Chapter 3

"It's okay sweetie. Just take a deep breath and close your eyes." His malevolent chuckle sent a cold shiver down my spine.

The man's firm hand slid down my thigh as he shifted closer to me. The other three men closed in on me so that I wouldn't try to escape. Tonight was just not even close to being my night. My escape last time seemed like luck I wouldn't be granted again. I was pretty sure I would be leaving this bus station in a body bag.

His eyes burned with hunger and evil, and their overall alcohol driven odor made my knees buckle. The scent of stale cigarettes hung in the air as they began to talk amongst themselves. This could have easily sparked an unwanted asthma attack...if I were breathing. Instead, fear had caused my lungs to shut down momentarily. The one standing next to me fumbled with the button on my jeans. The other men behind him laughed maniacally like a pack of hyenas preparing to feast on their prey. My body started to tremble with horror, and the intense convulsions caused me to hit the wall repeatedly.

I shut my eyes to try to prevent the foreboding asthma attack. I could suddenly taste blood seeping into my mouth from a newly formed cut on my lip. My teeth continued to dig deeper into the wound in a failed attempt to stop the shaking. Loud roars ripped through my chest, finally escaping my lungs. Deep whiffs of the overpowering odor, engulfed my head as I took my first breathe in almost five minutes. 

Through my eyelids I could see red and blue light flashing. The sirens of the cop cars rung through my ears, getting louder by the second. Hope came in a very typical way, but at this point, I didn't really care what shape or form it presented itself. 
"Oh shit," one of the men called. The rest of them continued to swear under their breath as the sirens grew louder and more distinct. I cracked one eye open and observed the paranoid looks on their faces.

My window of opportunity for escape had finally opened. With their attention now directed to the upcoming police cars, they wouldn't even realize I had slipped right through their fingers. The man beside me had slightly shifted closer to his companion as they quickly discussed what they should do. I sucked in a deep breath, and slid against the graffiti stained wall.

 The very second my body was free from their death circle, I darted down the dark alley way.

My heart sank when I saw that the exit was sealed off by a tall stoned wall. I cursed under my breath, as I tried to put together a different plan. I could hear freedom on the opposite side, but I could also hear the men discovering my abrupt getaway. My only option was to jump the 7 foot wall. There wasn't time for doubt; It was do-or-die at this point.

My clammy palms gripped the top of my roadblock, and attempted to pull all one hundred and fifteen pounds of me plus my backpack over the wall. My hindquarters promptly met the pavement and other garbage that surrounded me. I could hear the men's voices creeping up behind me as I scrambled to my feet. I was merely feeding off of the pulsating adrenaline swimming through my veins. 

In one swift motion I was over the barrier and staring at another dark alley, only this time I could see the lights of a street. My feeling of relief didn't last a very long time. The noisy patter of my attackers' feet pursued me as I rose to my feet.

"Get her!" The men's voices echoed through the stone wall. 
"She jumped the fence!" Another called. Their faces flashed into my brain, causing my feet to take off into an anxious sprint. I darted directly into the middle of a street, nearly being whipped out by an approaching vehicle. The screeching tires only made me run faster.

I couldn't hear the patter of feet pursing me, but I did not trust that to mean they had given up chasing me. Every corner I passed, my heart jumped out of my chest with the utter fear that they were there waiting for me. It almost felt as if my legs wouldn't move fast enough for my brain. Somehow, I was nowhere close to being tired.

I began to slow down as I arrived at another unfamiliar corner. I made a decision to turn right and result to walking for the remainder of the night. I turned the corner, preparing myself for whatever stood behind it.

Before I could grasp what had happened, I had mistakenly collided with an unknown obstacle. The last thing I could feel was the instantaneous whiplash to my neck as my head slammed forcefully into the concrete below.

 Darkness ensued. I could feel the deep gash in the back of my skull I slowly caught a glimpse of a man with the hair the color of a cup of coffee on a winter morning. Between the blurry tears in my eyes and the blackness that was seconds from overshadowing my body, his face was so flawless. So beautiful and trustworthy.

 I shut my eyes; vaguely aware that I was in the hands of what had to be an angel.

My dreams were very unusual, and extensive. I remember a faint beeping noise that seemed to annoy the hell out of me, even when I was unconscious. I recall being held constantly or dragged to places I was too lazy to walk to, but even that was to blurry to identify. Black holes separated my reminiscence of the angelic face I had ran into. Then suddenly I was lying on a comfortable surface that I could have stayed in until the remainder of my existence.

