I sensed the salty, metallic taste of blood in my mouth, and I lifted my face off the concrete.
"Let that be a lesson to you, yeah?" Theo's deep voice broke through the dark alley-way. I felt his hot raspy breath on my neck and I shuttered. "Let me make this clear, you will tell no one what happened here tonight." He spat. I said nothing and after a long moment he yanked my hair and I cried out in pain
"Yes Okay!" I screamed, my mouth splattered with blood and my whole body shaking to the bone. He slammed my face back in the street and white hot pain shot through me. I heard Theo's feet departing and held my breath until I heard the car door slam, The Ignition start and the breaks squeal away. Even though I knew that Theo was long gone, I lifted my face up cautiously and looked around at the Night. I got up on my knees and took a shaky breath, pulling out my phone and sweeping my long brown hair out of my face. I shot a quick text to my best friend, Maddie.
R u working tonight?
Yeah, Until 1am
I'll be over soon, C u l8ter.
I quickly snapped my phone shut, then stood up and looked around for my bag. That bastard, if he took my bag, he'll pay. I saw the loop of an orange messenger bag and my hand quickly snatched it up, I dug through my bag, My Book, Keys, Phone charger, and a Cherry Lip-gloss were all in the right place, Scattered through my bag. An owl hooted in the distance and a shiver went down my spine. This was not a night to be out on Halloween. I though and took off down the alley to the diner.
The smell of warm coffee tingled my nose and I took a sip of it, stuck out my tongue and reached for the sugar packets, Bright pink and aligned in a small white container. I tour a packet open with my teeth and streamed a line of sugar into the murky coffee. Maddie stood in front of me, Dressed in her usual sunshine yellow dress, and white apron, Stained and faded with months behind the counter. She wore her black high tops that matched her hair, pulled up in a high pony tail, she also wore a pair of cat ears, and a nose and whiskers drawn on in eye liner. It was Halloween, and Like every year, Little pumpkins and ghost hung from the ceiling and stickers on the window spelled Beware and Stay out. and she looked at me with her head resting on her chin, Elbows on the white tile counter top. I stared into the black surface of my coffee, avoiding my best friend's stare.
"I'm serious, Ally, and tell me what the hell happened." She spoke up finally. Maddie was quite the whole time she was helping me clean up, Yanking paper towels out of the machine and running it under the water then cleaning the blood specks off my face, Mumbling every once in a while to herself about how she was going to kill whoever did this. I looked Up into Maddie's light blue and green eyes and she looked back. I timidly lifted the coffee cup to my lips and took a long sip before I replied.
"Just some bullshit going on..."
"Like?" She questioned, but not before going over to a man in a black coat, head down and refilling his coffee cup.
"Thanks, Doll." He said in a gruff voice, and took a swing of coffee.
"Anytime, Jeremy." She said warmly.
Maddie may her way back over to be and a voice called from the back of the kitchen.
"You're fine to go, Mads!" Said, Velma. Coming out from the back with the steam from the dishwasher fogging her glasses. She was a short, Overweight, older woman, who always had her hair in a bun, covered in a hairnet. She smiled, many of her front teeth missing and Maddie leaned over and hugged her.
"Thanks', Mama J." She said, a Maddie slipped half of her tip money into the Velma's pocket.
"Such an Angel." Velma cooed and went back to washing dishes. Maddie lifted the apron off of her and hung in on a hook, next to five others. She opened the hip-height counter door and locked it behind her. "Be safe out there, Love!" Velma called one last time, as Maddie fished in her pocket for her keys.
"Thanks, I will!" She said, and tugged my arm to the car. We left the diner and I breathed out a thick, white cloud.
"Let's get you home, Girly." Maddie said, unlocking her car door. That was when I saw a shadow move behind her.
"Maddi-!" A gloved hand covered her mouth, then mine and she let out muffled scream. I took a step towards the two, but not before something heavy hit my head, and I blacked out.
