Out of options.
Best I could do now was not piss them off anymore. “Fine,” I huffed and shimmied to the edge of the bed, pillow still clutched close. I kept it in front of me as I stood, whining at the pain, and shuffled to my closet.
“What’s wrong?” the other man asked. I wasn’t looking, but his voice was different, less of an edge to it. He sounded concerned for me. Maybe I could use that?
“Sore,” I responded. They didn’t need details.
The first man chuckled. “Rook did a number on you, did he?”
I froze.
Rook?
Had he sold me out to these goons?
I’d kill him if I ever saw him again.
With my back to them, I dressed… slowly, because that’s all I could manage in my current condition. I pulled on some sweatpants, then slipped on a cami and covered it with a heavy sweatshirt. Underwear was too much work.
“You said I could take some things?” I asked as I slipped into a pair of sneakers.
“Be quick,” was the reply.
My phone was in my purse, but it was by the door. I grabbed my backpack, which had most of my important things, then turned toward the front door.
But…
“Here,” the tall Goth said, handing me my purse. He’d already retrieved it.
When I took it from him, my hand brushed his, and a large spark of static shocked between us.
“Fuck!” he hissed.
Apparently, it had hurt him as much as it had hurt me. I seized up, pain lancing through me.
As I breathed through it and took my purse, I caught the tall man glancing quickly at the other two. He looked… afraid?
Curious.
I checked my purse, phone still there.
Great, now if I could just dial nine-one-one without them noticing.
When I glanced up to check to see if they were looking, I found an odd scene. The woman had moved closer, her eyes closed, her body shaking as if she was concentrating really hard. Sitting man had gotten up and had one hand on her shoulder as he reached out to touch the Goth’s shoulder as well. The Goth then laid a soft, long-fingered hand on my shoulder. They all seemed a bit distracted.
Good.
I slipped my phone out, hit the emergency dial button, and pressed nine and one… before my room vanished. The walls warped, the floor fell away, the ceiling tore open, then nothing surrounded us but shimmering psychedelic colors dancing over darkness, like an oil spill.
I hit the last digit on my phone, but something told me the call wouldn’t connect.
IZZY
The oil-slick,rainbow-filled darkness gave way to blinding light.
I winced, holding up a hand to block the sun. The movement caused pain to radiate down my arm.
Fucking ow!