When my eyes fluttered open, they were met with an unfamiliar bedroom. I rose up slowly, trying not to disturb my already pounding head. I was welcomed by the glowing light of a full moon that I couldn't stare at it for too long without intensifying the headache. The bedroom was filthy. Clothing covered the majority of the fade dark wood floor. Molded socks were left in a specific pile on the other side of the room next to an unidentified door. Other knick knacks roamed the floor, and mixed in with the other foul smelling clothes which smelled as if they had been there for over a month. Posters of bands and half naked women overtook the fawn walls causing me to become severely uncomfortable.

A part of me wanted to gag up whatever food I had consumed while I was in my unconscious state of mind, while the other part of me began to panic. Where the hell was I? On my wrist, I noticed a blue hospital band filled out with my name, the date I was admitted and a lot of other numbers I didn't understand at the moment.

I climbed off the bed and tip-toed around the room, careful not to step on any of the grimy clothes. The computer desk was my first place of inspection. I sat down in the chair and turned on the monitor. Nothing appeared.

I quickly gave up on the computer itself, and began fumbling with the rubbish scattered on the desk. There were no pictures on his desk, nothing to represent a life with family or friends. Instead, souvenirs that ranged from crowded shops in Chinatown, beaches on the coast of the Philippines and several other foreign trinkets hung along the shelves.

My wandering eyes led me to the pile of junk between the bookcase and the computer desk. Umbrellas, glue, books, pens and pencils were just a few items out of the hundred that were laying there giving off another unknown smell.

My head shot up as blood cringing squeaking noise rang through the room. It sounded like a rusty shower turning off, and it was coming from the door connecting to the room I was in. My chest began to vibrate hastily as I slowly stood up. In my periphery, I could see a picture frame that consisted of three pictures. Curiosity overwhelmed me as I marched over the clutter and gaped at the picture. I picked up the picture frame to get a much closer look.

The three pictures consisted of at least three people. One of which I knew all too well. Keithe Tellmen. The typical bad ass in high school the slammed the "nerds" heads into the nearest locker and stole their lunch money that would be stained by their own blood. He was the guy you avoided the moment you laid eyes on him in the hallway, but all my years of knowing him, he never bothered me or Jamie. In fact he use to give me in particular these sinister looks that would ruin my day most of the time, but other times he would just blush and walk away.

He graduated last year, which lifted some weight off of my shoulders. Last thing I heard was he was shipped off to the closest high security prison, for murder of some girl in New York. The picture frame started to shake.

My hand nearly dropped the pictures when I heard the sound of a slamming cabinet. I was in a murderer's house. I couldn't understand how he got out of jail, or how he had found me. Last time I checked, first degree was life or the death penalty, no chance of parole. But if he was this evil and vindictive person, why did he help me? More noise oozed through the door as I sat the frame back down on the nightstand and quickly seized the closest and most durable weapon, the umbrella.

There was no time to run. He would be walking out of that bathroom in a matter of seconds, ready to do who-know-what to me. My lone option would be to cause him physical harm, temporarily. If he in fact was a murderer, then I wasn't taking any chances at being victim number two, or three.

I crept closer to the bathroom door, umbrella clutched tightly in my hands. The closer I got to the suspicious door, the louder Keithe's fidgeting around in the bathroom. The heat that seeped from the bottom crack of the door brushed pass my face, causing me to let out a soft sneeze.

I positioned myself on the left side of the door, giving me easy access to swing and hopefully nail my target. I could hear his footsteps walking in the direction of the door. Sucking a deep breath into my lungs, I gripped tightly onto my weapon and moved it back farther.

In one rapid motion the door was open, revealing all of the foggy heat it carried. Keithe?s shadow stood in the door frame and inhaled deeply, completely unaware of the attack he was about to endure. Like the form a baseball player would have as he prepared to hit a homerun, I lift my leg up, gaining as much momentum as possible, and swung.

 The tip of the umbrella hit the intended target head on. My strike was confirmed when I heard a loud thud grip the hardwood floor. I dropped the now dented umbrella and peered around the corner.

 Keithe, sure enough, was lying on his back, unconscious. Fuck.

I had meant to surprise him so that I could get away, but I didn't intend on actually hurting him this badly. I dropped to my knees and prayed out loud that I had not killed him with a medium sized umbrella. I put two fingers under his jaw line, hoping for some kind of pulse. A deep exhaled followed through my nostrils when his eyes flickered open, probing for something.

