Dancing With The Devil

Chapter 11

I didn't even let myself think of an alternative though I could sense that part of me wanted to. The dingy window with no money, no car, and no plan didn't seem that wise. Still, I told myself that I had three minutes and that I needed to get away from this man who would drag me down to the border, whether I screamed and cried or clawed at the beautiful Canadian soil I stood on. I had to at least try to get away from him- that's what I kept telling myself anyway. I would never forgive myself if he took me back to that awful man and I had done nothing to give myself the best chance of getting away. I had given in once before to that beast and it had nearly cost me everything.

I awkwardly placed one foot on the old toilet, boosting myself up so my pelvis was at the same height as the lower window sill. It wasn't opened very wide, and it was beyond filthy, covered in webs and dust, but I just squeezed my upper body through the small gap and used as much power from my legs as I could to launch myself forward. The middle of my body seemed to get stuck, so I used my arms to urge my body forward, finally coming loose and ending up sprawled on the dirt, winding myself immediately.

I placed one hand on my stomach, trying to ease the pain as I wheezed with every breath, but I forced myself to my feet as I looked around for on-lookers. It was fairly late and quite dark so I doubted anyone could've seen me, but it didn't matter as no one was around. I forced myself to regroup my thoughts and formulate whatever plan I could muster up. Alistair had said three minutes and it felt like it had been a half hour already. I knew my perception of time was deeply flawed due to the adrenaline in my body, but it didn't matter, three minutes was not enough time for me to waste another second worried about having the breath knocked out of me. I ungracefully scrambled to my feet and frantically attempted to survey my surroundings. I knew that we were over an hour out of Ottawa and in a town of six thousand people, which meant there were very few places to hide and zero methods of public transportation that I could use to increase the distance.

I just started running, thinking that the further I got from the gas station the safer I would be. Everything else would come later.

The flimsy shoes I had on did nothing to prevent the aggressive impacts of my footfalls from thrumming up my legs, but I hardly noticed. My already hindered breathing immediately got worse, but I pressed on. I had run track in high school, had been quite the star as well, but I was certain I had never sprinted like I was running now. The threat was not disappointing my parents, the threat was a man who didn't understand and didn't care how awful my ex-fiancé was. And what would Josh do to me when he got his hands on me? I had seen the extent of what he would do to another man who crossed him, someone he had a minor spat with. But I had the potential to rip apart his perfect image. I pushed my body harder. I would not go back to him. I wouldn't let Alistair take me.

I watched as the limited amount of people who were milling along the street stopped and stared at me. I must've been quite the sight to see. I was still wearing the massive sweatpants that were two sizes too big and from the men's department and an old hoodie with some flimsy flats I had stuffed my feet into before being pulled out of my home. And now I was covered in dirt, breathing like a mad woman and sprinting my heart out in a small town late at night. I absently wondered if someone would call the cops just based on my appearance and bizarre actions.

But then I saw the most wonderful thing the world. A bright yellow taxi cab pulled over to let a young couple out.

I bolted across the street, eliciting a honk from the lone vehicle on the road, and darted over to the side of the taxi, my fingers brushing against the door handle to my escape.

The couple was clearly intoxicated, the dainty woman leaning against the man, but the man noticed me right away and made me pause.

"Hey lady, are you okay?" he slurred out, his body tipping towards me as he spoke.