BEFORE IT'S TOO LATE

The Choice

Frightened by what she saw and whoever was behind her. Avery just kept running, ignoring her breathlessness, the chills brought by the cold breeze of the night, and even the fact that she was all alone in a dark alley with nothing but herself. Still confused and very much terrified, Avery run and run until she is certain that she have established a distance between her and the murderer.

Flashback

Avery just arrived home; she just changed her clothes into a white tank top partnered with a denim jacket and ripped jeans. She tied her hair into a messy bun. All is set and she was ready to leave.

"Ave, come let's eat." She heard her grandma calling her. Her grandma seemed to notice that she's all dressed up, "Are you going somewhere?"

"I'm going to Ellaine's party. I'm leaving, bye." She answered her grandma without even looking at her. But her grandma said, "Can't you just stay here? I'm not feeling well and you barely grace this house with your presence, do your parents even know about this?"

"What about my parents? It doesn't matter they don't even care, but whatever as if I care." Avery answered in such a normal way as if she was just talking about some usual weather news. " Avery I know you think that we don't love y---" Avery cut her grandma and said," Grandma! I said I don't care!"

"Don't you dare raise your voice at me little girl. You weren't always like these remember? Oh dear, what happened to you my poor little Avery."

Irritated, she said, "Whatever, I'm still leaving." Her grandma looks weak due to her sickness but still Avery turned her back on her to live when she heard the lonely voice of her grandma, "your parents are abroad to be able to support you. They do love you even if they don't show it. And always remember that no matter what, I will always love you more than you'll ever know, Ave. so there's no reason for you to say like this."

She heard every single word, but she never looked back. She left the house as soon as she came. There wasn't any point of staying anyway. Love, her grandmother say when all they do is to give her money as if she was asking for it. Doesn't it ever occur to them that what she need is not money?

She was deep in her thoughts when he saw Billy, a strange looking guy who she always seems to see outside their house, she smiled and went on her way. It was always odd since he walked up to her and introduced himself out of nowhere. Him wearing a bull cap, ragged jeans and baggy jacket under the heat of the sun made him even more suspicious. Avery reached for her on new bought vintage pouch when her wallet fell, she picked it up.

"Hi," startled by Billy. He was able to catch up to her and was now in front of her, Ave wasn't able to say anything. And so Billy continued, "You look like you're going to a party. Do you want me to come with you? I could offer you a ride. My car is parked just a few blocks from here."

"Uh, no I'm fine," Avery answered. "Are you sure? Come on, I insist just this once, besides it's free," Billy said in such a cheerful manner as if they've know each other for so long. But it was making Avery uncomfortable, "I'm sorry, I don't want to. I gotta go," she walked past him as soon as she can and started walking faster. Billy was acting absurd.

She arrived at Ellaine's where people are everywhere fooling around and drowning themselves with alcohol. Ellaine's house was famous for hosting a party, a huge house and her parents are always out of town. What else could they need? She saw Ellaine, "I saw weird Billy again; and grandma, she never changed."

Ellaine understood what Avery was implying, "oh poor you, come on there's more drink on the fringe. Let's just party, okay?"

Avery drank her thoughts away. She danced and fooled with her friends until she can't remember a thing. She was used to this. Drinking, then waking up, then going home to change clothes, then leaving again. This has turned normal in her routine. She opened her eyes and feeling the need to be hydrated, she went her way to the kitchen. The party was done; there were no people making noise and there's trash everywhere. It was dark but it's fine, she knows her way around Ellaine's house. She was walking slowly when tripped onto something or rather someone. She was surprised but what could she expect of a drunk person, oh they could lie anywhere they want. She was about to get past the person when she noticed the blood gushing out of her stomach. It was Ellaine, her blood was now the color of their carpet. She collapsed in sheer horror. What happened, she can't say a word. Avery stands to look for her phone and call the police when she noticed that it was not only Ellaine's blood on the floor. It was only now that she noticed the familiar faces of the people lying with not even a hint of life on their faces.

Avery was crying. She doesn't know what to do, how could all this happen while she was sleeping. She was still shocked when she saw a man wearing a baggy jacket standing on the kitchen facing his back at her. She called him, "Thank God you're alive. Do you know what happened here?" The man faced her. He was very much alive but when he turned and faced Avery, he was holding a person on his other hand and a knife on his other hand. "What are you doing? What's with the kni---" she wasn't able to continue what she was saying when the guy stabbed the person to death. He knew the guy that he was stabbing, it's Johnny her friend, lifeless and all bloody. Avery can't help but scream in horror, "NO! STOP! WHAT HAVE YOU DONE!!!!" Avery was crying. She can't stop the tears from falling when she realized that the man have dropped Johnny on the floor and was on his way to her.

She doesn't want to die. Nobody wants to die. So she run and hid at the back of the shelf. Panicked and shaking she grabbed a book to protect herself. She could hear the footsteps inching closer and closer to her. Every passing second made her heart race faster and faster. The anxiety was killing her so she decided to run for it.

She disregarded the book and went for the door. She looked behind and immediately regret doing so for the man was already after her.

Frightened by what she saw and whoever was behind her. Avery just kept running, ignoring her breathlessness, the chills brought by the cold breeze of the night, and even the fact that she was all alone in a dark alley with nothing but herself.

She jumped out of the road and bump into a cab. Still terrified she got in. She can't think straight she was just crying and crying. She wanted to go home. Looking back, she saw the murderer on the dark side of the road looking straight back at her.

She's safe now though. She looked back again and thank God the murderer is not there anymore. Upon arriving their house, she went straight to her grandma's room, to her surprise she saw her lying in the bed swimming in her on blood. Puzzled she just went on her knee crying and hugged her grandma being sorry for all she have done.

"Grandma, l'm sorry! I'm really sorry for leaving you like that. I'm sorry! I'm really really sorry for what I have done. I didn't know that this will happen. I completely understand if you won't forgive me. I'm such a terrible granddaughter. What an ungrateful child am I. Sorry and I love you grandma."

On her mourning she felt someone's presence in the room, she looked back and saw the murderer right in front of her ready to kill any living thing specially her. Inch by inch the murderer gets closer and closer where Avery is kneeling. He grabbed Avery's hair outwards making her gasp for air. She breathes heavily because of her situation, the knife got up to her neck, little by little drops of blood are falling. She screams on top of her lungs, then she suddenly heard someone waking her up.

"Ave, wake up you're having a bad dream" Ellaine was shaking her worriedly.

"What?"

"You're having a nightmare. Are you okay?"

Sigh! What a relief it's nothing but a dream.

She's still in Ellaine's house. She immediately jump out of the bed and went home searching for her beloved grandmother.