Dangerous Rose

Chapter I - Autumn Leaves

"Worry not that no one knows you; seek to be worth knowing."

A humble hum of Anemoi is heard, as he dances with  the wisps of my hair behind me. The weather is ill, strong coughs of wind deter the suns irradesent rays from kissing the skin on my arms, and heating them with a passionate warmth. Still, forwards I march. My features deforming with determination, to reach the alley up ahead which I knew would shield me from gods vengeance. The combat boots which hug my feet feel heavy, as my muscles strain to move faster, in accordance to my wide strides. The boots resonate a booming echo which ricochet off of the isolated street's decaying brick walls. My senses were tingling, as I kept a watchful eye on my surrounding. A chill slithered down by spine and to my toes as I became truly aware of the streets desertedness.

Fallen leaves form a yellow brick road, to which I follow, much like Dorothy had before me. The crunching of leaves below me like that of breaking bone, encourage me to to reach the alley ahead, with will provide me with more shelter from the bitting wind, than the exposed solitary street that I dash through presently. I was a few millimetres away from making the harsh turn right, as I began to hear a whisper of voices which must have been carried in the wind. This was a regular occurrence as our joyful neighbourhood consisted mostly of elderly, who enjoy sharing the towns latest gossip, even in the most absurdly weather. I make the turn, and continue to gaze halfhazerdly at the yellowish leaves which crunch under my weight. No longer mindlessly fluttering in a worllwing around my feet.

A sudden strong jerk, pulls me, so that my back is against a warm chest. Finally I come to my senses and look up at the four male figures which surround me. A raspy, breathless warning bursts from the man behind me, " Stay back! Or I will kill her!" An inaudible gasp escapes my parted lips, as the cold metal of a knife is pressed tightly against my throat. My glassy eyes widen with shock, at the intrusive events which are currently taking place. With impeccable expertise, I bring my healed boot down on the foot of the man behind me. The unexpected action causes his vice like grip on my upper body do loosen, and with quick rapid motions my limbs work to push his hand away from my throat, twisting it so that it one swift motion it would hurdle past my side to plunge itself into the man's stomach. Pivoting on my toes i raise my elbow high and strike him harshly across the face, making his head horrifyingly crack to the side.

I step back with unease, and a single shot rings through the wind, a bullet hurdling with ease across the vast blank space to plant itself in between the man's eyes. I swivel promptly to witness one of the four men lowering his gun, and his deathly emerald gaze to fall onto my disliveled form. A firm nod from the green eyed man, moved two of his accomplices in my direction. Predictable, I had just witnessed a murder, if let loose then I became a potential leak in their cover. The two intimidating men advance towards me with large strides, I cautiously take steps back. At an attempt to catch me both men lurch forward, however at last minute I crouch down, and lean forward, stepping out of their clutching embrace. I swivel round to decipher their next movements. In an instant I feel a presence behind me as an arm locks onto my upper body, and the barrel of a gun I held firmly to my temple. "Don't you dare move", the mysterious man whispered close to my ear. A blood curdling chill runs down my spine, as my breaths turn into short desperate pants.

"Don't make this difficult for yourself", he tiredly mutters, as a sigh escapes his lips, guessing that I would put up a fight. A gust of his warm breath blows against my neck as my muscles remain strained and taught with anticipation. After a minute of reassurance, the man begins to push me further into the alleyway, still with my form glued to his, and a gun pressed tightly to my temple, his accomplices followed close behind. I knew the familiar alleyway connected two roads together, it was a short cut that I often took on my way home from work. I planned to make my unexpected escape, once we had reached the mouth of the alleyway. Again a heavy silence hangs in the air, and the sound of our heavy footsteps thunder and ricochet off of the thin walls. A few meters before we submerge from the alley to the semi-deserted street, I felt the stinging pinch of a needle at the base of my arm. My head wirlls, and I violently trash in my kidnappers arms, as my senses diminish, the world blurs into watercolour, and like a light suddenly turns dark.