my messed up life (adopted by Team Crafted)

In The City

I walked down the street, my shoes muddy and the edges of my pants already starting to fringe. I'd gotten used to seeing my face on the TV's in shop windows, or the missing posters taped, stapled and glued to any place they could be put up and then some. 

But I'd changed over the past two weeks. My backpack, once poke-a-dotted was now more of a dirty blue and brown. My hair was greased back as best I could get it and as short as I was able to cut it on my own. And whenever I went into a bathroom, depending on which places would let me in, I wasn't even sure which spots were freckles, which was mud, and which was whatever was growing on me, because it sure felt like something could be growing. 

The sky was growing grey with the oncoming storm. I had overheard some businessmen talking about how it was coming, and how it probably wouldn't stop until later that night. I hoped I would be able to find someplace to lay low until it was over, but every place I went someone else was already there. 

Now I headed towards my last resort. Through the back alley behind Ken's Deli, I kept my head low and palmed a package of bread waiting out behind the back doors. It easily fit under my shirt, and I laughed a little thinking it looked like a six pack. I was so caught up in it though, that I didn't notice who was walking up behind me. And in front of me.

Suddenly, I was on the ground. I tried to blink the spots out of my eyes but I couldn't even see straight. A dark chuckle broke through my haze as a shadow blocked out the little light still shining down from the sun. 

"Look at this little thief" a man said. My vision started to come back into focus. The two rough looking men towered over me, and I tried to scoot back away from them.

"Y- you can have it" I said. Pulling the now squished bread from my coat. I held it out and was surprised that they laughed at me. 

"We're not here for that girl" The other said. He had a hand behind his back, and seemed to be messing with something. A scar ran over his eye, and where the black of his pupil should've been, it was covered in a white cataract. 

I had a sinking feeling in my gut. The blood drained from my face and suddenly everything was much colder and harsher. The other man kicked the package out of my hand, and I couldn't bite back a yelp of pain. 

"Shut up!" Scar face hissed as he looked over his shoulder. He pulled a knife from his pants and held it readily. His friend only grinned. 

"C'mon man! People are starting to look" His friend said. He nodded to the dock workers who had stopped and were staring. 

Scar face growled something under his breath. I stopped scooting back when they turned towards me. I looked around carefully, but there wasn't anything close to me I could use, and I wasn't far enough away to try and run. 

"Get up" Scar face growled, pointing his knife at me. I nodded, and slowly stood up. Quicker than I thought he could move, he grabbed my arm and had his knife pressed into my side so tight I was afraid it was already drawing blood. 

"Listen closely, we're gonna walk past those men, and you're not going to say a word. You won't even look at them" He whispered. His breath smelled like mold and rotten fish had a child, before crawling through a chicken farm and disappearing down this fowl man's throat. 

"Do you understand girl?" his friend piped in, smirking and walking up alongside happily. I shivered as his coat brushed against mine. It was like I could feel the grease running off him. 

"Walk" Scar face smiled. "And pretend to be friendly, we're taking you somewhere nicer than a back alley" 

I swallowed my disgust as the knife bit into my side. A plan started to form in my head, but it would be a long shot. 

They walked me right past the workmen, and spite started to fill up in me when none of them stepped forward to stop us. I knew they knew what was going on. But none of them even paid mind to what was going on. They went back to work as the rain started to fall. 

The two men, if they could even be called that, walked me out of the alley and down the street calmly. Scar face kept hold of my arm, but every now and then I could feel the knife ebb and come away from my side. They were talking to each other, but I drowned them out. Blood was pounding in my ears, and I had to keep my smile from showing. I found an escape. 

Up ahead, a police car was parked on the side of the road. The lights were out, and from the angle we were at it looked like it was any old car. The extra antennas on the top gave it away though. I focused on the men for a moment, listening to see if they had noticed it yet. They kept chatting away happily. 

My heart beat faster, and I waited until we were a little bit closer before wrenching my arm away from scar face and ran as fast as I could towards it. The door of the car opened, and I saw the officer get out. She was small built, but I could hear the men's shouting stop half way through their sentences. 

I reached out towards her, but stumbled as something hit my back. I took another step forward in shock, before collapsing. My vision started to fade again, and I heard the faint sound of running. Then someone was above me. 

There was talking, I remember that. A fast, soft voice. My last thought was that it wasn't the men, and then the world faded to black.