Drop dead

Chapter 1. The Gallows

Elizabella

Strange faces whizz by as I try to work out why I am here, and what I am meant to do with my life now that I have a second chance.

I didn't ask for it and I didn't want it.  But now, I hope he doesn't rest in peace.

Some part of me wishes that someone would recognise me, rescue me from this hell. But I know no good would come from it. My time has been and gone.

It's funny, if nothing had changed, if that day had not gone the way it did, I could be married, have a job and have kids. Like I always wanted.

But it did and nothing can change that now. But revenge can make me feel better.

The justice system is pathetic. You have to be rich or a man to be cared about.  At least, that's what my Grandmother told me. She just wanted me to marry rich and be good in the kitchen. All that boring stuff. 

"Hey! You! Get back here!" A man roars from down the street, charging out of a small bakery after to fleeing girls. One so small, she definitely couldn't be older than ten. The other was older,  With brown hair that looked like it hadn't been brushed in days. Something about that girl draws me to her, I have to know who she is. 

The man comes to a stop only a few shops down the road, heaving, shaking his fist in anger. Faintly, I see the girl smile in triumph, and I made the decision to follow her. 

I know that she can sense that someone is following her, but she doesn't know it's me, most likely, she'll brush it off as being paranoid. She did just steal something after all. 

 She twists and turns through the crowd, trying to shake the feeling. I know how it feels. She's got the younger girl clasped in her hands,  holding on for dear life. The younger girl, with matted brown hair, is laughing. 

They bump into someone, who yells after them angrily, shaking his head he moves on. The two girls start walking even faster, even though they are no longer being chased. Got places to be maybe. 

Behind me, I hear the man shouts, I turn my head for a second, he's patting his pockets frantically and I almost laugh. 

They duck into an alley, and I slow down, and pause at the corner, watching them. 

They come to a stop near the dead end, and pry open the door to a building, and they disappear. I guess this is where they live. 

I stand outside the building, looking up at the tall, abandoned building, the name is long gone. I remember this hotel, it was popular when I was a kid. it was where teenagers would go if they didn't want to be caught by their parents. I heard somewhere that it closed done after it being believed to be haunted. 

I walk away, maybe knowing where she lives will come in handy, but not today. 

Valentina 

I stood outside the bakery, taking deep breaths in and out. I can't believe I'm doing this, I promised myself I never would. 

"So? Are we going to do this or not? We don't have all day you know" Roxy says, the chewing gum she stole from a child not much older than her still in her mouth. She's irritated. I would be too. 

"Yeah, just bread, okay? Nothing more" I say to her and she rolls her eyes

"Boring" she mutters like I'm deaf. I ignore it

The shop owner looks up at us smiling as the bell chimes, I feel guilty but we've got no other choice. I browse the other options for a bit, making note of all the ones I one day want to try

"Anything I can help you with?" The man asks

'No thanks, just looking at the moment" I tell him, trying to hide my nerves. He nods, and goes back to his newspaper. Maybe this will be easier than I thought. 

"Sierra, have you chosen anything yet?" I ask turning to her, and she shrugs 

"Okay, how about we go to the bank and then come back when you have made a decision" I say and the man watches us, intrigued and Sierra nods. 

So I walk out the door first, the bell jingling once more

"Hope to you two again soon" 

It's only a second later that Roxy bounds out of the store, I grab her hand and start pulling her down the street.

"Hey! You! Get back here!" he yells and we start running. 

It feels like forever until I can stop running, and out of nowhere a crowd of people has formed, we must have turned onto one of the busy streets. 

I can't help but feel that someone is watching me, looking right at me, almost through me. Roxy always tells me that I'm too paranoid, so I brush it off.  

It's probably nothing. 

I spot a man walking towards us. It can't hurt, just for another day. People do it everyday, so why can't I? 

We've already stolen once today, another one can't hurt.  

As I suspected he comes close to bumping into us, all I need to do is move slightly in his direction.

He snaps at us, not noticing anything, and I pull Roxy closer, my heart pounding. Mother would have killed me if she had witnessed that. 

We walk faster, I don't notice if the man works it out or not, and I don't care. 

But I just can't shake that feeling that someone's following me, following us. 

Roxy kicks at the stiff door, and I push it, feeling the whole building shake. 

Eventually it opens and now we're safe. Nobody has found us here yet. 

And hopefully my parents will come before they ever do. Because they're looking for me, even if they've moved, they're looking for me. 

Ethan. 

Why is he here? I thought that he and his crew had made it clear that they were never, ever coming back here. Not to this dump for losers and weaklings.  

"Sup Val, little Rox" he says waving and Roxy waves back. 

"Never though we'd see you again" I say chucking the bread on the cracked bench. He shrugs

"I missed you two"

"We hardly know each other"

"I need a favour" 

"Get it from your mates"

"We had a disagreement"

"I'm not surprised, but we're not helping you" 

"Aw, but that's not fair"

"You screwed us over the last time" 

"I'm sorry?" 

"Just go, Ethan, we don't need you here" 

"Can't he at least stay for a bit, he might have a reasonable explanation" Roxy pleads, I forgot about her 'definitely not a crush' on him. 

"I do"

"No" 

"I brought fish and chips"

"Yay!" Roxy screams hugging him 

"When did she get so affectionate?" Ethan asks and I shrug, I barely can get her to hold my hand. 

"When you leave" I grumble, giving up, "he can stay for dinner, but then he has to leave, forever" and he smiles. Why does he always have to get his way? 

This can only end in tears.