Fixing Her ⇉ Simon Minter [2]

EIGHTEEN

I tugged tightly on my jumper as I pushed open the gate to an old park somewhere in London. Dan had messaged me to ask if we could talk, he told me he'd explain what he was upset about. Now I was here, I couldn't help feeling anxious.

I looked around as I walked through the park and towards a bench the other side of the land. The trees had lost their colour, the grass was slowly dying and the play-area for the kids was rusting, most likely abandoned.

It felt eerie, walking through the park. I imagined this was how most people in stupid horror movies died, they'd split up, end up in a park and get murdered. It sent chills up my spine.

I continued walking until I reached the bench, sitting down and pulling my jumper tightly around me. It was freezing here, why couldn't have Dan suggested a bloody café?

I sat on the bench for a while, a good fifteen minutes, before something stirred.

I was literally getting up from the bench when a black-haired, pale-skinned and angry-looking individual stepped into the park. He was dressed head-to-toe in black, his hands shoved into his jean pockets and his hood was up.

This seemed bad. Really fucking bad.

I slowly stood from the bench as the stranger walked towards me, his face slowly coming into view. He had a cigarette hanging from his lips and if looks could kill, I'd be unidentifiable.

I didn't say anything as the stranger finally arrived at the bench, his eyes locked on me. They were dark, black almost, as they stared at me, hatred simmering deadly.

"Do you know Dan?" I asked cautiously, thinking maybe Dan was pulling some weird prank. The man's eyes seemed to dart into slits and the next thing I knew, his hand was around my throat and I couldn't breathe.

"Don't you dare speak his name!" the man growled deeply as my fingers desperately gripped at his hand, trying to pry it away.

"Dan is mine, you understand? Mine and only mine!"

The man gripped my throat tighter and I managed a cry of pain, something to make him stop. He was crazy, absolutely crazy.

"You stay away from Dan or I swear to God I'll kill you," the man hissed, and I frantically nodded, my vision now slowly fading to black. I couldn't breathe. I was drowning.

Nobody was going to save me with time. Not now. Now, I'd be left for dead and I wouldn't be able to see him again. Him.

The man chuckled drily and shook his head slowly.

"Not enough."

My vision went black as the man let go and I felt myself falling.

And out of everything in the world, my last thought before passing out was him.

♕

When I woke up, I found I couldn't open my eyes. I physically could not open my eyes. Most people tell you not to panic, tell you you're going to be fine.

However, when there's nobody to tell you that you're going to be fine, that the sticky substance you feel on your face and fingers isn't blood, you kind of panic.

I let out a shrill scream when the panic set in, the scream I should've let out when the stranger grabbed me. The stranger that left me for dead.

My scream must've been loud enough because after a minute or two, there was the unforgettable crunch on the gravel.