How to hide a body

Shrewsbury Court

Tyler lightly pushed Quinn behind her as they walked into the narrow alleyway. The lights on the ceiling buzzed on and off showing the yellow stains all over the white walls. Raindrops echoed against the metal drains as it started pouring down. Quinn jumped back at the sound of thunder and her shoes squeaked against the floor. At the end of the alleyway were two dark figures and as they walked nearer, Tyler reached up to her pocket and brushed her thumb against the hilt of her pocketknife. With each step, Tyler tried to keep her breathing quiet. They were nearly there, within an arms reach. Quinn's foot slipped on a loose stone on the cobbled pavement and tripped forward.

That's when everything went wrong. 

All at once, Tyler was shoved against a wall, and Quinn was shoved away from her. She gasped as her breath was knocked out of her and everything around her seemed like one blur. The back of her head stung and something wet slowly trickled down her neck, but she had no idea whether it was the rain or her own blood. She struggled against her urge to just lie down and close her eyes instead, she pulled herself up against the wall. She tackled the nearest figure to the ground and through her hazy vision, she punched with all her might at whatever she could and her right knuckled started bleeding against and meshed with the blood of the person below her, surely knocking them unconscious,  She heard a sharp gasp behind her and turned to find Quinn with a knife in her stomach. She watched in despair as she crumpled to the ground barely breathing. All she could see was red.  

She didn't have time to draw her pocket knife as the other person came near her, maybe that was good and she wouldn't accidentally murder someone. A large hand clasped her neck and started strangling the life out of her. At first, she accepted it, she let them do what they came to do. But then she heard Quinn breathing heavily as she began to lose air and turned her head to her watching as a tear dripped down her cheek and splashed into the puddle of blood below her. 

Tyler grabbed her water bottle from the outside netting of her bag and smashed it against the side of the person's head, then shoved him away from her as his hands went to his head. She rubbed her throat and winced as she swallowed the blood that had come up her throat. She swiped at the person's legs with her right leg and sent them tumbling to the ground. Prowling around them, she cracked her knuckles as the blood trickled down them, she had too much adrenaline to acknowledge the pain she was in. She stared at the two people laid on the ground with no regret and turned away from them. 

She slid on her knees towards Quinn and zipped open her bag, taking out the bandages and she applied pressure to the wound without taking the knife out. She wrapped Quinn in her blanket and rested her legs on her bag. Her hands started shaking as the blood seeped through the bandages and she felt bile rise in the back of her throat. 

"You're going to be ok. You don't have to worry," Tyler whispered to Quinn, her voice cracking at the end of the second sentence as she tried to cover up her own nervousness, "I'll call an ambulance. They can help you," she brushed her jacket off and urgently patted through the pockets for her phone.

Quinn stopped her as she raised her phone to her ear, "They'll arrest you."

"Are you joking? You'll die without their help."

"I don't mind. I don't want you to spend your life in prison."

"I'm not arguing about this," Tyler brushed her hand away dialed the number.

"Tyler don't, you're going to ruin your life."

"Do you think that matters to me?" Tyler yelled as the number ringed, "I don't give a shit about my life. But I do give one about yours."

"911, what's your emergency," the operator's voice echoed throughout the alleyway.

"It's my friend, she's been stabbed. You've got to help her... please," Tyler begged as tears streamed down her face.

"Please stay calm," Jai ran into the alleyway and rushed over to them, "what's your name and address?"

Tyler protested as he took the phone out of her hand and wacked her hand away as she tried to take it back, "Jai Odedra, and umm we're at Shrewsbury Court," he glanced back at Quinn and Tyler as she applied pressure onto Quinn's wound again.

Jai nodded as he spoke to the operator and sighed out in relief as he hung up, "they're on their way."

"Tyler get out of here," Quinn gasped as sweat started to paint her forehead.

"What?!"

"Run, find out who did this."

"I'm not leaving you."

Quinn grabbed Tyler's hand and grazed her thumb over her knuckles, "you are this time," Tyler went to protest but stopped when Quinn shook her head, "I've got Jai to keep me safe and he'll tell you what happens, ok."

Tyler nodded as her lips trembled, "ok," she croaked, "stay safe," she kissed Quinn's forehead and winced at the ground swaying around her feet as she stood, "tell me if anything happens."

Jai nodded and patted her arm lightly as she walked past him and towards the opposite end of the alleyway to the one they entered in. She glanced back one more time at Quinn who attempted to smile at her and gulped as she emerged from the alleyway on her own. 

It was time to solve a murder.