Chapter 3
Chapter Three
Soundlessly gulping air, trying my best not to weep with joy for not being seen, I look at the mutt.
He stands in the same spot, growling, terrifying noises coming out of his chest until the two vampires disappear from view.
When he turns back towards me, he sits on his butt, all noise stopping as his tail twitches.
Frowning, I continue to watch him warily.
His tongue lolls out, and the tail moves faster.
“Unbelievable,” I murmur incredulously under my breath. Leaning my back on the building, I close my eyes. This whole scenario feels wrong, and everything in me screams at me to run and hide. Nothing good can come out of this.
It’s almost as if I’m challenging Lady Luck to prove that she can be as cruel as her sister Hope.
The mutt trots closer to me, looking around as if he understands the danger we are in and doesn’t want to give me away.
His snout nudges my hand, looking for a scratch.
Absentmindedly, I rub his head while I’m trying to come to grips with the fact that the damn dog might’ve saved my life just now.
I want to be angry and tell him to go away, but those keen brown eyes stare at me adoringly.
“You little shit. I have a soft spot for you, and you know it. If you get me killed, I’m going to be pissed.”
Stiffening my shoulders so I don’t walk around like I’m epileptic, shaking and stumbling over my own feet, I lift myself up.
Calming down my breathing, glancing down to make sure the mutt stays put, my focus shifts to my surroundings.
If the conversation I heard is anything to go by, it’s no wonder there is not a soul around.
Whoever this Sebastian character is, I hope he never gets anywhere near me.
Not that he will know I’m around if he does.
The stench that bothered the two vampires has saved me more times than I like to count.
If their stomach is turning when you are near, they can’t concentrate on looking deeper into who and what you are.
All everyone wants is to get as far away as possible. Snickering, I glance down at the mutt.
“Two stinking buddies is what we are, mutt.” Frowning, I watch him perk up at my voice. “I need to give you a name if I’m to let you stick around.”
One more quick sweep around me and I gingerly start walking down the street.
The hotel visit can wait. There must be someone there if the vamps were keeping an eye on it.
Self-preservation tells me I should get as far away from here as possible.
That tingling feeling between my shoulder blades comes back with a vengeance, but now that I know it’s the mutt, I ignore it.
Darting from one shadow to the next, squeezing between vehicles, trees, and buildings, I continue on my search for medication.
Seeing the pharmacy after a few turns, I almost hoot with joy.
The building glows like a beacon of light nestled in the middle of an empty parking lot.
Goosebumps cover my arms, and I rub my hands over them, my eyes dancing in my head while looking for a threat.
This entire trip tonight seems too good to be true.
In my experience, nothing comes this easy, and never without a hitch.
That was life before the Council took over.
The mutt bumps into my thigh, making me look down at him.
He does it again, this time a little harder.
By the looks of it, even he doesn’t like being out in the middle of the night.
Taking his advice, I creep up towards the building.
One side of it is dark, the lights left inside the store not reaching it.
Bolting from behind the tree I was using as cover, I head straight there.
Hitting the wall harder than was necessary in my rush to get away from open spaces, my palms scrape against the rough surface.
Turning around, pressing my back on the wall, I stick my head around the corner to see if anyone noticed my wild dash across the empty lot.
Of course, no one did since it’s a ghost town tonight, but I can never be too careful.
When everything stays as quiet and as undisturbed as before, I release the breath I’ve been holding.
So far, so good. Now, I only have to figure out a way to get inside the damn building that glows like a lighthouse without being seen.
I have broken into homes after watching for days to make sure no one was around, so I could get some clothes and other necessities.
I’ve never taken from those that have too little.
Growing up, I liked the stories of Robin Hood, and I convinced myself that I was like him.
I’ve even taken more than I need but left it when seeing groups with children for them to find.
Watching from a hiding place, my heart would beat faster, matching their happiness when discovering the treasures I’ve left for them.
A store, on the other hand, has never been one of the things I considered getting near. Not unless I had a death wish.
