Tattoo of the Black Angel Vol. 1 (SAMPLE. Full book available on Amazon)

Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Shaking from the trauma and the shock that I had just experienced, I stifled a sob that was threatening to escape. I lay there in the black horrid smelling liquid that was strangely starting to dry up and disappear like dust. Lynn was still yelling in my ear, but I didn't want to hear her. Taking the earpiece out, I placed it in my bra and took a deep shuddering breath and glanced up towards the window. There was no way I was going to go out and face Amanda and Beth. I couldn't let them see me like this.

The moon was now casting a shining ray of its brilliant white light in my direction and for some reason it made me feel calm. I felt I could get out of this situation, albeit in a stupid fashion.

The window in front of me was small, in fact it was so small even without these freaky things that just sprouted from my back, I would find it difficult getting out. But I had to try.

Closing the lid of the toilet seat, I stood on top of it and pushed the window open as wide as it would go, which wasn't much. Turning around, I locked the door.

'Tara?' I heard Beth bang on the door, 'let us in.'

Ignoring her, I put my right leg out of the window and pushed myself through, the wings giving me more grief as I strained the muscles in my back. Breathing in, I managed to get half of my body out before I heard another bang on the door.

'Tara, what the hell is going on? Come out!' Amanda yelled at me.

I turned around in time just to see hands on the tiled floor as she was trying to peer under the door. Struggling my best to get out of the cubicle quickly, I pushed down hard on the windowpane and with a small grunt of pain I fell out and landed onto the cold gravel floor below.

'Ow,' I whined as I saw my grazed knee which I had caught as I fell out of the window. Picking myself up, gingerly I closed the window and bolted from the toilet block, trying to find somewhere, anywhere, that would conceal me and these wings.

The music from the student union blasted out all around me, which was confusing because I tried to run away from it, not toward. Dodging left and right, avoiding being seen by people, I saw a large hydrangea bush by a wall and did a running leap head first into it.

'OW,' I yelped out loud again as I felt something warm run down my hands. Holding them up to the dim orange light that was cast from a nearby lamppost, I saw that I had cut my hands. 'God damn it!' I groaned, rubbing the mud and blood off onto my already ruined costume.

With my stinging knee and hands, the only thing that wasn't causing me any pain anymore was my back. I was about to open my mouth to talk to Lynn when suddenly I heard footsteps from my far left-hand side. I ducked back as far as I could and remained silent. The only thing I heard was my panicked heart that was racing so fast, it felt like I had run a mile.

The person walked by me and turned towards the Student Union. I waited in the bush for a couple of minutes, hearing nothing and thinking it may be a good idea to make a run for it back to my house. I made a snap decision and crawled through the bush on my hands and knees. My stupid wings got caught in the branches and I managed to rip some feathers out, which didn't hurt me as much as I thought it would. As I stood up, I ran without turning back and headed towards the tennis courts on the right-hand side. I needed to get over the river that ran right through the university campus as it was the quickest way to my house.

I breathed heavily as I ducked behind a low wall waiting for the right time to run the last leg of my escape. It hid me from view of the Halloween party that still raved in the Student Union. I waited patiently for a minute or two and I ran as fast as I could go. But oddly enough, I seemed a bit slower than usual. I guessed it was either due to my painful knee or these blasted wings!