Things you may need to know about Erika Harley:
She drinks.
She smokes.
She gets into a lot of fights.
Has a bad relationship with the police and is just generally the girl you don't want to mess with.
Does Erika care? Not in the slightest. Howeve...
A lot of you may already know but I lost my eldest brother very suddenly and since then the idea of writing just didn't appeal to me anymore. I just couldn't find the energy or inspiration to do it. However recently things have been getting better and I find comfort getting back into my stories.
So here is the next chapter. Its small but I hope its enough to reassure you all that I'am back!!
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Before I knew it, or really before I could help myself; my fist collided with his face. The sound of his nose crunching reminded me of the noise a chocolate covered ice-cream makes as you bite into it. First there is that initial crunch before the soft wetness of the melting ice-cream. The thought is sickening I know and it may put you off ice-cream for a while but it is the only thing that comes close.
From his position of the ground Neil looked up at me with such betrayal in his eyes I actually for a moment felt a pang of guilt. "What was that for?" His voice was muffled through his hands as he clutched his broken nose and attempted to quell the blood pouring down his chin and onto his clean shirt.
"Maybe your problems go further than gambling Neil." I motioned crazy circles at the side of my head before turning away, not wanting to even look at him anymore. "Erika you need to listen to me." As soon as I felt the sharp and sudden pressure of Neil grabbing my wrist, I turned and pulled myself away from his unwanted grasp. "You get blood on me and I will kill you, and if you speak crazy shit to me again I will break your nose again... but more on purpose."
Then while maintaining eye contact. "Go. Home." They were sharp and clear but I was angry even if I was hiding a layer of dread. "Before I decide that we're really not friends."
Neil's eyes filled with betrayal and dread but I didn't care. He had mentioned a name I never wanted to think about let alone hear. "They're coming for you Erika." Once again I turned my back on him and headed for home but after just a few steps I heard padded footsteps.
Stopping still my eyes scanned the thick cluster of trees. The sound started on my left but when I turned they were immediately on my right. Looking back where Neil had been to confront him I was shocked to find that he was no longer there.
"Neil where are you?" I shouted out loudly into the woods, the sound traveling off into the sudden eerie silence. "If you're messing with me I will kill you." The rising panic began to fade as I suddenly felt stupid and ridiculous.
Out of the corner of my eye a sudden flash of black caught my attention, but as I spun to face the unwanted presence it was then on the opposite side.
A smile had for a moment graced my lips but the joke wasn't so funny any more. My hands waved uselessly in attempt to seek out balance as my body spun this way and that way in the pursuit of the intruder.
"I swear by the time I've finished with you Neil no girl will want to look at you!" I shouted out the words that I intended to strike fear but my voice wavered and shook.
The blurred shape kept moving.
Left. Right. Left. Right.
The figure never allowed me to see if for more than half a second before it darted off to the other side. The process repeated again and again like a broken record until my eyes began to burn and a deep pain cut through my skull.
The thought of possibly passing out crossed my mind as my racing heart and panicked breaths made moving and standing a painful chore.
As the wind moved through the woods I could swear the trees were laughing at me, mocking my fear. There was laughter on the breeze and with that I did something I promised myself I would never do.
