Running to Declan

Chapter 1: Running Scared

I pressed the towel down on my leg watching how the blood greedily clung to the cloth. I hissed through my teeth to keep from screaming and thought back of how I ended up here like this.

Just hours before, I was working at my job the Hunts Club and making arrangements for the next rock band to make an appearance. The club was run by Calvin Hunts and his family. I was walking by his private office when I heard him yelling and throwing things around. I'm not the one to snoop but no one was standing in the hallway guarding the door like usual. I stayed there and listened for far too long and seen something I wasn't supposed to.

One of Calvin's brothers slung open the door as I caught Calvin ripping a man's throat out. I was so shocked at what I witnessed that it took me a few seconds to move. Everyone in the room looked at me and smirked. I knew I had messed up big time and ran as fast as I could down the hall. I could hear them laughing and Calvin growling out in anger.

I was a dead woman running. I knew once they caught me I would end up like the guy that I just witnessed murdered. If I would have minded my own business I could be going home to my warm bed.

I drove like a mad woman to the police station and told the officer at the front desk what I had just witnessed. He called other officers in as I was finishing up, still hysterical. None of them ran out to investigate and told me to have a seat and calm down first. I knew then that they either didn't believe me or they didn't want involved because it was Calvin.

I got out of there and decided to get the hell out of this town. I stopped by my little apartment that I loved because it wasn't in the middle of town and was very quiet most days. I slowly walked toward my door and saw it had been tampered with. All of my money and belongings were in there. I pushed the door opened and was taken back from smell and the damage. Every piece of furniture and every wall had holes in them. Urine reeked from the floor where someone relieved themselves on it.

I ran to my closet and prayed as I searched that they didn't find my back pack with the money in it. It was still in the same place I left it. I stuffed as much clothes I could in it and left before they come back.

I drove for an hour out of town and didn't know where I was. It was late and I hadn't been paying that much attention to the road signs for the fear of constantly checking my rearview mirror. It was also pouring down rain and the roads were too dark. I ran off the road when I see headlights and couldn't correct it in time. The car slammed into a deep ditch and I felt pain instantly in my entire body.

Moaning, I grabbed my bag and threw open the door. There was no way I was sitting here. The rain was heavy and the grass was slippery. I fell to the ground and tried standing up but my knee gave out. I looked down and saw the blood seeping through my jeans. I willed myself to get up before anyone found me and limped off down the road.

There was no car anywhere in sight and I had no idea what happened to the one that was behind me. All I know is I limped for a while until I found civilization. It was a small strip of buildings and it was just my luck that a motel was in the middle of it. I hurriedly across the street and opened the door. A bell rang and an older man appeared at the desk. He took one look at me asked was I okay?

"Yeah, do you have a room?" I asked a little raspy. He studied me for a few more seconds before answering, "Yes, can I see your ID?"

I searched in my bag and pulled my ID out and slid it across the counter. I avoided his stare and looked down at the huge puddle of water at my feet. I knew I looked bad but all I cared about at that moment was sitting down.

The old man gave me my ID back and I paid him quickly. Without another word, I limped off to the room. Now, I sit here in front of the bed bandaging the gash in my knee. It needed stitched up but I wasn't about to do that myself.

I finally let myself cry out and hoped no one heard me. The pain in my body was not why I was crying. I cried for the loss of family, no friends, no home, and nowhere to go. I never had a backup plan. All I had was the green backpack that lay beside me in the floor. I gripped it tightly and held it to my chest.

Suddenly there was a rap on the door. I jumped from the scare and crept to the door. They knocked two more times as I tried to see who it was through the peep hole. It was too dark outside to see his face but he was massive. Running to my bag, I swiped it up and climbed out the back window. It was no longer safe to stay. The pain and sadness forgotten as I ran.

I heard booted feet pounding in the distance behind me and searched for a place to hide. A man opened a door to throw out a cigarette butt and I heard rock music playing. I caught the door before it closed and slipped inside but that was a mistake. Several men turned and looked at me and one looked ready to kill me for standing there. I jerked the door back opened and ran into someone's chest. Before I could look up to see his face he touched my forehead.

"Sleep," a deep voice calmly said and that's all I remember.

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