Ecstasy

Chapter 1

Sierra's POV

Tick tock. Tick tock. Lifting my arm up to look at my watch once more,  I began to feel an unsettling feeling grow in the pit of my stomach. Cayson had been in the shop for over twenty minutes, it should have only been five minutes. At least.

With a shake of my head, I exited his car and headed inside the shop. As I enterred the shop an instantaneous sense of isolation hit me, the shop was bare with customers and employees and products and foods are scattered around the floor like a storm had swept through.

The eeriness of the atmosphere shook me to my core.

Walking to the back of the shop, I noticed the back door was wide open. Scrunching my eyebrows in confusion,  I began to walk out the back door.

I couldn't help the fear that continued to grow within me, the back door was always locked and sealed and yet here it was.

Open.

Stepping into the back alleyway my eyes instantly laid upon the pool of blood on the concrete floor. Shaking, I stepped closer to the blood, my eyes still wide and petrified and it was as if my heart had stopped when I saw what was mixed within the blood.

A silver chain which had my name,  'Sierra' attached to it.

Cayson.

Smudging the blood off of it, I rapidly pull out my phone and call Maya as my heart beat so hard in my chest like the endless rhythm of a drum was playing. Between breaths, I recounted what had happened to Maya and by the quick intake of her breath she knew how serious this was and I knew she'd be here soon.

Pacing back and forth, I spotted the reflection of light coming behind a broken bin. Picking up the burner phone and scrolling through the messages when I saw his name I already knew. Tyrell Zhino. Rival gang leader. I should've known as soon as Cayson stepped out of his car he was already destined for a dreaded damnation.

As Maya rolled up in her car I only chocked out; "I have the address", before I ran into her car and sped off so fast, the world blurred into oblivion.

Drawing closing to the watehouse camoflaged by the towering woods which intimidated its surroundings, I could already sense the abandonment oozing from tge scenery. Its windows were all smashed in forming into the shape of glass shards which acted as razor blades daring to tear anyone who tried to sneak inside. The walls are coated in graffiti like it was a painter's canvas. And its roof which bore countless holes serving as an unsufficient shelter.

Rain started to beat down and the sun was obscurred from vision with grey storm clouds as I jumped out of the car and headed towards the front door with Maya tailing behind me.

Just as I was about to open the door, I felt Maya's gentle hand lay on my shoulder.

"Sierra."

With one nod of reassurance to one another we proceeded inside with caution.

Just stepping inside it was as though the warehouse was brought to life once more. The laughing and shouting of me  rung throughout the walls yet as soon as we started to advance further, the sound of heavy footsteps echoed behind us.

Pulling Maya and I into the storage cupboard behind us, I held my hands over both of our mouths in attempt to muffle our unstable breaths. The echo of feet got louder and louder until there was nothing.

A deafening silence.

Sweat poured down my face in anticipation and adverting my eyes to look at Maya's eyes which were wide and regretful, I couldn't help but mirror the same fear which was now branded across my own face.

It was like my worst fear had come true when the doorknob which decided our fate started to twist slowly, mocking us. The taunting of the turning handle serving as a reminder or the eternity we would face.

Bang.

One sound was all it took.

The handle stopped turning immediately and screams and shouts overtook the warehouse once more. So loud it felt as though the place was shaking. Police sirens could be heard approaching, along with the bellowing of feet slapping against the ground as the gang members paced from the scene.

As soon as the sound was gone I let my hands fall down to my sides and steadied my heartbeat and sped out of the storage cupboard towards the sound of the gunshot.

I can hear Maya chasing behind me but I don't care. All I want - all I need to do now is save Cayson. Reaching the door to the basement, I slowly opened the door, frightened as to what awaits me on the other side.

The stench of fresh blood hit me as soon as I entered the room, yet despite the nauseating smell I ventured further, the lump in my throat ceasing to swallow. And as I turned the corner it was as if my worst nightmare came true.

His body.

Cayson's body was laying lifeless on the ground, blood oozing from the hole between his eyes. It was like time stopped. I couldn't breathe. I couldn't blink. Until I could move my legs stoplong right before Cayson.

Dropping to the ground, I cradled his lifeless body in my hands. It hurts. My heart hurts so bad it's unbearable. Like someone is crushing my heart with their bare cold hands. The endless shatter of everything to nothing. Tears streamed down my face as I pulled Caysons body closer to my chest.

He was my everything. My world. My love. My life.

And just like stealing candy from a baby, he was snatched away from me. And my ongoing ache will never end, the emptiness in my eyes, the cracks of my heart and the blackness of my soul.

Cayson gave me the light, the freedom. Now he's gone. And so am I.