Pursuit

Tak tak tak, of her heals hitting the concrete pavement as she turns down a one way street.  The sound of her pursuers now less than a short block away.

Stumbling over a stray garbage bag set out several hours earlier for the predawn pick up she cries out almost falling to her knees.  Quickly recovering she has no choice but to hold back anguish, she cannot afford to waste time.  Yelling out has already proven to be futile, only alerting more of his gang now riled by the hunt.

A beautiful prey celebrating her 21^st birthday separated from her herd of girlfriends by a fight with her boyfriend which seems so trivial now.

Why did I turn down the support of my friends,  she thought to herself.  Stubborn by nature even as a little girl she hid in her closet whenever things did not go her way, preferring to be alone rather than seek the comfort of those close.

Now wandering the streets of New York she came across three young men wearing red bandanas around their right thighs.  Being a young well-dressed NYU student she was quickly noticed, when they saw she was alone they slowly approached.  Quickly recovering from her emotional outburst she did not hesitate in darting the other way.  Calling out for help only attracted two more from a parked car doing gods knows what.

Now winded from the chase, her pursuers did not bother with a stealthy approach, hooting and hollering, knocking over pails and banging street signs they quickly closed the distance between them and their mark.

Her only option is to find a dark place to hide and hope they pass her by unnoticed.  Now a block ahead with a turn of the corner obstructing their view she sees a dark alley as a possible refuge.  Ignoring that screaming voice in her head telling her NOT to go use the alley, many scenes of many movies flip through her mind as the clueless victim goes into the basement or enters the attic or lets the hitchhiker into her car.

She moves down the narrow passage between the buildings, dodging stray pails and ducking behind a dumpster.  Making herself as small as possible she wills herself to calm down, listen to her surroundings.

The sound of footfalls grows louder.

She takes deep breaths; taking control of her heart rate.

The men’s hollering seem to be on top of her.

Her breathing now a controlled rhythm deep breaths, in then out in then out.

The steps slow down near the mouth of the alley.

In then out, her heart rate begins to pace her controlled breathing, her hearing now growing more acute.

The group slow past the alley, one looks in as they move on, sure that this beauty is not that stupid as to duck into such a trap; they continue one so they will not lose their prize in an obvious hollow pursuit.

Nearly holding her breath she listens intently to the clatter pass the opening, not daring to let the next one out in fear that she will give herself away.

The men move on hastening the hunt to make up for lost time.

Listening to them moving down the block she finally releases that aching breath, about to let the tears stream down her face, she holds her hands over her eyes and begins to….

Suddenly a loud clink clink clink of a glass bottle being kicked echoes off the brick walls of the surrounding apartment buildings.

Complete and utter terror grips her, unable to speak or breathe she falls heavily on her backside arms thrusted back to keep from lying flat on the hard ground.

Two of the five gang members walk around the metal dumpster eyeing the end of their pursuit almost seemingly eager for them to take her.  Like drooling hyenas they move toward her, not bothering to hide their excitement, malicious grins plastered on their faces the drool practically gleaming in what little light the moon had to offer in this hell called an alleyway.

She looks upon them defeated her heart no longer contained beating so fast it threatened to rip itself from her chest cavity.  Not being able to get up she attempts the only escape possible, a backwards crawl further down the alley, only to smack against the previously unseen dead end.

The closer of the two adjusted the uncomfortableness in his crotch, gently he goes to one knee as if to pop ‘the question’ leans forward, now on both knees, brushes a tear from the stream off her right cheek. 

His faux ‘concern’ only increases her terror, knowing what comes next every fiber of her being screams at her to fight, but the shear horror of the scene leaves her frozen in place, making her an easy prey as the first man leans closer as if to kiss, cupping her left breast with the hand that just before showed feigned compassion.

What happens next occurs in two heart beats, something she will remember the rest of her life, seared into her brain as the sun leaves its mark on ones eye after looking too long into the yellow ball.

Not wanting to make eye contact with her would be rapist, she could not help but look at his grinning companion as her eagerly waits for ‘sloppy seconds’.  For a split second she forgets what is about to happen and looks curiously at him.  Catching her eyes he his smile disappears.

The man suddenly vanishes into the night sky, her head darts up to follow the fucker as he quickly disappears from view.

The other man stops kissing her neck and leans back to look at her face to discern as to why the sudden change in her victims expression, the terror now gone from her eyes replaced by something else almost, almost, ruins the mood.

The girl, no longer enraptured with the person who is engulfing her body, clothing still intact, she spies a dark figure standing where the waiting gang member once stood.  Her breath is caught in her throat.

Before her attacker can turn around to see what she is looking at, the figure steps forward grabs the man by the shoulder and tosses him into the air, in pursuit of his fellow gang banger.

The girl takes one look at him, then covers her face in fear.  Not knowing what is to come next.

Instead of feeling the brunt of a possible third attacker, she feels the embrace of caring guardian as the dark stranger hugs her, she feels safe and begins to weep.

Still holding her hands tightly to her face she does not dare look at her protector, in fear that it was just a vision brought upon by trauma.

A distant memory plays at the corner of her mind as the figure lets her go.

“Kinse.” She whispers as she is completely released from his grasp.

All of a sudden another hand grabs her arm and tears her hand from her face, light rushes in and she lets out a long overdue scream, her only thought was the rest of the gang was here to finish the job!

As the new arrivals come into focus, the sound of the busy street rushes into her ears.  She is surrounded by her friends that she left at the club what seemed to be an eternity ago.  Now sitting on the curb to the left of that club, the dark figure nor the other gang members are anywhere to be seen.

“My God Donna, where the FUCK did you come from?” the one who pulled her arm exclaimed.

Instead of responding Donna grabbed ahold of her best friend pulling her down hugging her tightly.

Her friend hugged her back allowing the relief that this girl is ok wash over her.  Tension leaves loosening the once taught muscles in her back.

“Jesus.” Said one of the other girls, as they all giggled at the awkward sight.

© 2013 Kinse, My Sweet Hero