m i s t a k e

Chapter Three: Save Me (Part Two)

"Hold on!" the lady informed, "You're talking way too fast for me to understand."

Ellie cried out in frustration but nodded only for herself to see, "I-I'm sorry... I just...I don't want him to die.."

She looked back down onto the road across from her.

I also don't want them to come back either.

"I understand that darling but in order for us to help you, you first need to tell us what happened and where you are. Now please, can you repeat what you said?"

Ellie couldn't remember exactly what she said but she informed the officer about the young boy's condition. A serious blow to the head. Maybe a few- scratch that, several broken rib cages, a bruised face, almost unconscious, extremely cold, several cuts to the body. There were only so many injuries she could mention based on his physical appearance, god only knew just how bad it must be internally for him. 

"Alright, now can you tell me where you are?" the lady asked.

Ellie looked around but she couldn't pick out any street signs and it was hard to see anything she could go by because the rain made it worse to see. Panic struck her when she heard voices come out from the distant, the familiar laughing and yelling of the men who were responsible for the man who was dying in front of her. She snapped her head to the direction it came from and she quickly whispered through the phone, "T-They're coming back officer. They're coming back..."

"Stay calm now please and tell me whose exactly is coming?"

"A g-gang? I don't know but t-there was a bunch of guys here earlier that were the ones who were responsible for..." Ellie couldn't help but look down in fear. She knew some part of him was still alive but if her hearing was right and they were the men from earlier coming back...she bit her lip in conflict as she knew the outcome of the situation. They would beat him up or kill him off and there was no way she was going to let that happen.

Placing her phone between her teeth, she knelt over quickly to grab the young boy from underneath his arms. With all her force, she dragged his body away from the street and placed him behind the nearest cover she could find- a dumpster. It wasn't the best place but it offered the most covering and she only hoped that with a few covered cardboard boxes and some newspapers that it would look convincing enough not to be suspicious. 

Before covering him up, she peeled off her sweater from her head and laid it down on him before using her purse as a pillow and placed it under his head. Ellie then grabbed the phone from her mouth to tell the officer her new plan.

"I'm going to get the guys away so please come and track this phone to find him alright?"

"M'am wait, you must-"

"There's no time to wait!" Ellie yelled in a hushed tone, "They're coming back so there's no time to wait. I want this boy to live and if it means turning them against me, so be it. Just please hurry and find him. Soon."

With that, she placed the phone under a piece of cardboard that laid over the young man before she took a second to stare down at him. Her heart couldn't help but feel helpless because she couldn't stay to tend to his severe wounds. But Ellie shook her head quickly, dismissing her thoughts and made sure to take off her shoes. If she was going to run, might as well not do it in slippers.

The sounds of laughter filled the vacant lot as she peeked over behind the dumpster. The same men she saw earlier stood at the spot she pulled the guy away from. The leader of the group seemed furious as he looked around before pushing another guy out of the way.

"WHERE IS HE?!?!" he yelled, screaming at the top of his lungs while veins seemed to poke out from his head. He quickly looked over at the other men that stood alongside him, unsure and clueless. With a grunt, he shoved them.

"Look for them! Don't stand there like dicks- find him!"

Ellie took this moment as her opportunity to slowly crawl herself away from the dumpster, trying to distance herself from the boy so they won't find the dumpster as a place to look at. Little by little, she quietly crawled her way behind the scurrying men, calculating when would be the right time to make her move. She looked ahead to see a small trash can and planned to use that as cover. However, her clumsy self decided to kick the can when she got there, causing a loud ringing noise that soon followed with a 'thud' as the large metal bin fell and rolled away. 

Now all eyes were on her 

"You!" the leader yelled.

Well so much for a plan, she mentally cursed.

"How long do you think she was there boss?" one of his men asked him.

Ellie quickly scrambled to her feet and dashed away, having no courage to look back as she heard the man scream again, "GET HER!"

.         .          .

The rain did't make it easier and she didn't know how long its been since she started running. Ellie must have somehow lost her way while running because she did all kinds of twists and turns in attempt to lose them. But hearing them behind her after so long only showed that it was all for nothing. She mentally prayed to the world that today wouldn't be her last day alive. And if it was, she was glad that at least the boy would be saved. Hopefully. 

Suddenly, Ellie could see light illuminating down the street before her and the little hope she had for herself grew almost immediately as she pushed herself for it. The closer she got, the more light hearted her heart felt even though she felt like passing out from all the running. Soon enough, there stood a man, back turned as he seemingly looked like he was intentionally walking away from her. She recognized him almost immediately as the handsome stranger from the cafe before he held onto her umbrella in his hand. 

Relieved and fearful still, she leaped out, wrapping her arms around the man and clung onto him tightly. The relief she felt overcame her as she sobbed helplessly against his back, pleading that he wouldn't push her away from him. 

"Please help me," she sobbed as she held onto him tightly.

Her voice came out shaky as she trembled in the cold rain.

The sounds of angry screams could be heard a few meters away from them. 

"Come back here, you bitch!"

"You're gonna pay for what you did!"

Ellie looked up at the stranger, desperation seeping her as the rain did as she pleaded in her eyes for him to help her. He looked down at her for a moment, mixed emotions circling his eyes before cursing silently. With a sudden pull, he pried himself away from her which earned a shocked look before he suddenly grabbed her wrist and pulled her forward. She landed herself against his chest before she felt his lips graze across her ear, a small tinted blush spreading across her cheeks by the close contact.

"Run."

With that, he pulled back and turned, pulling her along with him as she tried her best to catch up. Despite the numbness of her legs and dizziness that clouded her mind, Ellie couldn't help but smile to herself.

He was going to save her.