Crouching down, I stay there for a while with no desire to move from the shadows. Not a sound reaches me the entire time, and that raises my suspicions. This doesn’t feel right, no matter if Death himself has come to LA. Where is everyone?
The crunching of gravel and scrape of boots on concrete paralyzes me on the spot.
The mutt next to me perks up, his lips pulling back over sharp teeth and his ears standing straight, but all of that without making a sound.
In the middle of my terrified state, that little thing seems like it’s most important.
Then, the sound comes again, and I forget everything.
Without thinking, I bolt out of my hiding spot, heading right for the pharmacy doors.
The fact that they are locked at this hour doesn’t register until I’m yanking on it with all my might.
The metal bar on the glass rattles, but it doesn’t budge.
A sharp jerk on my pants makes me stumble, and I stare wide-eyed at the mutt.
He has his jaws clamped on my pant leg, pulling me away from the doors.
I follow his lead since my brain is useless, the terror making me irrational.
The mutt runs to the opposite side of the pharmacy with me on his heels, my feet thumping on the ground too loud for my liking.
Turning the corner of the building a little too fast, I stumble and fall, rolling for a second before I scramble on my hands and knees in the shadows.
Leaning on the wall, rivulets of sweat running down the side of my face, I hold my breath.
No sound can be heard. No footsteps chasing after me.
The sound of my heart jackhammering behind my ribcage pounds in my ears, so I don’t trust my hearing.
The only thing stopping me from having a heart attack is the mutt that is sitting calmly next to me.
The groaning of metal and glass shattering almost stops my heart.
When the noise settles, silence falls around me like a blanket.
It scares me to the point that acceptance washes over me, and the fear disappears.
Like the conclusion I came to not long ago, it’s useless.
Scared or not, if they find me, I will die.
My heartbeat slows down, and my breathing stops sounding like a freight train.
Sagging against the wall, I welcome the reprieve from the terror, calmly watching the side of the building for whoever it is to come and finally end my miserable existence.
Sadness that I will not keep my promise to Sara and Eddie tries to push through, but I don’t let it.
Maybe this is the reason my parents didn’t return.
I never found forgiveness for them leaving me, but I hope my friends will find it for me.
Long moments pass while I’m staring at nothing, unblinking, waiting for fate to come and end my life.
When no sound comes, and no one rounds the corner with fangs bared and eyes glowing, I frown.
Is my scared brain making up things? Glancing at the mutt, I realize he is sitting next to me, as calm as if we are having a picnic at a park.
There is no sign of disturbance exuding from him at all.
Hands and legs trembling, I crawl on all fours to the corner.
Peeking around it with one eye, I freeze.
There is glass all over the ground, and the door of the pharmacy is hanging sideways, holding on by only the bottom hinges.
So, I didn’t imagine it. For a moment, I thought I must’ve gone insane after years of being alone and hiding.
Pulling back, I sit with my knees to my chest, leaning the back of my head on the wall.
There is nothing I can do but stay here.
When a long time passes, and still, no one comes to find me, I decide to go look for them.
If I stay here until morning, someone will see me for sure.
Determined to meet my fate standing, I lift up, and steeling my spine, head straight for the open door.
The mutt trots next to me on my right. Stepping over the more significant pieces of glass, I enter the pharmacy, and still, no one notices my presence.
Bewildered, I walk around, grabbing things that look like they can be useful.
Finding a bag, I start filling it up. My hands still have tremors, and my legs feel like they’ll give out at any moment, but in a dreamlike state, I collect things methodically.
Finding bandages and pads is a blessing I never expected or have ever thought of, so I stuff as many as I can in the puffed-up bag.
“I think this is what shopping felt like, mutt.” Snorting, I whisper to my loyal friend that hasn’t left my side. “Next thing you know, we’ll be getting manicures together.”
Still shocked that I’m not dead, I finish grabbing everything I can and walk out of the door.
The burning between my shoulder blades never stops.
I feel the eyes follow me almost to the alley where my dumpster is.
Not a soul crosses our paths. Without warning, the feeling disappears, and I almost feel the weight of it lift like a physical presence.
With one last look around, I slink back inside the dark alley and hurry to find my friends.