My look of concern abruptly turned to mere shock when I actually saw him for the first time. His face was nothing like high school. His smooth and ridiculously attractive russet complexion seemed to glow with beauty. It only complemented his hazel eyes and coffee brown hair, which was thrown across the top of his head. I saved his amazingly chiseled body for last, which was still glistening with damp water droplets spread out wholly over his brawny shoulders and biceps.

When our eyes met, a sharp jolt ran down my back. I had gotten lost in his hazel ocean to notice the deep gash leaking blood just over his left eye. A soft gasp slipped past my lips.

"Oh my God! Keithe, I'm so sorry. Here, let me help up." I whispered as I attempted to lift his body from the bathroom tile. I walked him over to the bed, and sat him down. 
"It's no big deal. Long time no see Megan." He revealed his glassy white teeth He didn't remove his eyes from my face. His eyes seemed to glue my feet to the ground, preventing me from aiding his cut. When I gained movement in my legs, I walked back into the bathroom in search of a towel. I basically ran back over to him, as he applied pressure to the wound I had inflicted. 

He cleared his throat as he prepared to speak. "Good to see you up and moving around. You've been pretty dead these last couple of days." He let out a chuckle. 
His final word caused me to trip over my own feet even though I was standing completely still. "Days?" I nearly yelled.

"Yes days, between the hospital and the recovery it's been about two weeks since the little 'incident'". His hands formed into quotations. 

"Two weeks? Oh god, this cannot be happening to me." I flopped down beside his shirtless body.
?You're acting pretty normal for someone that has realized random stranger brought you to their home and cared for you." His smile nearly blinded me.

"I have been through worse, and I'm just glad you're not some stranger." I added. "I mean, I don't think you would hurt me like you did those poor nerds in school." I gave off a weak laugh. My eye caught the picture frame directly across from me, and suddenly the reason for me striking him with an umbrella in the first place became much more apparent. I quickly jumped up from the bed and walk to the other side of the room, creating a nice distance between me and him.

I cradled my arms against my chest, and mentally prepared myself to run for my life if this wandering question was confirmed. I attempted to look away from his widened eyes. "Keithe," I paused. "Are you...a murderer?"

The moment 'murderer' slipped through my lips, Keithe's eyes softened and his chest ripped into vigorous laughs. He laughed to the point where he was on the verge of tears. 
"Oh please, is that the new rumor now? So I guess the rapist facade got old, huh?" The laughs continued to flow like water out of his mouth. I almost felt stupid for even asking such a question.

He finally stopped his rough snickers, and looked up at me. 
"Megan, if you haven't already noticed, I'm a changed man. I'm done with all those childish games. Ever since I enlisted in the army, I have turned over a new leaf. Sadly, I haven't seen any of my classmates since graduation so the rumors will continue to flow through the walls of Judas High School."

I lowered my arms and looked at his handsome face, and blushed at the thoughts that ran through my mind. During his explanation, all I could seem to focus on was his muscular body still wrapped in nothing but his boxer briefs. My body shook as my eyes wandered beyond the elastic waist band?

I snapped my head up as his signature laugh bounced off the walls once more. I stood their awkwardly, deciding what exactly came next. He rose off the bed and strolled over to his dresser and began to ramble through a drawer full of wrinkled clothing. Eventually he pulled out a pair of jeans and a furrowed white graphic t-shirt. 
"Feel free to take a shower and get dressed. I doubt you want to be lounging around all night in that?" He motioned at my chosen sleepwear. 

For the first time all night, I glanced down at my body. I was nearly haft naked in my underwear and tank top. The hot blood illuminated my cheeks as my hands dropped to cover up my skimpy attire.

I started to make way for the bathroom door, until I met his eyes in my periphery. My knees almost collapsed underneath my body.

The scalding water touched my back, as the shower head blasted on. I stood there with my hands tangled in thick mane and Jamie's glowing character on the crisp of my mind. Two whole weeks had passed. Multiple things can change over a span of two weeks, but hopefully that didn't apply to Jamie's whereabouts.

I had to leave tonight. No more time could be wasted or consumed my bizarre clumsiness. Unfortunately, there is the fear that my muggers were still at the entrance of the bus stop, awaiting my foolish return. I climbed out of the welcoming shower and enfolded myself in a towel. I walked over to the mirror and whipped away the condensation.

My hair was a complete disaster. My black eye was healing, though, along with the other cuts to my lips and chin. My face was slowly returning. There was also something else that was present on my face. Trust. It didn't make much since to my why this was in the first place. Once again, that voice in my head kept rambling on about 'going with the flow'. But then again, I think it was something about the way he had looked at me. His brusque brown eyes made me believe I could trust him, despite the fact that for me, trust never came so easily. Part of me commanded my legs to run, to get out of the strange apartment, but another, larger part of me, wanted to stay, primarily because of Keithe.

