St. Jimmy's coming Down across the Alleyway

Chapter One

(Rachel's POV)

The cold rain whips me in the face, drenching me from head to toe. The wind is messing my hair, and blowing my unzipped coat all around my body, as I walk with my head down, hoping it doesn't mess my eyeliner too much. It's freezing cold and dark on the streets of California tonight. The streets are empty as I walk briskly away from the bar I work in. I hate that bar so much, it's not nice where the guys are decent and just want to talk to you. No, they're all old harsh men and have no family to go home to, so they spend all their time getting drunk in a bar filled with smoke, and creeping on the young bar maids.

As I walk through an alleyway, I hear chanting muffled, as if it's coming from one of the houses, which is almost falling down and derelict. I stop to listen and can only just make out what the voices are chanting, "Saint Jimmy, Saint Jimmy, Saint Jimmy..." Saint Jimmy? What sort of a name is that, I laugh to myself.

I then hear the sound of someone shouting, his voice is sharp and feels like it could cut me in half if I'm not careful. When he's done shouting something I can't make out, there's more cheers, and shouts. I start to wonder what on earth they could be cheering about. It can't be something safe, or legal, or else they wouldn't be doing it in this wreck. Just as I'm in a daze wondering what could be happening, I hear a deafening slam of a door, and the sound of footsteps behind me.

"Ya'know, you shouldn't be out here, you could catch...a....cold," a male voice says. The same male voice from inside, but he's not shouting this time. I hear his footsteps coming towards me, they sound heavy and like he's wearing big boots, and when his foot hits the ground there's a small ting like metal against metal. "What are you doing here?" He asks, coming very close, so I almost feel him.

"What were you doing in there?" I say, trying to hide the fact that I'm shaking, and failing.

"That's none of your business," the man says, bending down to my height, I feel his breath on the back of my neck and a shiver goes down my back.

I turn around to look him straight in the eye. He straightens up. The man's about six foot tall, much taller that me. He has a half of his head covered in black hair swooped to one side, but on the other side it is completely bald. His arms and neck are covered in tattoos, and he has a lip piercing towards the left of his mouth. He's wearing a vest, which probably once looked very dashing on him, but now it looks worn out. On his bottom half there is a pair of black jeans, with rips all down the legs. Then on his feet there is a pair of high leather boots, with metal buckles on, which were probably making the ting noise as he walked. His face has dark, almost dead eyes, which look as if he's bearing into my soul. His lips look as if they've never even heard of what a smile is. His body has barely no muscle on it, his arms and legs look too thin for him. I notice he's quite attractive in an unconventional way, and I particularly like the way he is in full black, a contrast to his pale white skin.

"It is full well my business," I say, trying to be brave, and squaring up to him. "Were you doing something illegal in there, because if you were," I say, taking a deep breath and swallowing my nerves. "If you were, I'd have to call the police!" I say, my voice getting shrill, and I jab the air between us with my index finger.

"Now now," he chuckles, "You wouldn't want to do that now, honey." The left side of his mouth lifts up in a smirk, as he raises his right hand to brush some of the wet hair off of my face, his fingers trailing across my cheek. I shiver away from his touch, and he chuckles again. "What's your name?" He asks, drawing back his arm.

"Rachel..." I say, not even thinking about what I'm saying, I silently curse the man for dragging the words outs of me without even trying.

"Well, Rachel, I'm Jimmy. But you can call me St Jimmy,"

"I'd rather not," I answer him, taking a step back, since he's being getting closer and closer to me.

" Oh come on, Rachel. For me?" Jimmy says, taking a step towards me, causing me to step back again.

"I'm sorry, but umm... I've got to get home..." I say, trailing off that the end.

"But wouldn't you want to stay for a drink first?" He asks, stepping towards me again. Instead of stepping backwards I do a sidestep and end up on the right side of Jimmy.

"I'm sorry, but I can't," I call back, as I walk briskly with a bounce in my step away.