The Downward Spiral Book 1

Chapter 9. Ride or Die

I was always a light sleeper.

The slightest noise can wake me. I guess I have my dad to thank for that.

So when I heard the sound of glass shattering, I shot up from the couch like a frantic wet cat fresh from a bath. "What the hell was that?!"

Ray sat up rubbing his eyes groggily. "What was what?" He asked, yawning and rubbing his eyes."What time is it?"

"I-I don't know." I murmured.

Judging by the light coming from outside the windows, it looked around 7:00 am. We both stared at each other in silence and listened for something. My heart was pounding so hard against my chest that it hurt.

Then we heard it.

The low groan of someone who was coming very close by.

"Oh shit!" Ray shouted as he scrambled up to his feet. "One of them must have broken in from the backyard!"

As I tried to make a dash for his backpack for the gun but I screamed out in agony when my foot stepped down on something sharp. I fell down to my knees, clutching onto my foot and biting my lip to the point of bleeding to stop myself from screaming from how much it hurt.

"Fuck, Fuck, Fuck, Fuck!" I cussed, rocking back and forth to ease the pain. Hot blood dripped onto my trembling fingers from the wound and I looked around to find what caused this.

A shard from the vase Ray broke last night was jabbed in my heel and I closed my eyes in pain. The stupid idiot forgot to clean it up last night! I groaned while carefully trying to tear the porcelain shard out of my foot.

Shit...I was losing a lot of blood. I just couldn't catch a break.

Ray ran up beside me "Oh God! Are you OK?! Shit, I'm so sorry man, I-I didn't mean to leave it there I just-"

"Just shut up." I heaved, pausing to take a short breath. "We need to find a way out now before more start to come in here."

I pressed my arms against the sofa cushions to support myself back up but the minute I was on my feet again, I fell back down in agony.

"Ray..go get the bandages you used to use for your hand. I'll at least be able to wrap it up for now."

He glanced between my foot and the backyard in a worried state of panic.

"C'mon go already! We don't have much time!"

As he turned and ran out of sight, I scooted across the carpet floor and into the kitchen to be out of view for whatever came in. I pressed my back against the cupboard door panting and closed my eyes, pleading to God that Ray would hurry.

There was a blood trail from the white rug leading to the checkered kitchen floor I was on and it looked like a lot. It hurt like hell too. I was feeling defenseless. I hated feeling helpless but I was in such a sorry ass condition and my body ached like hell that I had to rely on my brother.

I held my breath, counting the seconds as one deadhead traveled into the living room. He did slow strides, casually glancing around his environment with heavy staggered breaths, looking nowhere in particular. His brown coat was tattered and barely hung onto his shoulders as he took a sniff at the wine bottle.

The staircase creaked above me and he paused, his breathing no longer audible.

A bead of sweat ran down my forehead.

Shit Ray, please be careful.

I dared not move; there was a bar in front of me all enough where he couldn't see me fully, just my feet if he glanced in my direction.