Hours come and go. We talk. I think, we are friends by now. But nothing happens. No more food. No movement in the hallway. Nothing. The aluminium tray rests next to me – folded to a plank. Actually I don't think that anyone will bother to come anytime soon. But if I get the chance, I won't let it slip again. I want to flee. Especially after the hints I got about human trafficking from Liv's feverish babbling. I didn't have the guts to ask her again, and I am also not sure if I even want to know it at all. Maybe I will ask her at some point. We have so much time.
That changes at night – at least if I trust my bio rhythm. Two men storm the room, I jump awake and pant. It takes me a few seconds to gain back orientation, painfully long seconds. The men forcefully pull Liv from the bunk, while falling she awakes and shrieks in panic. That finally tears me ount of my dull in-activity. They mustn't hurt her, they mustn't take her again!
I curse my protective instinct as I get up, but one of the men catches me before I can even fully get up, he pins me to my back. His weight and power make the air flee from my lungs, I heave and fight for oxygen. Some of my joints creak under the force, black patterns enter my field of view as this man with the horrific yellow grin slowly but inevitably forces his body between my legs. I wind and fight and whine, but only the muffled sounds of Liv give me the energy to twist my hip out sideways. I just start kicking randomly until my right foot finds the guy's jaw. Satisfaction fills my system warmly as I kick forcefully and hear a cracking sound. Knocked out the attacker sinks down with a dislocated jaw.
I hecticly free myself from his motionless and heavy body laying on me and jump to my feet, ready to fight whoever there is. But Liv just lies on the ground, she has stopped defending herself, blood runs down her temple. With my whole body I run against her opponent, trying to just get him away from her. He must stop choking her, touching her, filthy brat! But he is way more skillful than the other man. Still falling he twists sideways and gets a hold of my arm, using his weight and motion to pull me down with him. He is fast, turns me around. I am in the position now, that tells you you lost the battle. My face is pressed to the cold hard floor, scratching over it. I feel his knee in my back. And he still has got my arm. I feel it being pushed up further and further, hot pain tortures me as my eyesight starts to blur at the corners. I cry and whimper. Salty water escapes from my eyes. He just sits on me, laughs this crazy filthy laughter that gives you nightmares, his free hand starts touching me, my back, my neck, my hair – too much of my body. My only thought? I hope, Liv uses her chance. I hope she got up. Please, just run as fast and far as you can!
Suddenly, as I just surrender and accept my fate, falling in love with the dulling numbness, the dark that the pain in my ribcage gives me, the huge guy crumples with a clong – pressing all the air out of my lungs. His weight is disappearing and I can open my eyes again, roll around and look up. There is Liv, towering over me and the guy like a badass, the tray-plank in her hands. Her knuckels are white. The one thing disturbing the picture is the fear and surprise in her eyes.
I get my shit together as fast as I can, ignoring the stinging and soaring pain in my lungs, because every single fibre of my body knows: "Now or never."
Before I pull Liv through the steel door, her non-injured arm safe in my tight grip, I grab the key card of one of the men and put it in my pocket. My free hand then closes around the cold metal of the dude's pistol and we run.
YOU ARE READING
Outsiders
Short StoryI have always been good at melting into the shadows and not being seen - mostly because people don't want to see the homeless. But being invisible also comes in handy when trying to survive on the streets as a girl. So I sense danger and I stay out...
