Thread: This Damn City < [ Rekoj/AngelicDream ] >

Claire had just turned twenty one a week ago, but hadn't had time to celebrate. Like an normal person, she wanted to celebrate with her friends. Tonight was going to be fun, she was going to make it fun. She was so excited, she was legal now! She could feel the excitement burst from within her. She had found this club that she really wanted to go to, except it wasn't near her house, or part of the good neighborhood in the city. But, it was only one night and she figured that she was safe enough. She had gone with a couple of friends, mostly girls, and she promised herself that she wouldn't stay out too long. She had school the next day. Once she had arrived at the nightclub with her friends, she heard a steady flow of gunshots that only grew louder and louder in her ear. Her friends scattered so quick she didn't know which way they went. That would have been the smart thing to do, to run away with them, but her mind froze. Everything shut down. She didn't know what to do, what to think. She'd never encounter violence in real life before, sure-- she'd seen it on TV and in movies, but she just froze, just shut down. She heard the race of bullets fly past her, maybe even in her, her eyes squeezed shut, ready for the blow but nothing came. Instead, she felt the cold wind race past her face, sending loose trails of her dark brown hair back down her shoulders. Fear had sank in her, she had heard the car's tires squeal onto the pavement and then drive by. It had been quick and sudden. It was her own fault, she was telling herself, for playing and insisting on going into a dangerous part of the city. But, she never did fun, spontaneous things. After a few minutes, she patted her body down, checking for anything, blood wounds, cuts, injuries. Then, she looked around. She wished she didn't because the blood was too much for her. She could feel herself trying to choke back tears, her hand coming up to cover her mouth, and forced herself to look back down at her lap. She was scared, fear paralyzed her whole body from moving, staying still. They might come back, she told herself, and they might come back for her blood. What made her the lucky victim that remained unscathed? She didn't know, but she didn't want to find out. She couldn't get herself to move. She was paralyzed. Her brain was screaming for her to move but she couldn't. With every car that she heard whizzing through the street, she thought it would be them again. She hadn't gotten a close enough look at the car, or at the people. It was so sudden. She would be a stupid witness if anyone used her. She wouldn't be able to contribute any information, or if she did, it would be useless information. If they got her to talk, it seemed like she had almost forgotten how to speak. Her lips were tightly against each other, and looked dejectedly at her silver clutch, the one that she had bought specifically for this night, she opened it and found her cell phone. If not for her, for the innocent victims, she had to call the police, and just before she had pressed that last digit, she heard a scream, a yell. Fear vanished, and in place was suspicion and maybe a speck of hope. Suspicion because she didn't want to be the innocent lamb, the one that got caught in the lion's teeth. She heard that it was the police, but.. anyone could be saying that. Someone could be tricking her to think that they were an officer but in reality, they were just there to rape, or murder her or torture and use her to get information. Forcing herself to get up, she looked around to find something, to defend herself with when it came to meeting whoever this was. It was dark, it was midnight, so searching around wasn't easy. And her bag, the stupid, glittery, sequin covered bag wasn't any help. Placing it on the ground, and taking out what she needed-- money, her phone, ID... she listened for his steps, and wherever direction she thought he was taking, she did the opposite. Her shoes weren't helping either, much too noisy. She shouldn't have worn new high heel shoes, that were squeezing her toes tightly together, she hadn't learned how to walk in them, and they were going to be a bitch. They were making so much noise that she took them off, held them with her other hand and walked quietly. The street that was in front of her was a small one, and she hoped that she had a taxi company on dial in her phone. She didn't. And, it looked like he was coming closer. Frantically, she hid behind the dumpster, trying to conceal herself from whoever he was. She didn't even want to call the police, he would be able to hear her voice, and then, be able to locate her so easily. Thankfully, she was a small woman, her body able to curl up behind the dumpster, hoping it would hide her body for now.