The Runaway

Chapter 4

The girl sure liked to talk. Violet didn't mind because she hadn't been able to socialize for a while so it was sort of entertaining.

"You know Las Vegas is the worst place to get a date. I've had so many breakups there, I swear. Just trust my words. It's like all of the guys there only want a one night stand," she paused, "Wait what's your name?"

"Oh, I'm V-Valeria. What about you?" She was stupid to almost reveal her real name. With her parents' money, they probably tried their best to find her in every way possible. She wondered if they even got her on the news, but whatever it was, she had to keep her identity a secret no matter what.

"Just call me Em. My real name's Moira, but I feel like Em fits me better. Hey, it's kind of fun having strangers in your car, don't you think?"

Violet smiled. "I guess so."

"Portland is such a beautiful city. I know a few people there and it's really cool. Are you spending your New Year's there?" Em asked.

"Yeah I am. I'm actually going there to visit my old girl friends," she lied.

They continued discussing all sorts of topics which went on for hours. It felt like the ride went by fast when they made a stop at a motel.

"I feel bad for staying this long," Violet said.

Em shook her head. "It's fine. Just think of it as a small favor."

The room had two beds, which gave her back a break from acting up. She was also extremely satisfied to finally see a shower since she was sure she was starting to stink, even if no one told her about it. In the morning, she woke up feeling more energized. It was so wonderful that she didn't want to leave.

"Okay, so I'll drop you off in Oregon, and then I'll drive back to Vegas just in time for New Years. This means we have to leave right now," Em said.

They were back on the road. It was a longer ride this time since Violet was so desperate to settle down. Soon, they reached a huge sign with letters spelling out Oregon.

"Just a little more until you're there!" Em exclaimed.

When they found a bus stop, it was time for Violet to go.

"Valeria, it was so nice to meet you. Have fun on New Year's, okay? Wish me luck in Vegas!" Em waved as Violet walked to her last bus stop. This was the final one. She was taking it to Portland.

The moment she stepped off the bus, she could feel excitement building up from within. It was around nine at night already, and she needed somewhere to stay, but she didn't have enough for a motel. The last option was to sleep on the streets or attempt to call Colton.

Violet roamed the streets trying to find a phone booth. Strangely, not a lot of people were outside and it made her a little scared to be alone. She kept walking but she still couldn't find anything. It was getting darker and darker the longer she searched. What now? She wasn't sure where she was because it didn't seem like Portland. The scenery was dark and almost menacing, which wasn't the colorful city she saw on online images. Violet then sensed a presence.

"Well, who do we have here?" a voice said from behind.

Violet jumped and turned around. There was a boy who didn't look much older than she was but she had the sense that he was ominously dangerous.

"What do you want?" she asked, glaring hard at the boy. At times like this, she had to be prepared for anything.

The boy smirked, his gray eyes piercing hers. His dark hair glistened under the streetlamp, but she still couldn't see him very well. There was a sudden sound of metal scraping wood, and she automatically knew a weapon was in his possession. Run, her thoughts said, but she didn't run. This guy was bad news and she had to stop him before he did anything else to others. Violet wasn't stupid enough to forget to bring any self-defense. In fact, she'd been carrying a gun along the whole time, hiding it away for good use only. She was only sixteen, but she was also versatile with many skills. Snatching the gun from her bag, she aimed it directly at him. His eyes were staring at her with deadly desire.

"Drop the weapon," she commanded, showing no fear.

The boy's smile faded. "You wouldn't."

Was he crazy? "I would if I have to. Now drop the weapon," she said more roughly.

His expression shifted again. "You have guts but too bad I'm not in the mood for any games." He took her by surprise and started running towards her with a sharp blade in hand. She immediately pulled the trigger, and dodged his attack. The bullet cut through his shoulder causing blood to burst out.

"You little bitch," he whispered. He was enraged and attempted to attack her once more. Again, she kept shooting but why didn't he drop to the floor? He wasn't even trying to dodge her shots at all. She tried shooting some more but the gun was running low on bullets.

"Damn it," she mumbled. Now this is when you run, she thought. She twisted away and sprinted with all of her might without looking back. His heavy footsteps followed her with increasing speed. He was tenacious and wasn't going to back down easily. In less than a second, he was already an inch behind her. Violet's heart rate increased rapidly.

"At least you tried," the boy said as he forcefully stabbed her in the leg with his blade. The sharp pain caused her to scream. The impact on her flesh opened a large wound, gushing out blood.

"What are you doing?" she managed to question between gasps. Violet's eyes burned, releasing guilty tears of stubbornness. She should have ran when she had the chance. Stupid, she thought.

He ignored her question and hastily placed his lips on her wound. She attempted to push him off in disgust.

"Hold still or I'll kill you!" he threatened.

Violet was afraid. Her body was trembling as she watched her blood soaking into the cement. "Get the hell off of me!" she cried.

He cursed and then knocked her in the head by throwing a rock with great strength. "God, how annoying," he whispered.

Violet struggled to keep focus, but she her body couldn't keep up and she passed out in a few seconds.

She woke up with a throbbing headache. It was hard to see at first but she soon noticed that she was in an empty room. Violet took a peek at her wound to see that there was already a giant scab forming. How long has it been since the attack? There was also audible murmurings behind the walls which meant that there had to be other rooms. Why hadn't the guy just killed her? She'd rather die than to be kidnapped. It took her so long for her to get here, but now the whole thing was useless. Just then, multiple footsteps entered the room.

"She's finally awake," someone said.

Violet stared at all of the strangers in surprise. The boy was apart of a whole gang.