to get the heck out of there before he got hurt.

"Always the patriot." Judas said, obeying Gilbert, "You had no trouble spilling your abuses at me in your mother-tongue back then."

I clicked my tongue, what were they talking about!?