I dug into my backpack to find something comfortable to slip into for the remainder of the night, but my limited selection outfits deceived me. I changed quickly into my clothes I had selected and released the suffocating, yet relaxing heat that had accumulated in the room as I opened the door. I packed my bag making sure that my exit would be quick and timely later on tonight.

As I exited the bathroom, I was meet with an aroma so delicious it nearly made drool leak from my mouth. I eagerly followed the scent of the unknown food being prepared downstairs.

I spiraled down the stairs that lead to the bottom layer of the condo. The delectable smell grew stronger when the bottom of my shoe touched the deep taupe carpet.

Keithe stood in front of the stove handling a charcoal black pan. Inside the pan, he flipped an anonymous piece of food repeatedly. Steam rose to the cabinet above, and right under the tip of my nose.
"Well it's about time you came out of there. I thought you had fallen down the drain or something." He teased.

"Just had a few kinks I had to work out. But that amazing smell dragged me down here. What are you cooking?" I said stepping closer to the polished barstools. He continued to cook, still flipping the sizzling meat on the pan. I looked around the downstairs portion of the condo, which was remarkably huge.

"Salmon." His mouth widened into a deep grin.

The kitchen was separated from the living room by a simple tan arch in between. I didn't really know how the kitchen fit, with the vast living quarters was so enormous. I could really get a full effect, but what I did see sold me completely. I really started to wonder about his role in the army to be able to afford the huge flat screen TV against his wall.

I slid on to barstool, and waited patiently for him to place the dish he was organizing on the counter in front of me. He now wore the distressed jeans and white shirt he had pulled out earlier. The shirt clung so tightly to his hard muscles that it easily could have shredded into pieces.

I ridden myself of those naughty thoughts just as he sat the scrumptious salmon in front of me. Baked vegetables and mashed potatoes intertwined perfectly with the center of the meal. The mouth water smell stuck to the edges of my nose as I took a deep breath. I could only imagine how good it would taste in my mouth. Immediately after he turned his back to face the other waiting plates, I dug into my meal.

The food was as amazing, maybe even better than I had envisioned. It seemed like I couldn't get it in my mouth fast enough. After taking a quick, but drawn out bite of the baked squash, I shifted right back to the desired piece of salmon. This was my first genuine home cooked meal in about five years.

I almost didn't care to look up when Keithe cleared his throat. I knocked out the rest of my meat and whipped my mouth with a nearby napkin. The laughter nearly made his head explode after trying to hold it in.

"You sure were hungry Meg. You act like this is your first meal in 20 years." He took a bite from his plate.
"Nope, just five." I whispered low enough for him not to hear. My cheeks grew hot as I held my head down and fiddled with my fingers. It was now or never. I had plenty of energy to make it to Jersey later on the next day, so I had to leave while the food was still deep in my stomach.

An awkward silence arose in the kitchen. It was now or never. 
"I think I should be going now." I said as I rose from my chair. "It was nice seeing you again Keithe. Thanks for everything...saving my life and all."
He hoped up from his comfortable position in front of the counter.
"What? It's 11 o'clock at night. Where could you possibly be going?" 
"Places. I have to get home. I'm sure my family is very...worried." 
He followed me up the stairs as I grabbed my backpack. "Can't you at least wait until the morning? I would feel a little at peace knowing that you're out and about during the daylight.

"It takes eleven hours to get to Jers--look, I don't have to explain myself to you. Thanks for everything, really, but there is something I have to do and I can't waste any more time than I already have." He looked puzzled and distraught. He continued to pursue me as I wandered down the stair case.

"Hey Meg! Wait up!" He shouted as I clasped the door handle.

"Yes Keithe? I'm kind of in a hurry." I nearly snapped.
"How about I give you a ride to Jersey? I mean, I have some family up there and it would be nice to see them before I deploy on my second tour in about a month." 

I stood at the door frame contemplating at his generous suggestion. Looking at the bright side, I would save some much needed money of mine just in case Jamie had disappeared into a different state and a warm cooked breakfast in the morning would hurt, it was just a couple of hours shaved off my plan. I didn't see any harm in it, and how could I say no to those luminous eyes?

With a deep prolonged sigh, I agreed to his offer. "But no tricky stuff Keithe, I'm warning you." I brushed pass his shoulder and made way for the stairs. Out of the corner of my eye I could he his muscular body vibrating with joy.

Next: Chapter 4 P.1
Previous:Chapter 2