“Pretty girl.” One of the men slurs, his voice echoing off the walls around me. “Come out, come out, wherever you are,” he singsongs.
Scrambling, I hobble to what looks like a dead end when a walkway is revealed, tucked out of view. The soft red glow of the church I've been drawn toward is revealed, offering me sanctuary as the walkway opens into a small courtyard, a worn fountain bubbling away in the centre.How unusual it's not turned off or frozen solid. Candles flicker behind stained glass windows, relief again that the red glow is nothing more than simple architecture.
The faint sound of glass smashing echoes behind me as my body vibrates from the loud bells ringing overhead. My hands run over the ornate carved doors. A million faces forever cemented in the carved wood. An unusual choice for a church, but Horizon City has been around for hundreds of years. I'm sure there are still original buildings around. Who am I to look a gift horse in the mouth if I can get away from the men outside? Large wrought iron rings act as handles, and I pull at one, silently praying to whatever God this church belongs to. I'll make a large donation if I escape this night unscathed.
“Pretty girl.” One of the men calls, and it feels like they are just behind me. Adrenalin pumping through my body, I yank at the door, begging it to open.
“Please, please, please. Let me inside. I’ll do anything,” I plead, willing the doors to open.
“There she is…”
The bells crescendo, metal banging loudly against metal as I make a final pull on the handle.
“Please open. I’ll give you whatever you want, just open!”
I turn, my fists clenched as I face the men who stalk me. I will not go down without a fight. They stand leering at the entrance of the walkway, lined up as they look me over. Wide predatory smiles shared between them. The red glow of the windows' light caressing the nearest man's eyes, giving the illusion of a red glow flickering within.
Suddenly, the bells stop, and a deafening silence falls across the space. One so instant, I hear the click of the door behind me unlatching.
Not today dickheads.
With my heart beating out of my chest, I take a step back, making sure my movements are slow and intentional. I don't want to startle them into action before I can get a foot in the door. My hand extends behind me, immediately finding the edge of the open door. Hot air blowing from somewhere inside. Warmth tingles along my fingertips and spreads down my arm. Despite the blistering cold I'mstanding in, my body starts to warm, coming alive as I ease the door open and step backward over the threshold, surrounded in a comforting blanket of safety.
“Get her,” one yells. Their reflexes are slow, and I reach forward, pulling the inside handle, slamming the door closed. The last view I have is of one of the men slipping on a newly formed patch of ice.
Chuckling to myself, I push down on the wooden bar, barricading the door. Some sort of ancient locking system, I guess, but it feels secure.
I gasp, taking in several deep breaths as my body starts to tremble.
I'm safe.
I'm not hurt.
I'm alive.
Chapter 2
Rosalind
MAKE ME WANNA DIE - THE PRETTY RECKLESS ?
“Hello,” I call out. My eyes are wide open, but there's so little light in here that I can barely see anything. That's twice this evening I could have used my phone, a call to safety, and a flashlight to banish this infernal dark. I'm never leaving anywhere again without it. First thing I'm doing when I get it back is buying a wrist strap and never taking it off. I can't hear the men outside, but I'm not going to open this door for anything, so I guess my only path out is forward. “Hello?” I try again. Someone must have let me in. Based on what little I could see, it's not a door that just pops open by itself. “Anyone?”
Fanningmy face to try and get some air moving, I remove my coat, taking a few steps forward. My handstretches in front of me, not quite wildly waving, but close to it, trying to find anything. A seat. Another door.A wall.My shoulder sagging when my fingers graze the smooth surface, warm to the touch, but considering it's like a furnace in here, I'm not surprised.
Unwrapping my scarf, I drape it over my arm and reach out to find the guiding path of the wall again. The faint light where I stood is near non-existent now, and I look into a void of darkness.
My footsteps echo, my feet swelling with every step. Sweat rolls down my spine, dripping off my face so frequently that I’m hesitant to back track in case I slip.The only path is forward. The heat is stifling. I slouch down the wall to remove my shoes, followed closely by my stockings. Despite the winter cold, my father insisted I wear business appropriate clothing to the meeting. A pencil skirt, pantyhose, and a silk shirt were approved despite my request to wear pants. If someone can see me in this never ending corridor, then they might very well be getting a bit of a show. Good for them.
Leaving my coat and scarf behind, I hold onto my heels in the hope that I can hastily don them. The heat, though, is like breathing fire. My shirt sticking to my skin as the sweat rolls off me. Unfastening the first few buttons, my shirt falls open, but it does nothing to dampen my temperature, so I quickly untuck it, not caring when I hear it drop to the floor alongwith my heels. If I concentrate enough, it almost feels like a breeze is moving the stagnant air around me. Several more steps, and the only logical decision is to remove my skirt. Modesty be damned.
Why is this hallway so bloody long?
The stifling air comes alive as it circles around me. My ears strain for noise, my eyes throb as they try to find something to focus on. Everything is still pitch black, and it feels like it's only getting hotter, but that's okay because I'm not going back. Forward steps only. Somewhere deep down, I feel this tug that I'm going in the right direction. I'm not scared, and the men who were following me are merely an afterthought, this cursed heat searing them from my mind. My bralette chafes under my arms, and my panties dig into my hips.
I couldn't…
I couldn't take them off,could I?
