The Beau & the Beast

54 - Eyes in the dark

My legs screamed from the effort as I ran, my chest ached and I hurried to glance back. Fuck, keep running! Don't look back! I told myself as I stumbled forward.

Where the hell am I, and where were the others?

I turned right, and ran behind a house, then left, and then up over a fence. My wrist twisted and the pain cut like a knife through my muscle. Don't think about it, just run. Just keep going. Run or die ... run or die ...

I felt the taste of blood in my mouth, this time it was my own.

My body screamed louder for each step I took. How long had I been running? I had no idea. The lump in my stomach only grew with each step, what the hell had happened?  What the hell had we done?

I heard them behind me, they were damn close. Run faster. Damn Bel, run faster!

I threw myself over garbage bags, threw stuff behind me but forced myself to not look back, I wouldn't make the same mistake again. Then I saw my chance and jumped another fence. I landed in the grass and rolled. Up! Get up on your fucking feet! Run!

My legs screamed but I couldn't stop now, hopefully they'll give up, eventually, hopefully ... soon ...

***

I unlocked the door to the apartment and stormed inside.

"NICO!" I yelled as soon as I closed the door behind me. No answer ... "fuck!" My feet ran back and forth through the hallway. "ALEX!" I shouted with panic in my voice, and slammed open the door to his room, empty.  Nico's room also gaped with emptiness, including the living room and kitchenette.

Damn.

I picked up the phone, no missed calls, no text messages. "Dammit, answer ... answer ... answer!" I yelled at the phone in my hand. My feet moved slower now, but I kept walking back and forth in the hallway, the signal sounding monotone in my ear but no one answered. So I decided to hang up and wait.

A quick glance in the mirror and I realised what a fucking mess we've ended up in. My whole being was bruised and bloody but the adrenaline was still pumping through me so I hardly felt any pain.

With an angry roar, I squatted down and pulled my fingers through my hair. Where the hell were they?

I sensed the dark thoughts begin to emerge within.  Guilt, remorse, fear and shame.  I was better than this, I should have been able to take down every single one of those bastards.  But I ran.  We all ran. I should've stopped and looked for them, I should have helped them.

If only Clock had been here ... No, stop Bel! Just fucking stop! I silently screamed at my own thoughts. I started to rub my  scalp frantically with my fingertips.  If he had been here, this would never have happened. We were a bunch of idiots. Naive little idiots!

Slowly I sank to the floor and leaned heavily against the wall.

"Answer Nico ... please answer ..." I whispered with tears burning in my eyes.

My heart rate dropped and the adrenaline started to wear out of my body, I knew because my wounds started to hurt like hell now.

My hand trailed down to my stomach where the pain was at its worst and my fingers were instantly covered in blood.

They hit me? I couldn't remember. My head was spinning, I felt dizzy. My legs ached, my feet were so tired. My entire being was fucking tired.

With the phone in my hand, I nodded off for a moment. I just needed to rest a little, then I would go out and look for my boys, my family.